At this stage of the course, we will introduce you to the field of Behavioral Design and the benefits of integrating principles and practices into your designs. We'll work to demystify some of the core concepts related to the field and uncover common cognitive biases that drive human behavior.
Behavioral Design combines behavioral science with user insights and business needs to reduce innovation risk, design for positive behavior change, and map the unseen impact of design choices on user and societal behavior. It goes by several names, including Behavioral Change Design and Behavioral Design. The industry hasn't established a name yet.
We often assume that consumers make rational decisions, but behavioral science shows us that this is far from the truth. The way we make decisions is influenced by the way our brain processes information. These processes can sometimes go wrong. They miscalculate probability, make us focus on the now, and make us prone to bias. Cognitive biases are systematic errors in our thinking process. They affect most of the decisions we make and can lead us to do irrational things.
We've all experienced irrational decision-making. We say one thing and do another. We postpone important decisions. And we do things now that we know we'll regret later. You know how to not save for retirement, drink too much, skip the gym...the list goes on.
The goal of behavioral design is to positively influence people's behavior. Helping people do what they already want to do. It aims to reveal them on a deeper level using a systematic approach. It doesn't manipulate or get people to do something they haven't actively chosen.
Behavioral Design bridges the gap between what we think people will do and what they actually do. A gap that is at the heart of all problems. It designs digital products and services based on real behavior.
The video below portrays in an illustrated and simple way a little about what behavior changes are.
Behavioral design refers to the practice of designing products, services, or experiences with the intention of influencing and changing human behavior. It combines principles from psychology, economics, and other social sciences to understand how people make decisions and act, and then applies that knowledge to design solutions that encourage desired behaviors. The goal of behavioral design is to create experiences that are not only usable and aesthetically pleasing but also effectively nudge people toward certain actions or outcomes.
Behavioral Design is a systematic understanding of how people think and how they make decisions. This understanding forms the basis for thinking about interventions that lead to behavior change. Perhaps you want to influence the behavior of your partner or children. You may want to influence your peers or managers. Some people like to develop a healthy habit for themselves or want to live a more sustainable life. Maybe you want to influence customer behavior or win elections. No matter what the subject, we can all think of them as a behavioral design challenge.
Behavioral design is a theory and process or set of techniques for persuasion. It is not a coercion technique. It's behavior technology, not strength technology. To that extent, behavioral design techniques and the designer himself must respect the person's intrinsic rights to freedom of choice, autonomy, and dignity.
Traditional behavioral models are being turned on their heads. Daniel Pink, for example, challenges the traditional carrot and stick model of motivation in his popular book Drive. It showcases research on how intrinsically motivated ideas create more effective organizational change. The principles behavioral researchers are discovering can be applied to your user experiences and marketing strategies.
Another author and researcher with lots of experience in exploring human behavior is Dan Ariely. In his book Predictably Irrational he shares studies that show how to:
Too much choice can reduce sales conversion rates;
The choice can create buyer's remorse;
Decisions are made based on immediate comparison rather than objective value;
Value estimates may be influenced by unrelated materials;
And many other useful persuasion tactics.
BEING HUMAN
We face dozens if not hundreds of decision-making moments daily. Each and every time we push a button, pick a brand from a shelf, read instructions from a package or drive down the street to the gym, we are being influenced by somebody or something to make a decision, to behave in a certain way.
Those who know humans best know that humans are hard to read, hard to understand, and hard to predict.
And to make matters more interesting for you, behavioral designers, humans don't like change, we don't like complicated, and we don't like hard work.
That's why the best professionals excel at research, and uncovering human behavior insights.
We face dozens if not hundreds of decision-making moments daily. Each and every time we push a button, pick a brand from a shelf, read instructions from a package or drive down the street to the gym, we are being influenced by somebody or something to make a decision, to behave in a certain way.
Those who know humans best know that humans are hard to read, hard to understand, and hard to predict
And to make matters more interesting for you, behavioral designers, humans don't like change, we don't like complicated, and we don't like hard work.
That's why the best professionals excel at research and uncovering human behavior insights.
In addition to the links mentioned throughout this material, we selected some cases and texts about Behavioral Design:
What is Behavioral Design - UX Collective BR
The Behavioral Design Project for Promoting Financial Health "
Putting behavioral design squarely in the hands of finance organizations can have a broad and lasting impact on the financial well-being of Americans. That's why we conducted an immersive 18-day program. months with 11 pioneering organizations called The Behavioral Design Project for Promoting Financial Health." - Ideas 42
How behavioral design creates the best user experiences
A recent article by Tim Harford in the Financial Times explains why certain types of technology play such an important role in our understanding of the technology landscape: software-based technology. The reason for this, he says, is that software developers have found a powerful formula by combining user experience design with scientific testing.
Applying gamification techniques and behavioral design principles
If you've ever wondered how to apply gamification techniques to keep a user engaged with your product, this article might be helpful. The case study covers the brainstorming process of creating a small notification app for the educational product called Hyperskill. The purpose of the application is to keep the user motivated to study and engage with the product.
The 7 most creative examples of 'nudges' that change habits
A little nudge helps people make better choices for themselves without restricting their freedom of choice. It does this by making it easier for people to make certain decisions.
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