This document discusses behavioral design and provides tools to incorporate it. It explains that behavioral design draws on behavioral psychology to increase user engagement, reduce cognitive load, and influence choices by leveraging habits, cognitive biases, and cognitive load. Specific tools are presented, such as habit hijacking to build new habits onto existing ones, friction analysis to reduce barriers, and cognitive load mapping to simplify experiences. Examples demonstrate how these techniques can be combined, like a banking interface that hijacks the checking balance habit using loss aversion and glanceable information design.

1. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN
what, why and how

2. 20% 80%
£2.80 £3.50
Centre stage effect: we’re more likely to choose middle options

3. 20%80%
£2.20 £2.80 £3.50
Centre stage effect: we’re more likely to choose middle options

4. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN
Design that draws on
behavioural psychology

5. Increase engagement …by encouraging habit formation

6. Improve your product’s UX …by reducing cognitive load
Licensed CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Artist: Andrés Þór

7. Influence users’ choices …by playing on cognitive biases
Licensed CC BY 2.0. Artist: Eneas De Troya

8. You’re probably already using behavioural design…

9. Thoughtfully
Intentionally
Empirically
But we can all use it better, by using it:

10. HABITS
COGNITIVE LOAD
COGNITIVE BIASES

11. HABITS

12. Decisions that used to be
conscious but are now automatic

13. Trigger
ActionReward

14. Internal rewards are generally more effective than external
Licensed CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Artist: Andrés Þór

15. INTERNAL TRIGGER
Feel bored
Open
twitter app
ACTION
Feel
entertained
INTERNAL REWARD

16. Open
twitter app
ACTION
Feel
entertained
INTERNAL REWARD
EXTERNAL TRIGGER
App alert

17. 1. Trigger
2. Ability3. Motivation
(action)(reward)
Fogg Behavioural Model: behaviour depends on 3 things:

18. Timely,
compelling
trigger
High
motivation
Low
motivation
Action
is easy
to take
Action
is hard
to take
No trigger
or easy to
ignore
BUILDBREAK

19. Ability easyhard
Motivation
low
high
Triggers
work
Triggers
don’t work

20. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN TOOLKIT
Habit hijacking
What habits do my users already have?
How could I ‘hijack’ these habits, by making
another action easier and more appealing?

21. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN TOOLKIT
Habit building
What habits do my users already have?
What tiny habit could I build on top of these?

22. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN TOOLKIT
Friction analysis
What friction prevents my users (or
potential users) taking this action?

23. FEELING
BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN TOOLKIT
Adapted experience maps
THINKING
TOUCHPOINT
DOING
stage 1 stage 3stage 2

24. Learn more about habits

25. COGNITIVE LOAD

26. Pondering product
psychology
Wondering how to
use it in my work
Considering a snack
Planning route home
New Citymapper UI?!
Everything we do
requires cognitive
resource.
If too many
demands are
made of those
resources…
we run out.

27. It just works
How do you tell when your product is low cognitive load?

28. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN TOOLKIT
Holistic cognitive load mapping
What else is going on in my user’s mind
While they’re using my product,
and when they’re not.

29. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN TOOLKIT
Cognitive load triage
Is this step complex? If so…
Can I remove it? Can I delay it?
Can I simplify it? Can I default it?

30. Learn more about cognitive load

31. COGNITIVE BIAS

32. There are dozens of cognitive biases, including:

33. Acting now to constrain your future behaviour

34. GymPact: commit to pay money if you don’t meet your health goals

35. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN TOOLKIT
Ulysses Pacts
How might I help my users by getting them
to act now to control their future behaviour?

36. Learn more about cognitive biases
cognitive lode
CogLode.com

37. PUTTING IT ALL
TOGETHER

38. Habit-hijacking: checking your balance

39. Cognitive bias: design that plays on Loss Aversion

40. Cognitive lode: ‘glanceable’ information design

41. Result:
A dramatically better banking interface

42. THANKS
Resources
katmatfield.com/behavioural-design
Get in touch
@LovedayBrooke katmatfield@gmail.com