Behavioral design
Applies what is known about how we decide and act to design products, services and policies that make it easier to do what people want or need to do.
What it deals with
It deals with why people don’t do what they say they want to do, and how to design the environment so the desirable becomes easier. It draws on behavioral economics and psychology.
Principles
Diagnose before intervening
Understand what blocks the behavior before proposing anything.
Make it easy
Removing effort usually works better than trying to persuade.
Test and measure
Check with experiments what actually works.
Respect autonomy
Make it easier to do what the person wants; never deceive them.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Start by observing what people do and where they get stuck, not what they say they would do.
Avoid
Using what you know about biases to push people into decisions they wouldn’t make calmly.
Don’t fall for it
Measure the effect against a control group and check whether it lasts over time.
Models
- ModelCOM-B modelTo act, you need capability, opportunity and motivation.
- ModelFogg Behavior ModelA behavior happens when motivation, ability and a prompt come together.
Methods and tools
- ApproachEAST frameworkTo change a behavior, make it easy, attractive, social and timely.
Connections
Builds on
- Behavioral economics, Field
- Loss aversion, Concept
- Fresh start effect, Concept
- Framing effect, Concept
- Availability heuristic, Concept
- Nudge and choice architecture, Theory
- Principles of influence, Model
- Bounded rationality, Theory
- Present bias, Concept
- Prospect theory, Theory
- Cognitive psychology, Field
- System 1 and System 2, Theory
- Self-determination theory, Theory
- Gamification, Concept
Authors and works
Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
Popularized the nudge and choice architecture.
B. J. Fogg
Proposed a behavior model for persuasive design.
Behavioural Insights Team
Brought these ideas into public policy with the EAST framework.
Sources
Original sources
- Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Yale University Press.
- Fogg, B. J. (2009). A behavior model for persuasive design. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Persuasive Technology. ACM. View source: Fogg, B. J. (2009)
- Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science, 6, 42. View source: Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., & West, R. (2011)
- Service, O., Hallsworth, M., Halpern, D., Algate, F., Gallagher, R., Nguyen, S., Ruda, S., & Sanders, M. (2014). EAST: Four simple ways to apply behavioural insights. Behavioural Insights Team. View source: Service, O., Hallsworth, M., Halpern, D., Algate, F., Gallagher, R., Nguyen, S., Ruda, S., & Sanders, M. (2014)
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