book

Designing for Behavior Change, 2nd Edition

by Stephen Wendel

June 2020

Intermediate to advanced

382 pages

11h 26m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Audiobook available

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How This Book (and This New Edition) Came AboutWho This Book Is ForCombining Research, Data, and Product ExpertiseWhat You Need to Know to Benefit from This BookWhat Types of Behaviors This Can Help WithWhat This Book Is Not AboutThe Chapters AheadLet’s TalkO’Reilly Online LearningHow to Contact UsPermissionsAcknowledgments
Behavior Change……And Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science 101: How Our Minds Are WiredWe’re LimitedWe’re of Two MindsWe Use Shortcuts, Part I: Biases and HeuristicsWe Use Shortcuts, Part II: HabitsWe’re Deeply Affected by ContextWe Can Design ContextWhat Can Go WrongQuirks of Decision MakingQuirks of ActionA Map of the Decision-Making ProcessA Short Summary of the Ideas
From Problems to SolutionsA Simple Model of When, and Why, We ActCueReactionEvaluationAbilityTimingExperienceThe CREATE Action FunnelEach Stage Is RelativeThe Stages Can Interact with One AnotherThe Funnel Repeats Each Time the Person Acts and Each Time Is DifferentA Short Summary of the Ideas
Using CREATE to Add Obstacles to ActionChanging Existing HabitsAttention: Avoid the CueRushed Choices and Regrettable ActionA Short Summary of the Ideas
Digital Tools, Especially, Seek to Manipulate Their UsersWhere Things Have Gone Wrong: Four Types of Behavior ChangePoisoning the WaterAddictive ProductsThe Behavioral Science of EthicsWe’ll Follow the Money TooA Path Forward: Using Behavioral Science on OurselvesAssess IntentionAssess Behavioral BarriersRemind Ourselves with an Ethics ChecklistCreate a Review BodyRemove the Fudge FactorRaise the Stakes: Use Social Power to Change IncentivesRemember the Fundamental Attribution BiasUse Legal and Economic Incentives as WellWhy Designing for Behavior Change Is Especially SensitiveA Short Summary of the Ideas
Understanding Isn’t Enough: We Need ProcessThe Process Is a Common OneThe Details Do MatterSince We’re Human Too: Practical Guidelines and WorksheetsPutting It into Practice
When Product Teams Don’t Have a Clear Problem DefinitionStart with the Product’s VisionNail Down the Target OutcomeClarify the OutcomeDefine the Metric to Measure OutcomesWorking with Company-Centric GoalsA Quick ChecklistWho Takes Action?Document Your Initial Idea of the ActionClarify the ActionA Metric for ActionLook for the Minimum Viable ActionA Hypothesis for Behavior ChangeExamples from Various DomainsReminder: Action != OutcomePutting It into Practice
What Do You Know About Your Users?How Do They Behave in Daily Life?How Do They Behave in the Application?Behavioral PersonasThe Behavioral Map: What Micro-Behaviors Lead to Action?Building the Behavioral MapWrite or Draw It Out, and Add Behavioral DetailNew Products or Features Versus Existing OnesThe Behavioral Map for Stopping BehaviorsIs There a Better Action for Them to Take?Techniques for Generating IdeasThe Obvious Is Our EnemySelect the Ideal Target ActionUpdating the Behavioral PersonasDiagnosing the Problem with CREATEDiagnosing Why People Don’t StartDiagnosing Why People Don’t StopPutting It into Practice

Do It for Them When You CanStrategies to Cheat at One-Time ActionsStrategies to Cheat at Repeated ActionsBut Isn’t Cheating, Well, Cheating?Cheating at the Action FunnelWhen You Can’t Do It for Them, You CREATELook Beyond MotivationThe Value and Limitations of Educating Your UsersReach Out of the ScreenPutting It into PracticeExercise: Review the Map
Cueing the User to ActAsk ThemRelabel Something as a CueMake It Clear Where to ActRemove Distractions: Knock Out the CompetitionGo Where the Attention IsAlign with When People Have Spare TimeUse RemindersBonus Tactic: Blinking TextThe Intuitive ReactionNarrate the Past to Support Future ActionBring Success Top of MindAssociate with the Positive and the FamiliarDeploy Social ProofUse Peer ComparisonsDisplay Strong Authority on the SubjectBe Authentic and PersonalMake the Site Professional and BeautifulThe Conscious EvaluationMake Sure the Incentives Are RightLeverage Existing Motivations Before Adding New OnesAvoid Direct PaymentsLeverage Loss AversionUse Commitment Contracts and Commitment DevicesTest Different Types of MotivatorsUse CompetitionPull Future Motivations into the PresentA Few Notes on Decision MakingAvoid Cognitive OverheadMake Sure Instructions Are UnderstandableAvoid Choice OverloadSlow Them DownPutting It into Practice
The User’s Ability to ActRemove Friction and Channel FactorsElicit Implementation IntentionsPeer Comparisons Can Help Here TooThe Other Side of the Wall: Knowing You’ll SucceedLook for “Real” ObstaclesGetting the Timing RightFrame Text to Avoid Temporal MyopiaRemind of a Prior Commitment to ActMake Commitments to FriendsMake a Reward ScarceHandling Prior ExperienceUse Fresh StartsUse Story EditingUse Techniques to Support Better DecisionsMake It Intentionally UnfamiliarCheck In Again: You’re Not Interacting with the Same PersonPutting It into Practice
Multi-Step InterventionsCombine Where PossibleAgain, Cheat If You CanProvide “Small Wins”Generate a Feedback LoopCommon MistakesCreating HabitsHindering ActionHabitual ActionsIdeas for Hindering Other ActionsPutting It into Practice
Run the Ethical ReviewLeave Space for the Creative ProcessA Cautionary Tale: My Exercise BandBuild in Behavioral Metrics from Day OneWhat You Should Already HaveImplementing Behavioral TrackingImplementing A/B Testing and ExperimentsTools for Behavioral Tracking and ExperimentsPutting It into Practice
The How and Why of Randomized Control TrialsWhy Experiments Are (Almost) Better Than Sliced BreadExperimental Design in DetailHow Many People Are “Enough”?How Long of a Wait Is “Enough”?Using Business Importance to Determine “Enough”Points to Remember in Designing an ExperimentAnalyzing the Results of ExperimentsIs the Effect Large “Enough”? Determining Statistical SignificanceOther ConsiderationsTypes of ExperimentsOther Types of ExperimentsExperimental OptimizationWhen and Why to TestPutting It into Practice
Other Ways to Determine ImpactA Pre-Post Look at ImpactA Cross-Sectional or Panel Data Analysis of ImpactUnique Actions and OutcomesWhat Happens If the Outcome Isn’t Measurable Within the Product?Figure Out How to Measure the Outcome and Action by Hook or by Crook (Not by Survey)Find Cases Where You Can Connect Product Behavior to Real-World OutcomesBuild the Data BridgePutting It into Practice
Determine What Changes to ImplementGatherPrioritizeIntegrateMeasure the Impact of Each Major ChangeQualitative Tests of Incremental ChangesWhen Is It “Good Enough”?Putting It into Practice
What We Did: A Global Survey of Behavioral TeamsWho’s Out There?Where the Interest LiesThe Dedicated TeamsThe Nondedicated TeamsA Broad Range of ApplicationOriginsBusiness ModelPlacementFocus AreaThe ChallengesThe Practical Challenges of Running a TeamThe Replication Crisis in SciencePutting It into Practice
From What They’ve Done to What You’ll DoMaking the CaseThinking Through the Business ModelThe Skills and People You NeedSkillset 1: The Non-Behavioral BasicsSkillset 2: Impact AssessmentSkillset 3: A Deep Understanding of the Mind and Its QuirksWhat’s Not Listed: A PhDHow You Combine These Skills on a TeamGetting Help from Outside ResearchersData Science and Behavioral ScienceLeveraging Data Science When Designing for Behavior ChangePutting It into Practice
How We Make Decisions and ActShaping Behavior with Your Product: The CREATE Action FunnelDECIDE on the Behavioral Intervention and Build itOther ThemesFrequently Asked QuestionsHow Do the Preconditions for Action Vary from Day to Day?What Changes as a User Gains Experience with the Product?How Can You Sustain Engagement with Your Product?What Happens Before People Take Action the First Time?Looking Ahead