Guiding the way to living greener: how psychology helped IA for a new government website Oz IA 2009 | Ben Crothers, PTG Global

What do these 3 have in common? Cate Blanchett Leonardo DiCaprio Morgan Freeman

What do these 3 have in common? Cate Blanchett Has a solar-powered house Leonardo DiCaprio Lives in an eco-apartment Morgan Freeman Drives a hybrid car

The point? It's easy to only think of others having one facet , not many facets We are all a mix of wants, needs, habits and activities

It's easy to only think of others having one facet , not many facets

We are all a mix of wants, needs, habits and activities

Outline The brief for designing livinggreener.gov.au What we didn't do, and why What we did do How psychology principles contributed to the interaction concept, IA and UI

The brief for designing livinggreener.gov.au

What we didn't do, and why

What we did do

How psychology principles contributed to the interaction concept, IA and UI

About me I am a user experience designer/ information architect I really enjoy online brand/everything 2.0/painting Work : PTG Global as a senior consultant Blog : catchmedia.com.au Twitter : @bencrothers

I am a user experience designer/ information architect

I really enjoy online brand/everything 2.0/painting

Work : PTG Global as a senior consultant

Blog : catchmedia.com.au

Twitter : @bencrothers

The brief Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) directed PTG to design personas , IA and user interfaces for a new government website: livinggreener.gov.au ‘ A portal ’ linking to lots of other websites Not another ‘government website’ Other contractors : research and requirements, concept, visual design

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) directed PTG to design personas , IA and user interfaces for a new government website: livinggreener.gov.au

‘ A portal ’ linking to lots of other websites

Not another ‘government website’

Other contractors : research and requirements, concept, visual design

The purpose Provide information, assistance and advice for energy efficiency , water efficiency , waste reduction and recycling , and personal transport Provide better ways to access government assistance , and how to apply for assistance Encourage and mobilise people to live more sustainably

Provide information, assistance and advice for energy efficiency , water efficiency , waste reduction and recycling , and personal transport

Provide better ways to access government assistance , and how to apply for assistance

Encourage and mobilise people to live more sustainably

We could have done this... We could have structured all the information just in terms of topics : Energy Water Waste Transport

We could have structured all the information just in terms of topics :

Energy

Water

Waste

Transport

IA the City Slickers way Barry can pick out the exact right flavor of ice cream to follow any meal. Go ahead. Challenge him. Challenge him? Go on. Franks and beans. Scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla. Don't waste my time. Come on. Push me. Grilled? I’m with you. Sea bass. Sautéed. Potatoes au gratin. Asparagus. Rum raisin. WOOF!

...but we didn’t. ‘ Scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla ’ wasn’t going to cut it The ‘topic silos’ approach works if all we wanted was a ‘library’ model, but this wouldn't meet the needs to: Not just educate , but motivate and mobilise Provide better ways to access government assistance , and how to apply for that assistance

‘ Scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla ’ wasn’t going to cut it

The ‘topic silos’ approach works if all we wanted was a ‘library’ model, but this wouldn't meet the needs to:

Not just educate , but motivate and mobilise

Provide better ways to access government assistance , and how to apply for that assistance

People are not use cases We don’t start and end with one task , e.g. one Google query of ‘save money on energy bills’ “ Users are not monolithic or straightforward, but are complex and fragmented in nature” (Mackay et al, Reconfiguring the User ) Reference : Mackay et al, Reconfiguring the User: Using Rapid Application Development , Social Studies of Science (2000)

We don’t start and end with one task , e.g. one Google query of ‘save money on energy bills’

“ Users are not monolithic or straightforward, but are complex and fragmented in nature” (Mackay et al, Reconfiguring the User )

Designing for real people Use cases are important, and define all the tasks and roles required Workflows are important, and connect the tasks with the interface But the motivations and situations of people doing the tasks can be left behind Design has to account for the whole person Personas to the rescue...

Use cases are important, and define all the tasks and roles required

Workflows are important, and connect the tasks with the interface

But the motivations and situations of people doing the tasks can be left behind

Design has to account for the whole person

Personas to the rescue...

Personas - summary Motivations and commitment 1 . Helen 2 . Alison 3 . Ryan 4 . David 5 . Enso ‘ Protecting current and future health and wellbeing’ ‘ Saving energy and water’ ‘ Great energy and water efficiency’ ‘ Living more frugally’ ‘ Saving money on energy and water’ ‘ Living more sustainably’ ‘ Reducing environmental impact’ ‘ Living greener’ ‘ Saving the planet’ ‘ Lowering carbon footprint’

Personas – detail Age : 43, home-owner Occupation : Mum, part-time bookshop assistant Attitudes : Protecting current and future health and wellbeing ; a bit of extra cost is worth it Commitment : High; don’t let her see you put recyclable waste in the wrong rubbish bin Motivation : Saving resources; needs to feel her actions and influence on others count Helen Clifford COMMITTED GREENIE

Age : 43, home-owner

Occupation : Mum, part-time bookshop assistant

Attitudes : Protecting current and future health and wellbeing ; a bit of extra cost is worth it

Commitment : High; don’t let her see you put recyclable waste in the wrong rubbish bin

Motivation : Saving resources; needs to feel her actions and influence on others count

Personas – detail Age : 52, home owner Occupation : Product Manager Attitudes : Living frugally and cutting the cost of bills; worried about the rising costs of food, petrol, water and rates Commitment : Low; too busy to care that much, and any concern is offset by cynicism Motivation : security and convenience Enso Moretti NON-GREEN METRO

Age : 52, home owner

Occupation : Product Manager

Attitudes : Living frugally and cutting the cost of bills; worried about the rising costs of food, petrol, water and rates

Commitment : Low; too busy to care that much, and any concern is offset by cynicism

Motivation : security and convenience

Designing with motivational psychology We were interested in what the research data revealed about: Participant’s motivations ‏ Participant’s attitudes The events that trigger responses to do something about the environment Positive and negative influences on behaviour ‏ ...as well the situations they are in (home, shopping, driving, working)

We were interested in what the research data revealed about:

Participant’s motivations ‏

Participant’s attitudes

The events that trigger responses to do something about the environment

Positive and negative influences on behaviour ‏

...as well the situations they are in (home, shopping, driving, working)

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs helps to illustrate where different motivations spring from Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow Motivations and decisions

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs helps to illustrate where different motivations spring from

It also helps us to locate personas and their motivations, and design for them accordingly Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow Designing for people where they are at

It also helps us to locate personas and their motivations, and design for them accordingly

Why is this important for IA? People are motivated by different factors, and will behave differently Our goal is to change people’s behaviour Content strategy, navigation and UI need to: Connect with them and their motivations Encourage them through the task Not get in the way, or discourage

People are motivated by different factors, and will behave differently

Our goal is to change people’s behaviour

Content strategy, navigation and UI need to:

Connect with them and their motivations

Encourage them through the task

Not get in the way, or discourage

How IA can affect behaviour change Event Motivation for solution Positive influences Negative influences No action Action Attitudes TRIGGERS DECISION TO BE MADE AT WEBSITE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

Example 1: Helen and insulation Event: insulation rebate Motivation for solution Positive influences Negative influences No action Action Attitudes: Saving resources for the future; ambassador TRIGGERS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT The government is doing something about the situation Be seen to be doing something significant Use the website to apply for the rebate Commit to another larger step of change? Return to the website to tell others about what she did

The government is doing something about the situation

Be seen to be doing something significant

Use the website to apply for the rebate

Commit to another larger step of change?

Return to the website to tell others about what she did

Example 1: IA considerations Event: insulation rebate Motivation for solution Positive influences Negative influences No action Action Attitudes: Saving resources for the future; ambassador TRIGGERS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Clear labelling and signals for rebate information throughout the website Clear labelling for applying for the rebate Provide a way for Helen to submit her own story , or discuss with others, as her next step Provide other ways that Helen could ‘ be an ambassador ’ for installing ceiling insulation

Clear labelling and signals for rebate information throughout the website

Clear labelling for applying for the rebate

Provide a way for Helen to submit her own story , or discuss with others, as her next step

Provide other ways that Helen could ‘ be an ambassador ’ for installing ceiling insulation

Example: Enso and insulation Event: insulation rebate Motivation for solution Positive influences Negative influences No action Action Attitudes: Worried about costs; keep it simple; cynical TRIGGERS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Facts, figures and calculators Smaller-scale changes can save money Use calculators on the website to see how insulation saves money Read about – and commit to – smaller-scale behaviour changes Use the website to apply for the rebate Too expensive Doesn’t trust the government

Facts, figures and calculators

Smaller-scale changes can save money

Use calculators on the website to see how insulation saves money

Read about – and commit to – smaller-scale behaviour changes

Use the website to apply for the rebate

Too expensive

Doesn’t trust the government

Example: IA considerations Event: insulation rebate Motivation for solution Positive influences Negative influences No action Action Attitudes: Saving resources for the future; ambassador TRIGGERS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Short, simple facts and chunking of information Calculators (that work) Clear labelling for applying for the rebate Clear labelling for smaller-scale behaviours Provide ways of encouraging bigger steps of change after smaller steps

Short, simple facts and chunking of information

Calculators (that work)

Clear labelling for applying for the rebate

Clear labelling for smaller-scale behaviours

Provide ways of encouraging bigger steps of change after smaller steps

Leading people on a journey Capture people at the point of need... Based on a Google search inquiry Expressed in familiar language Acknowledging effort already made … and guide them through to more activity Similar activities across other topics Larger-scale activities with incentives

Capture people at the point of need...

Based on a Google search inquiry

Expressed in familiar language

Acknowledging effort already made

… and guide them through to more activity

Similar activities across other topics

Larger-scale activities with incentives

Interaction model: the ‘concierge’ Providing easy immediate access to requested information Putting it in overall context of living ‘greener’ Offering alternative actions to take Trading off the ways that we can be influenced and persuaded Focusing on knowing what to do first, then doing it

Providing easy immediate access to requested information

Putting it in overall context of living ‘greener’

Offering alternative actions to take

Trading off the ways that we can be influenced and persuaded

Focusing on knowing what to do first, then doing it

The proposed IA schema Home News Be informed Take action Rebates, grants & loans News stories Campaigns News archive Saving energy Saving water Save energy Save water Home owners Renters and landlords About this portal Contact us Search results Accessibility - Separate news stories - Separate campaign pages Articles Links directory pages Articles Links directory pages Step-by-step guides Hints and tips What you can do today Step-by-step guides Hints and tips What you can do today Rebates, loans and grants by topic Rebates, loans and grants by topic Content aggregation page Primary navigation page Secondary navigation page Reducing waste Articles Links directory pages Smarter transport Articles Links directory pages Reduce waste Step-by-step guides Hints and tips What you can do today Travel smarter Step-by-step guides Hints and tips What you can do today Schools Rebates, loans and grants by topic At home In the garden Shopping Travel

Articles

Links directory pages

Articles

Links directory pages

Step-by-step guides

Hints and tips

What you can do today

Step-by-step guides

Hints and tips

What you can do today

Rebates, loans and grants by topic

Rebates, loans and grants by topic

Articles

Links directory pages

Articles

Links directory pages

Step-by-step guides

Hints and tips

What you can do today

Step-by-step guides

Hints and tips

What you can do today

Rebates, loans and grants by topic

The proposed IA schema Alternate home pages , or content aggregation pages, tailored to specific audiences and situations Exposing the most relevant cross-section of content for each audience At home In the garden Shopping Travel

Alternate home pages , or content aggregation pages, tailored to specific audiences and situations

Exposing the most relevant cross-section of content for each audience

User interface design Initial low-fidelity concept sketching to field ideas with the client... The refined...

Initial low-fidelity concept sketching to field ideas with the client...

The refined...

User interface design

Visual design

In closing... Design for people , not just use cases; take a holistic approach Your personas are your partners ; use them to explore the motivations behind behaviours, and cater for those motivations A ‘concierge’ journey-based model can make content more integrated and compelling

Design for people , not just use cases; take a holistic approach

Your personas are your partners ; use them to explore the motivations behind behaviours, and cater for those motivations

A ‘concierge’ journey-based model can make content more integrated and compelling

Thank you Ben Crothers Senior consultant PTG Global Live greener : livinggreener.gov.au Blog : catchmedia.com.au Twitter : @bencrothers

Ben Crothers Senior consultant PTG Global

Live greener : livinggreener.gov.au

Blog : catchmedia.com.au

Twitter : @bencrothers

Thank you