Long before the term “experience design” existed, the ancient art of memory taught people to make what mattered, unforgettable. Rooted in the Hermetic tradition, this esoteric knowledge stream fused memory with ritual, natural magic, astrology, and alchemy. Practitioners placed religious images in memory palaces, mapped symbolic journeys, and tied actions to celestial bodies and magical symbols—all to make meaning stick.

Today, experience designers face the same challenge: crafting moments audiences remember. This session reveals how timeless memory techniques can power contemporary design. We’ll explore core methods from the art of memory, unpack why they work, and show how the “inner architecture” of attention becomes a practical toolkit for museums, exhibitions, location-based entertainment, and digital spaces. By adapting ancient secrets to modern contexts, we’ll uncover how to engineer experiences that leave lasting impressions.