framing behavior design

Behavior DesignStop being neutral,

and start influencing decisions.

Chris Risdon@livebysatellite

Nick Disabato@nickdpi

Brad Nunnally@bnunnally

#sxbehavior

Framing Behavior Design

Chris Risdon

@livebysatellite

[email protected]

chrisrisdon.com

Framing Behavior Design Chris

5 minute break

Design Decisions Nick

5 minute break

Ethical Frameworks Brad

Q&A

A poster child for behavior design, bringing together many of the concepts and themes we’re discussing, Green Goose creates the “internet of things” by allowing you to attach sensors (RFID and accelerometers) to almost any object.

Set simple lifestyle goals. (such as brushing your teeth 3x daily)

Track your progress automatically with sensors

Earn lifestyle points

Ever since I started as an IA in the 90s, I’ve thought about the impact of my design decisions.

But it was 3 years ago I started to dive deeper into the psychology of how we made decisions and were influenced by technology.

Three years ago I moved from NYC to Atlanta, GA.

Within two months, I gained 10 pounds.

My whole family gained weight, even our three dogs. (though I’m smart enough not to illustrate the weight gain on my stick-figure wife)

Obviously I moved from a city where I walked everywhere, to one where I drove everywhere. I became fascinated how the design of city spaces influenced my health and how my perceptions changed around certain activities.

In New York, if you said there was a great restaurant just a 20 minute walk away, I thought that was convenient.

If you said that restaurant was a 20 minute walk in Atlanta, I was going to drive, and have it only take 8 minutes.

If I have a few of these choices every day, every week, I think about how I can maximize my time, not rationally about long term environment or health impact.

Dan Ariely

http://www.flickr.com/photos/billhr/3266119190/

Predictably Irrational

The Upside of Irrationality

As I started to research this, I came across behavior economist Dan Ariely. He had an anecdote that summed up how I made my decisions around driving in Atlanta....

Let’s say I have a half a box of chocolates open here in front of you. I will give you this half box of chocolates now, or I will a full box of chocolates in a week. Most people will select the half box of chocolates now.

If you ask if they want a half box of chocolates in a year, or a full box in a year and one week, they will be able to think rationally and select the full box.

Active Design is the idea that we can design...buildings to encourage people to get more exercise...

By attacking obesity through urban design and architecture, governments are beginning to realize that designers might be their best warriors in the battle against obesity and its costs.

“”—Fast Company

Active Design are guidelines by the city in conjunction with architects and urban planning academics.

This strategy recognizes that the public’s underlying motivations are not about health, but rather, about what is convenient and enjoyable.

—Fast Company

“ ”These examples reinforce the fact that we, as designers, are not simply designing for cognition – or to support behavior.

I do take some of the totals to heart and try to adjust my behavior accordingly.“

”—Nicholas Felton

The utility and pervasiveness of data has grown.

Thanks to technology data can be collected passively.

What does data provide. Once collected what does it do?

Data tells a story. Their behaviors write the story.

BJ Fogg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/netliferesearch/2867937570/

When we understand how people make decisions, and how we can provide insight to their behaviors, how do we target behavior change?

90999

Imagine sitting at an airport killing time before a flight, you see a story about a disaster somewhere across the globe. This story, and it’s images are the data.

A call to donate to the Red Cross through their website is the trigger. Your ability is limited by waiting to get on the web.

If you have a mobile phone, and are able to act simply by texting the Red Cross, and having $10 seamlessly added to your phone bill, the ability to act is easy, and thus the motivation does not have to be as high as when you’d need to wait and log onto the website at a later time.

Persuasion

Let’s talk about “persuasion.” It’s a loaded word when discussing behavior design.

Persuasion

Usability

In some camps, certain techniques are seen as a means to persuade, in others that same technique is a means to aid cognition. Trialability is the concept that if you simulate an activity, or demonstrate a product, the user will be more likely to engage in that activity, or with that product - it’s a tool for persuasion. But others, such as an information architect or usability specialist, may see this as a means for aiding cognition, allowing the user to better complete the activity, or understand how to use the product.

Persuasion

Usability

Amazon One Click has value to the user, it makes purchasing an item easier.

It’s also a persuasive tool designed to prompt more impulse purchases.

Persuasion

Usability

Good Defaults are intended to aid in completing easily and correctly.

But it also persuades the user’s actions.

Dan LocktonDesign with IntentDesign patterns that influence behavior.

A good quote about persuasion.

I see the best behavior-influencing design to be where the needs of two (or more) parties align...

...There are people in the persuasive technology community who would argue that this isn’t persuasion, and perhaps it isn’t, but it’s certainly interaction design that affects user behavior.

“”—Dan Lockton

E.g. if someone decides he/she wants to get fit, a mobile app which helps track everyday exercise, sets goals, and makes tailored suggestions at opportune moments aligns the user’s desire to get fit, with ‘society’s’ desire for a healthier population.

PersuasionUsability

Awareness(of intent, by the user)

High

Low

Let’s take the scale and add a second axis. This is the user’s awareness of your intent as a designer.

PersuasionUsability


High

Low

Good Defaults

Has some persuasive effect, but intent is to aid usability.

User may have some awareness they are being guided, but there is no overt intent identified about persuasion.

PersuasionUsability


High

Low

Good DefaultsAmazon One Click

There is value to user with Amazon One Click, but it’s primarily intended to persuade.

Many people know that e-tail sites want to sell them more stuff, they may have a sense that this feature aims to do this, but the intent isn’t overt.

PersuasionUsability


High

Low


ManipulationDeception

Manipulation: all persuasion with no value to the user

Deception: covert in intentions

Stay away from this ethically mucky area.

PersuasionUsability


High

Low


iTunes


Applications with high utility (iTunes, Gmail, Basecamp, etc.). Intent of utility is fairly high, usually as part of value proposition. (actual usability may vary from app to app, but it is intended to be usable as an aid, such as managing your music library).

PersuasionUsability


High

Low


iTunes Green Goose


Green Goose and similar products and services can be a utility, but designed to have high effect (persuasive) on behavior change.

Intent is typically made clear, usually in value proposition (reduce your debt, get in shape, etc.)

PersuasionUsability


High

Low


iTunes Green Goose


Let’s focus on this area and discuss two frameworks for designing products and services intent on influencing behavior.

Behavior Change as Intended Byproduct

Primary value proposition is as utility or an aid.

System does not make explicit recommendations.

Behavior (acting on data) is self-determined.

Persuasion is at micro (feature) level.

Behavior Change as Value Proposition

Primary value proposition is directly related to behavior.

System makes explicit recommendations.

Behavior change is measurable. (not necessarily activities)

User has limited self-determination.

Both can be effective and have different value propositions. One will have broader adoption due to wider range of utility. It may have lower rate of sustained behavior change, but number could still be high do to high overall product usage.

The other is more narrowly focused on a specific problem, lower adoption, but higher rate of sustained behavior change among users.

PersuasionUsability


High

Low

Mint

Ready for Zero

Mint has more utility, and high awareness of it’s intent.

Ready for Zero will employ more persuasive techniques, but also very high awareness of intent to persuade or change behavior.

RobertCialdini

Commitment and Consistency

The idea that once we commit to something, we have internal pressures to follow through consistently with our commitment.

Target a behavior goal1-3 discreet behaviors max

Create a storyMay be literal, or metaphorical (data)

Keep it simpleUse less laundry detergent

vs. reduce your carbon footprint

Khan Academy

Thousands of videosShort, digestible chunksSelf assessment (no judgement from teacher or peers)Immediate summary feedbackGame play to aide motivation

We should look at what kind of impact people’s behavior should have on design.

—Paola Antonelli

“ ”

Framing Behavior Design

Chris Risdon

@livebysatellite

[email protected]

chrisrisdon.com

framing behavior design

Design

design of city

urban design

active design

behavior design stop

half box of chocolates

technology data

decisions andwere

pervasiveness of data