The LOCI Method
Why LOCI Exists: The Neuroscience Behind the Name
Somewhere in the late 6th to early 5th century BCE, a poet named Simonides of Ceos supposedly stepped outside a banquet moments before the roof collapsed, killing everyone inside. When called to identify the victims, he reportedly pictured the hall and recalled where each guest had been seated. Whether literal history or enduring legend, the story sparked one of humanity’s most influential memory techniques: the method of loci. Loci means “places” in Latin, and the method literally translates to “the method of place.” Roman thinkers like Cicero later formalized it, teaching students to walk an imaginary building and pin vivid images to familiar landmarks. That mental stroll became a path to perfect recall. Modern memory champions still rely on the same approach—building “mind palaces” to memorize decks of cards, digits of pi, or entire textbooks by anchoring knowledge to space.
The method of loci isn’t just ancient lore; modern neuroscience shows why it works. In the early 2000s, British researcher Eleanor Maguire scanned the brains of London taxi drivers who had mastered “The Knowledge,” a multi-year test requiring memorization of more than 25,000 streets and thousands of landmarks. These drivers had significantly larger posterior hippocampi—the brain’s spatial-memory hub—than the general population. Soon after, John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser, and Edvard Moser won the Nobel Prize for uncovering place cells and grid cells: neurons that fire in distinctive patterns as people move through—or even imagine—an environment, effectively forming the brain’s inner GPS. Together, these studies confirm what the Simonides tale implies: memory and movement through space are deeply linked. To remember something long-term, attach it to a place.
LOCI applies that principle where it matters most. Instead of relying on passive instruction, LOCI turns safety training into physical, place-based learning. Fire drills, evacuation training, and emergency protocols become QR code scavenger hunts that guide people through their actual environment. Each step links information to real-world locations, building stronger, faster recall. When alarms sound or a crisis hits, the brain doesn’t reach for a slideshow; it remembers the route. This is the method of loci made practical for today—training designed to be remembered when every second counts.
Why LOCI Works: The Pillars of our Method
NEUROSCIENCE
Brains tag memories to places. By wrapping Fire Drills, Evacuation Training, and other Safety Drills inside a QR Code Scavenger Hunt, we bind each lifesaving step to a real-world landmark. Active, place-based learning can triple long-term recall compared to passive lecture formats. If you can walk it, you can remember it when the alarm sounds.
LOCALIZATION
Site-specific training often means slide decks, walkthroughs, or signs people forget—a big ask. LOCI replaces all that by turning the environment into the instructor. With QR markers on real safety features, each occupant learns from the space itself—on their own time, in their own way. The result: clearer understanding, more confidence, and safer decisions when it counts.
ACCESSIBILITY
One in four serious workplace injuries involves a language barrier. LOCI removes that risk by matching the browser’s native language setting—no setup, no translation lag. Whether someone speaks Spanish, Tagalog, or Ukrainian, instructions appear clearly in their own language. As long as they can use a smartphone, they can complete the drill with confidence.
VIRTUALIZATION
Short mobile clips, timed quizzes, and instant feedback turn each drill into a lightweight AR-style mission. Studies on QR-code scavenger hunts show higher engagement and faster orientation in new spaces. Employees learn the fastest exit path long before they smell smoke.
AUTOMATION
LOCI drills can be published as SCORM files, enabling automated tracking, reminders, and completions through your company’s Learning Management System.
No LMS? You can track completions in-app and export drill records as spreadsheets. However you deliver it, LOCI ensures no one slips through the cracks
VERIFICATION
Each scan and quiz answer is stamped with time, place, and user ID. You get proof—down to the second—that every employee finished the Workplace Scavenger Hunt and can find critical safety gear under pressure.
