Behavior Change
As Value Proposition
Chris Risdon @chrisrisdon #behaviordesign
SxSWi 2013

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.

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
Predictably Irrational
The Upside
of Irrationality
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
billhr/3266119190/

Let’s say I have a half a box of chocolates open here in front of you. I offer to give
you this half box of chocolates now, or I will give you 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

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

BJ Fogg
When we understand how people make decisions, and how
we can provide insight to their behaviors, how do we target
behavior change?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
netliferesearch/2867937570/

2004: During a layover you’re sitting at the airport bar having a beer. On the news you see reporting about the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Your heart goes out. It’s not personal - you don’t know anyone, and it’s halfway around the world. But the story of destruction and loss of life
understandably creates sympathy. In the news story there’s a call to action to donate money to the redcross.org.
To do this, you may need to take your flight, get home, remember that you wanted to donate, then go through traditional ecommerce funnel,
providing billing address and credit card details. Then you also have to think, “how much do I want to donate?”
You have to be fairly motivated to follow-through and donate.

90999
2010: During a layover you’re sitting at the airport bar having a beer. On the news you see reporting about the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Your
heart goes out. It’s not personal - you don’t know anyone, and it’s in another part of the world. But the story understandably creates sympathy.
In the news story there’s a call to action to donate money to the Red Cross by texting “Haiti” to 90999. $10 will be added to your phone bill.
You pull out your phone there at the bar (it can even be a feature phone), type 90999, and “Haiti”, hit send, and you’re done. No billing, and it’s
just $10. And you feel good about helping out.

Opportune Moments
We can see these “triggers” at other opportune moments. How about when you go to the pet store and buy pet supplies?
The POS credit card swiper asks if you want to add $1 to your charge to help animal shelters. You’re already spending $50,
what’s $51? And you’ll feel good about donating, since you do love animals.
Would they be just as successful if they gave you a flyer that made the case to donate and asked you to get online and
donate an unspecified amount?

Robert
Cialdini
Robert Cialdini wrote Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion in the 90s,
and not in the context of technology...

Reciprocity
Commitment & Consistency
Social Proof
Authority
Liking
Scarcity
...yet his “6 weapons of influence” are more pervasive than ever in our
digital products and services.

Behavior Design (short for designing for behavior change)
Design with the intent to change someone’s
behavior or attitude.
Persuasive Technology
Technology designed to persuade the user to use a
system or platform in a desired way.
(may/may not have intent to change someone’s behavior or attitude)
These are unofficial definitions that may differ from academic thinking. This represents my
synthesis and understand and how I’ve chosen to make sense of them in the context of my work.

All around us.
Bitter nail polish for nail bitters, if they use it, they’ll taste a bitter taste when trying to bite their
nails, perhaps dissuading them from the habit.

All around us.
Design patterns such as interlocking, where tasks are required to be done in a certain way or
order. For example, this ATM machine requires you to take your card back before getting your
money, so you don’t accidentally leave it behind.

Persuasion

Neutral (utility/usability)
Persuasive
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.

Neutral (utility/usability)
Persuasive
Amazon One Click is a persuasive tool designed to prompt more impulse
purchases (think: reduce friction, increase ability).
But it’s not a binary proposition only in Amazon’s interest. The feature has
value to the user, it makes purchasing an item easier.

Neutral (utility/usability)
Persuasive
Good Defaults (AKA Smart Defaults) are intended to aid in completing forms or
wizards easily and correctly.
But it also persuades the user’s actions. People will be less likely to consider their
options. This ‘cognitive shortcut’ persuades the user to go with the system defaults.

Intent is the primary factor in
placement on the spectrum.

Clearly intent and purpose are key. Defaults can be pushed within the spectrum, like in the case of defaulting
to “yes” in selecting organ donation when applying for a driver’s license, and needing to opt out.
Countries that require opt-out have very high organ donation volunteerism, and countries that require you to
opt in are much lower.
Neutral (utility/usability)
Persuasive
Example:
Organ Donation
Opt-in vs. Opt-out

Let’s take the scale and add a second axis. This is the user’s
awareness of your intent as a designer. (or as a product/service)
High
Awareness
(of your intent)
Low
Utility /Usability Persuasion
Macro Micro
(utility / prods. & services) (usability / features)

We’ve seen where features like good defaults and one-click are. We can plot other
design patterns, such as progress indicators.
The middle horizontal line represents the ‘intent declaration’ line, these don’t
“declare” their intent, yet they don’t deliberately conceal
High it either. So they sit slightly below that.
Awareness
(of your intent) Amazon
Good One-Click
defaults Progress Visualizations
indicator
Low
Utility /Usability Persuasion
Macro Micro
(utility / prods. & services) (usability / features)

Manipulation: all persuasion with no value to the user
Deception: covert in intentions
Stay away from this ethically mucky area. This is where you see products and
High services that hide their true intent (deception) and involve you in a service that
you were not aware of or didn’t explicitly approve (manipulation).
Awareness
(of your intent) Amazon
Good One-Click
defaults Progress Visualizations
indicator
Freecreditreport.com
Dark Patterns
Manipulation
Low Deception
Utility /Usability Persuasion
Macro Micro
(utility / prods. & services) (usability / features)

Products and services above the horizontal line have a clearly
stated value proposition (creating explicit awareness of their
intent).
High High utility High persuasion
Obvious intent (value prop) Obvious intent (value prop)
Awareness
(of your intent) Amazon
Good One-Click
defaults Progress Visualizations
indicator
Freecreditreport.com
Dark Patterns
Manipulation
Low Deception
Utility /Usability Persuasion
Macro Micro
(utility / prods. & services) (usability / features)

High High utility High persuasion
Obvious intent (value prop) Obvious intent (value prop)
Gmail Flickr
iTunes Basecamp
Shortmail
Mailbox
Awareness
(of your intent) Amazon
Good One-Click
defaults Progress Visualizations
indicator
Freecreditreport.com
Dark Patterns
Manipulation
Low Deception
Utility /Usability Persuasion
Applications with high utility (iTunes, Gmail, Basecamp, etc.). Intent of utility is fairly high, usually as part of value
proposition.
Some products deliberately constrains features, as part of their value proposition, so they may move slightly to the
Macro Micro
right of the scale, as the product’s features will influence how you manage your projects with the tool. Such as email
apps that promise to get positive behavior based outcomes around email management.
(utility / prods. & services) (usability / features)

We now have an influx of products and services, enabled by technology, that are designed
with the intent of influencing our behavior. Intent is made clear, usually in value proposition
(reduce your debt, get in shape, etc.)
High utility High persuasion
High Obvious intent (value prop) Obvious intent (value prop)
Ready for Zero
Gmail Flickr Nike+
Weight
iTunes Mint.com Nest Watchers
Basecamp
Shortmail
Mailbox
Awareness
(of your intent) Amazon
Good One-Click
defaults Progress Visualizations
indicator
Freecreditreport.com
Dark Patterns
Manipulation
Low Deception
Utility /Usability Persuasion
Macro Micro
(utility / prods. & services) (usability / features)

Behavior change as value proposition.
High utility High persuasion
Obvious intent (value prop) Obvious intent (value prop)
High
Awareness Gmail Flickr Nike+
Ready for Zero
Weight
(of your intent) iTunes Mint.com Nest Watchers
Basecamp
Shortmail
Mailbox
Low
Utility /Usability Persuasion
Macro Micro
(utility / prods. & services) (usability / features)

Behavior Change
as Value Proposition

The New “Me” Generation

Behavior Change
as Value Proposition
Products and services designed and
marketed on the premise that their
benefits—the value received—are specific
behavioral-based outcomes.

Behavior Change
as Value Proposition
Value proposition is directly related to behavior-
based outcome (Rewarding outcomes from persistent
behaviors)
Data collection is a primary feature
System makes recommendations or guidance
Behavior is measurable
Prescriptive / Constrained self-determination

The fuel...
Sensors & Data
Feedback & Feedforward
Framing & Profiling

Sensors & Data

If it can be connected, it will be connected.

It hasn’t just been the proliferation of sensors, but also our attitudes
and behaviors around our data.
Collection
GPS
Accelerometers
Sensors
RFID
Image Capture
Profiles Attitudes
Status Updates & Behaviors
Shared credentials

Passive data collection

Feedback and Feedforward

In the 60s most people didn’t have personal scales. If you joined weight watchers,
you attended a weekly meeting, where you were weighed and received group
therapy style guidance.
The feedback loop was one week. You got feedback on all your decisions and
behaviors over the course of 7 days at one-week intervals, and received guidance
that wasn’t custom for you.

Connected scales mean immediate feedback loop.

Realtime feedback and guidance just for you.

“
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.

Feedback is still a response after an action—after a decision or behavior has been
made. As we get “smarter” with our services, we will present feedforward, guidance
at the point of a decisions to engage in a behavior, such as making the right choice on a
menu in a fast food restaurant.
Feedforward

Framing & Profiling

Asian Flu has hit, and expected to kill 600 people...
Option A: 200 people will be saved.
Option B: 1/3 probability that 600 people will
be saved and 2/3 probability that no people
will be saved.
Option A: 400 people will die.
Option B: 1/3 probability no one will die
and 2/3 probability that 600 people will die.
How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer

Asian Flu has hit, and expected to kill 600 people...
Option A: 200 people will be saved.
Option B: 1/3 probability that 600 people will
be saved and 2/3 probability that no people
will be saved.
Option A: 400 people will die.
Option B: 1/3 probability no one will die
and 2/3 probability that 600 people will die.
How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer

Asian Flu has hit, and expected to kill 600 people...
Option A: 200 people will be saved.
Option B: 1/3 probability that 600 people
will be saved and 2/3 probability that no
people will be saved.
Option A: 400 people will die.
Option B: 1/3 probability no one will die
and 2/3 probability that 600 people will die.
How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer

Asian Flu has hit, and expected to kill 600 people...
Option A: 200 people will be saved.
Option B: 1/3 probability that 600 people will
A = 72%
be saved and 2/3 probability that no people
will be saved.
B = 28%
Option A: 400 people will die.
A = 22%
Option B: 1/3 probability no one will die
and 2/3 probability that 600 people will die. B = 78%
How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer

Math is hard!

“
Choice Architecture...organizing
the context in which people
”
make decisions.
Nudge
Richard Thaler
Cass Sunstein

Depth versus breadth

Persuasion Profiling
“
Persuasion profiling means that each one of us has a different set of persuasion
strategies that affect us. Just like we like different types of food or are vulnerable
to giving in to different types of food on a diet, we are vulnerable to different
”
types of persuasion strategies.*
— BJ Fogg
“
PersuasionAPI helps companies increase customer loyalty and conversion by
personalizing content to the specific persuasion preferences of individual
”
customers and builds individual intelligent profiles.
— Science Rockstars
*http://www.deaneckles.com/blog/256_persuasion-profiling-and-genres-fogg-in-2006/?
utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=persuasion-profiling-and-genres-fogg-in-2006

Behavior Heuristics
“ Rules (of thumb) that
people might follow when
”
interacting with a system.
—Dan Lockton
“ Asking users questions about how and
why they behaved in certain ways with
technology led to answers which were
”
resolvable into something like rules.
http://architectures.danlockton.co.uk/2012/02/09/if/

Behavior Heuristics
Peel back layers
Similar to “5 Whys”
“Let’s look in more detail at ‘People will do what they
see other people doing’: Why? Why will people do
what they see other people doing? If we break this
down, asking ‘Why?’ a couple of times, we get to
tease out some slightly different possible factors.”
http://architectures.danlockton.co.uk/2012/02/09/if/

Behavior Heuristics
Create heuristics ▶ If lots of people are doing it, do it
Show directly how many (or what proportion of) people are
or principles choosing an option
▶ If people like me are doing it, do it
Show the user that his or her peers, or people in a similar
situation, make a particular choice
▶ If people that I aspire to be like are doing it, do it
Show the user that aspirational figures are making a
particular choice
▶ If something worked before, do it again
Remind the user what worked last time
▶ If an expert recommends it, do it
Show the user that expert figures are making a particular
choice
http://architectures.danlockton.co.uk/2012/02/09/if/

Implicit Prescriptive
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.

Collection > Visualization > Story
Data Framing
Feedback Loop

We’ve created the technology, and we’ve started to understand the psychology, but
we are still learning to marry the two together to provide an effective value
proposition around services providing a positive behavior-based outcome.
Technology Psychology
Collection > Visualization > Story
Data Framing
Feedback Loop

Every design decision
influences the user.
(however benevolent the intent)

“Life as it is.”
—Dziga Vertov
“A factual film
which is dramatic”
—Dziga Vertov
Documentary filmmaking is an analogy I’ve often used. Long considered the “objective” form of
cinema, in contrast to fictional, scripted and reenacted films. However, the moment you “frame” a
story with constraints (for example tell a story in 2 hours that played out over 2 years), you make
decisions; where the filmmaker points the camera, how they edit the story, all these decision affect
how the view receives—perceives and understands—the story. Interaction design is no different.

“
We should look at what kind of
impact people’s behavior
”
should have on design.
—Paola Antonelli

Behavior Change
As Value Proposition
Thank you!!
Chris Risdon @chrisrisdon #behaviordesign
SxSWi 2013