h kHooked
@nireyal

Products can profoundly CHANGE
OUR BEHAVIORS.

100’s of millions of users…
…and 100’s of millions of dollars.

PA TT E SN R
?

I wrote this … …
more at: NirAndFar.com

Close your eyes.

HOWDIDYOUFEEL?

When we FEEL AN ITCH
we seek to SCRATCH IT.

The brain associates behaviors that
PROVIDE A SOLUTION to whatever problem it encounters.

The SOLUTION TO OUR
DISCOMFORT is found in the product’s use.

Images of chocolate bring both
pleasure and stress to “cravers.” Source: Rodriguez et al 2005

STRESS is a precondition for
addiction. Source: Heilig and Koob 2007

We are not designing for
addiction NOT must be in graphic Do not design for addiction.

A BEHAVIOR DONE WITH CONSCIOUS
THOUGHT LITTLE OR NO hab·it

Habitscanbeusedforgood.

1. FREQUENCY Source: Judah, G;
Gardner, B; Aunger, R; 2013

2. ATTITUDE CHANGE Source: Judah,
G; Gardner, B; Aunger, R; 2013

Harnessing VERY GOOD HABITS can
be FOR BUSINESS.

Creating consumer habits drives
HIGHER CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUE (CLTV).

Creating consumer habits gives companies
GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO INCREASE PRICES.

Creating consumer habits SUPERCHARGES
GROWTH.

Creating consumer habits
INCREASES DEFENSIBILITY.

However, forming new habits is
HARD WORK

AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE.

But if your business requires
“unprompted user engagement,”

A design pattern to help
FORM BETTER PRODUCT HYPOTHESES.

BUILDING IS
EXPENSIVE

INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF SUCCESS.

h kThe$HOOK$is$an$experience$designed$to$
connect$the$user’s$problem$to$your$solu7on.$

h k with%enough%% FREQUENCY%% to%%
FORM+A+HABIT.+

NOW IT IS
YOUR TURN

❑ Get into groups of
2 or 3. ❑ Describe your product or service. ❑ Pick one product with one user.

❑ Why does your business
require a habit? ❑ What problem are users coming to solve? ❑ How do they currently solve the problem and why does it need a new solution?

❑ What action do you
want to make into a habit? ❑ How frequently do you expect users to engage?

h kA"Hook"has"4"parts:"

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Triggers come in two flavors:
EXTERNAL & INTERNAL

EXTERNAL TRIGGERS The information for
what to do next is within the trigger. Billboards SO DA

INTERNAL TRIGGERS The information for
what to do next is informed through an association in the user’s memory.

Negative emotions are POWERFUL INTERNAL
TRIGGERS. lost indecisive tense fatiguedinferior bored confused fear of loss dissatisfied powerless discouraged lonesome

People who are DEPRESSED CHECK
EMAIL MORE OFTEN. Source: Kotikalapudi et al 2012

When we feel LONELY we
use

When we feel UNSURE we
use

When we are BORED we
use

Do you know your customer’s
INTERNAL TRIGGER?

Jack Dorsey on Narratives

IT#ALL#STARTS#WITH#A# NARRATIVE.! “(If)!you!want!to!build!a!product! that!is!relevant!to!folks,!you!need! to!put!yourself!in!their!shoes!and!
you!need!to!write!a!story!from! their!side.”! .#Jack#Dorsey#

1952 INSTANT CAKE MIX WAS
A MARKETING FAILURE. Betty Crocker assumed that customers wanted convenience but “Just add water” did not sell. Source: “Finding Betty Crocker”, Susan Marks

WHY DO WE MAKE CAKE?
to give and receive love from people we care about.

DEPRECATED A FEATURE

What triggers make so habit-forming?

external triggers

of losing the moment. solves
the pain

But is also a social
network. Urgeto preserve Stressed Lonely Curious Insecurity Bored

YOUR TURN TO BUILD A
NARRATIVE

BUILD YOUR NARRATIVE ❑ Who
is the user? ❑ What are they doing immediately before your intended habit?

INTERNAL TRIGGERS ❑ Come up
with 3 internal trigger hypotheses (emotions, routines, situations…) ❑ Which internal trigger occurs most often? ❑ Every time _______ , the user ________.

EXTERNAL TRIGGERS ❑ Where and
when can you insert your external triggers? ❑ How can you be in front of the user when her internal trigger fires? ❑ Think of 3 “rational ideas” and 3 “crazy ideas.”

HYPOTHESIS HOMEWORK ❑ Are your
assumptions correct? ❑ Is your narrative really happening? ❑ “Get out of the building.” – Steve Blank ❑ Test your biggest assumptions first and cheaply.

Take a break “Hook” by
Blues Traveler

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The SIMPLEST BEHAVIOR in anticipation
of a reward.

Scroll

Search

Play

According to BJ Fogg, for
any behavior to occur, we need MOTIVATION, ABILITY, and a TRIGGER b=m+a+t

“THE ENERGY FOR ACTION” mo·ti·va·tion
-Edward Deci

THERE ARE SIX FACTORS THAT
CAN INCREASE MOTIVATION. SeekingPleasure AvoidingPain SeekingHope AvoidingFear SeekingAcceptance AvoidingRejection Source: Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford University

Seeking HOPE

Seeking PLEASURE

Avoiding FEAR

Seeking ACCEPTANCE

ABILITY the capacity to do
a particular action

Time% $ Six$factors$can$increase$or$decrease$ability. % Money%
Physical%effort% Brain%cycles% Social%deviance% Non8rou:ne% Source:%Dr.%BJ%Fogg,%Stanford%University%

Fogg Behavior Model MOTIVATION ABILITY
Level of motivation and ability determines if action will occur. Source: Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford University TRIGGER SUCCEEDS TRIGGER FAILS

Should designers MOVE MOTIVATION OR
ABILITY FIRST?

You can try to increase
motivation…

…but you’ll often get the
same results.

through the years 2009 2010
2011 2012 TODAY

2009 2010 2011 2012 through
the years TODAY

2009 2010 2011 2012 TODAY
through the years

YOUR TURN TO SIMPLIFY THE
ACTION

Users are on a path
to solving a problem. Internal Trigger Product Interface Reward/Pain Alleviation

users take action to alleviate
pain. Internal Trigger Product Interface 1. Open App 2. Log-in (sometimes) 3. Scroll & Read Reward/Pain Alleviation

Map the path users take
to scratch their itch.

Find the “scarcest resource” ❑
Review your flow. Where is the action most difficult? ❑ Which resource is lacking? ❑ What are 3 testable ways to make the action easier? •Time •Money •Physical effort •Brain cycles (too confusing) •Social deviance (outside norm) •Non-routine (too new)

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studied by Olds & Milner.
NUCLEUS It all starts with the ACCUMBENS Source: Olds and Milner, 1945

The nucleus accumbens is
activated when we crave.

Olds & Milner Notexactly. stimulating
pleasure? Were

They were stimulating the
STRESS OF DESIRE.

Our reward system activates
with anticipation Source: Knutson et al 2001

… and calms when
we get what we want. Source: Knutson et al 2001

That’s the ITCH we seek
to SCRATCH.

There is a way to
supercharge the stress of desire.

IS FASCINATING. THE UNKNOWN Variability
causes us to focus and engage

…and increases behavior.

The nucleus accumbens is stimulated
by variability.

3 types of VARIABLE REWARDS
TRIBE HUNT SELF Habit-forming tech uses 1 OR MORE

TRIBE
SEARCH FOR
SOCIAL REWARDS

partnershipempatheticjoy competition

We Like social rewards.

Fast variable rewards

We value recognition and cooperation

HUNT
SEARCH FOR
RESOURCES

Stems from the hunt for
food and resources

Hunt for variable material rewards

Hunt for variable material rewards

Hunt for variable information
rewards.

Hunters on
scroll pages.

SELF
SELF-ACHIEVEMENT
SEARCH FOR

Leveling-up reflects MASTERY and COMPETENCY.

Inbox or task management reflects
CONSISTENCY and COMPLETION.

WARNING Variable rewards are not
a free pass. Your product still must address the itch.

Do your users feel in
control? AUTONOMY IS A PRE-REQUISITE. Source: Deci and Ryan on Self-Determination Theory

Beware of FINITE VARIABILITY.

INFINITE VARIABILITY sustains interest longer.

Build variable rewards that satiate
the users itch, but leave them wanting more.

YOUR TURN TO REWARD YOUR
USERS

❑ Review your flow. Is
the reward fulfilling, yet leaves the user wanting more? ❑ Brainstorm 3 ways users search for variable reward. •Rewards of the Tribe - gratification from others. •Rewards of the Hunt - things, money or information. •Rewards of the Self - mastery, completion, competency, consistency.

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Users “invest” for future benefits.
Social Capital Money Time Effort Emotional CommitmentPersonal Data

Investments increase the likelihood of
the next pass through the Hook in TWO ways.

1.INVESTMENTS LOAD THE NEXT TRIGGER
OF THE HOOK.

Each new message posted on

is an open invitation for
an external trigger to be returned.

INVESTMENTS STORE VALUE, improving
the product with use.2.

CONTENT

DATA

FOLLOWERS

REPUTATION

YOUR TURN TO GET USERS
TO INVEST

❑ Review your flow. What
“bit of work” are your users doing to increase the likelihood of returning? ❑ Brainstorm 3 ways to add small investments into your user experience to: •Load the Next Trigger •Store Value •Content, Data, Followers, Reputation 5 min

h kThe$HOOK$is$an$experience$designed$to$
connect$the$user’s$problem$to$your$solu7on.$

Each pass through the Hook
helps SHAPE USER PREFERENCES AND ATTITUDES.

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With%enough%frequency,%
A"HABIT"IS"FORMED."

The HOOK Canvas 1. What
internal trigger is the product addressing? 2. What external trigger gets the user to the product? 4. Is the reward fulfilling, yet leaves the user wanting more? 3. What is the simplest behavior in anticipation of reward? 5. What “bit of work” is done to increase the likelihood of returning?

THE MORALITY
OF MANIPULATION

Designing habit-forming products is
a form of manipulation.

Users take our technologies to
bed.

They check our devices before
saying “good morning” to loved ones.

Quite possibly, the “CIGARETTE
OF THIS CENTURY.” - Ian Bogust

What RESPONSIBILITY do we have
when changing user behavior?

THE WORLD IS FULL OF
PROBLEMS TO FIX. Help others find meaning. Engage them in something important.

Build the THE WORLD. you
want to see in CHANGE