Smart science or simply sinister: Tapping into human psychology to create desirable user experiences

Explore the challenges of applying behavioural science to product design and discover how it can be used for positive impact in the ever-changing relationship between people and technology.

Written by Sofiah Ridwan

Venturing into the intersection of behavioural science and product design unveils a landscape rich with challenges and opportunities. In this article we’ll explore how using insights about people's behaviour can be helpful in design and how behavioural design could make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Behavioural Science vs Behavioural Design

Behavioural science is very broad field that studies the behaviour and cognitive processes of humans and animals. It draws knowledge from various disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, psychobiology, sociology and more, to understand how humans, perceive, process, and interact with their surroundings.

The theories and principles of behavioural science have the power to predict and influence human behaviour, making them valuable tools in various fields like marketing, public policy, and user experience design.

On the other hand, behavioural design is a method of designing to influence how people think and make decisions. Ideally, it helps to encourage positive changes in user behaviour.Behavioural designers utilise psychology, design, technology, and other creative methods to understand the motivations behind people's actions. This informs diverse design approaches that can be tested with users to inspire behavioural changes.

Simply put, behavioural design is a subset of behavioural science. In this article, we'll mainly focus on behavioural design and how it can effectively impact behavioural change

The concerns surrounding the application of behavioural design

While behavioural design is proven to be highly effective in crafting experiences that promote changes in user behaviour, it depends on how it’s used. If not implemented ethically and responsibly, negative implementations can result in users losing trust in the product or brand.

Some key challenges include:

1. Manipulation

   Behavioural design has the potential to influence users into engaging in actions that may not align with their best interests. This manipulation frequently relies on exploiting psychological vulnerabilities to prompt specific behaviours, all without the users' complete awareness or understanding.

2. Lack of informed consent

   Users might not possess complete information regarding how their behaviour is being influenced. Insufficient transparency and clarity regarding design elements can result in users making decisions without being cognizant of the persuasive tactics being employed.

3. Privacy

   Behavioural design often involves the collection and analysis of user data. If this data is not handled responsibly or if users are not adequately informed about data usage, it can lead to privacy concerns and potential misuse of personal information.

4. Unintended consequences

   Designers may not fully anticipate the long-term consequences of behavioural interventions. Unintended negative outcomes, such as addiction, anxiety, or social isolation, can result from the use of certain behavioural design techniques.

5. Ethical dilemmas

   Designers may face ethical dilemmas when balancing business goals with user well-being. Pressure to increase engagement, conversion rates, or revenue may lead to the implementation of design practices that prioritize short-term gains over long-term user satisfaction.

Using methods from behavioural design to initiate positive changes

Now, let's look at some examples to see how using behavioural design can lead to a positive outcome:

1. User-centered design

Behavioural design allows designers to understand and empathise with users, creating products that align with their needs, preferences, and behaviours. This leads to more user-friendly, intuitive designs.

Netflix employs behavioural design with data analytics to craft a highly personalised streaming experience for its users. By leveraging sophisticated algorithms and analysing individual viewing habits and preferences, the platform offers tailored content recommendations, simplifying the process of discovering new shows and movies that align with each user's tastes. Personalisation extends across various aspects of the user interface, including the selection of homepage rows, the choice of titles within those rows, and even the thumbnails featured in galleries. This meticulous thumbnail customisation, known as Artwork Personalisation, ensures that each user is presented with content that resonates with their unique preferences, enhancing their overall viewing experience.

Display of artwork variations for Stranger Things to cater to their users visual preferences.

By placing the user at the forefront of their product design and deeply understanding their intricate behaviours, Netflix has created immersive experiences for its users. The platform goes beyond simply just recommending content; it also focuses on how to present content to each user's preferences. This proactive approach to personalisation and careful consideration of user preferences has contributed to Netflix's consistently high retention rate over time.

This brings us to the next method that designers should focus on – Personalised engagement.

2. Personalised engagement

Behavioural insights empower the development of personalised user experiences. Through the analysis of user behaviour, products can deliver tailored recommendations, content, and features, thereby elevating user satisfaction and engagement.

A great example of this approach is Duolingo, which has embraced personalised learning grounded in user behaviours. Internally referred to as Birdbrain, this system utilizes data derived from the daily completion of over 1 billion exercises on Duolingo. It learns not only the proficiency levels of our learners but also assesses the difficulty of the content and effectiveness of motivational triggers for each individual user. By utilising adaptive learning algorithms, the platform delivers customised content, allowing learners to grasp concepts at their individual pace and significantly enhancing their overall learning experience.

The app goes beyond mere personalisation to captivate users by integrating gamification elements, enticing them to advance through different levels and enhancing the enjoyment of language learning. This seamlessly transitions to our next topic: leveraging play for engagement.

3. Play as a form of engagement

Designing features that tap into users' intrinsic motivations and desires can increase engagement. Gamification, or designing for aspects of achievement, competition or often points scoring, leverages behavioural psychology to make interactions more enjoyable and compelling.

In the realm of productivity apps, Forest stands out by assisting users in maintaining focus through a unique gamification approach. By "planting" a virtual tree, users nurture its growth by remaining focused and avoiding phone usage. Over time, these individually cultivated trees can collectively form a flourishing forest, presenting a creative and effective alternative to conventional productivity apps.

4. Motivation and goal achievement

Applying principles from behavioural science can effectively motivate users to reach their goals. Features such as progress tracking, rewards, and positive reinforcement serve to encourage users to stay committed to their objectives, whether they are related to fitness or learning goals.

This approach is frequently observed in health and fitness apps, exemplified by the Apple Fitness app. This application incorporates progress tracking, goal-setting features, and reminders to motivate users to consistently engage in exercise and work towards closing their rings and achieving their fitness goals. The app excels in establishing a positive relationship between itself and its users, encouraging them (not nagging), so that they are happy to return to it multiple times a day.

5. Behavioural nudges for positive outcomes

"Nudging" is the art of subtly directing users toward beneficial behaviours. Gentle reminders or prompts can, for example, motivate users to complete tasks, adopt healthier habits, or make environmentally friendly choices.

Apps focused on environmental conservation may use nudges and positive reinforcement to encourage eco-friendly behaviours. For instance, apps may provide users with insights into their carbon footprint and suggest sustainable practices to reduce environmental impact.

The SP app demonstrates the use of nudges by providing users with subtle prompts and cues to encourage environmentally conscious behaviours. For example, the app offers insights on users' electricity and water consumption relative to your neighbours, and helps users by highlighting whether they are on track to achieving their Green Goal during each billing cycle. Green Goals sets specific targets in line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and keeps track of Consumption Details by households, districts, and as a nation.

If users exceed their targets, the app displays estimates of additional costs incurred, serving as a gentle reminder to reconsider the tangible impact of their consumption habits. By presenting this information in a clear and accessible manner, the app nudges users towards making more sustainable choices without imposing strict regulations or limitations on their behaviour.

6. Reducing friction

Behavioural design proves invaluable in pinpointing and resolving points of friction within user interactions. Streamlining processes, reducing steps, and optimizing user flows collectively enhance the overall user experience.

In the Singapore context, the application process for a new credit card has been streamlined by minimising steps in the form-filling procedure. Singpass integration with banking apps illustrates this wonderfully, enabling users to grant access to personal and employment information directly within the app. This integration significantly diminishes the time spent on form filling, contributing to a more efficient and user-friendly experience focusing a user’s cognitive load on more important decision making, such as which products and services may be relevant to them.

DBS credit card application

7. Informed consent and privacy

Incorporating behavioural insights into communication strategies is crucial for ensuring users are well-informed and capable of providing informed consent. Transparent communication regarding data usage and privacy settings not only builds trust but also nurtures positive user relationships. 

A straightforward example of this practice is the inclusion of a clearly articulated optional clause, offering users the choice to receive marketing materials when signing up or subscribing to a platform or product. This explicit communication demonstrates that the brand places a high value on user privacy and consent, fostering a relationship founded on transparency and respect for user choices.

The cookie consent experience is also a great way to demonstrate this. Behavioural insights has guided the design of cookie consent interfaces to offer granular control options. Instead of presenting users with a binary choice of "accept all" or "reject all" cookies, the interface can provide options to selectively enable or disable specific types of cookies based on user preferences. This empowers users to tailor their consent based on their individual needs and concerns.

Bottega Venetta’s privacy policy modal

8. Enhanced decision making

Research indicates that decision-making is inherently an unconscious process. Even in instances where we consciously apply logic to make decisions, there is an underlying unconscious component at play. Through an understanding of cognitive biases and decision-making processes, designers can incorporate features that facilitate users in making more informed decisions. Providing clear information, visual cues, and simplified choices contributes to an overall positive user experience.

For instance, the inclusion of summarised comparison tables offers users clear visual cues and information, streamlining their decision-making process. Presenting all the necessary information for a task on a single screen minimises the load on working memory, which is a type of short-term memory utilized to store information relevant to a given task.

Comparison table by Bipin Balan

9. Promoting mindful media consumption

Embracing behavioural design can transform platforms by nurturing features that promote mindful media consumption, fostering deeper social interactions and community bonds. By encouraging users to engage with content thoughtfully, it cultivates a space where meaningful connections thrive, enriching the overall platform experience.

Some social media platforms are increasingly leveraging on this method to limit excessive scrolling, and prompt users to take breaks contribute to a healthier and more balanced online experience.

An illustrative example is Instagram, which has introduced features such as "You're all caught up" to notify users when they have viewed all recent posts in their feed. In addition, the platform also allows users to snooze suggested post within their feed, to limit the content presented.

The platform has also introduced a “Just seen” or “Just watched” overlay on posts that you’ve just interacted with, to inform users that they have seen the post.

These Instagram features encourage mindful consumption of content that the user is subscribed to, curbing the inclination to endlessly scroll.

 Facebook has also implemented tools like the "Time on Facebook" feature, enabling users to set daily time limits for app usage and receive notifications upon reaching those limits. This functionality is akin to Apple's 'App Limits,' allowing users to set time constraints for different apps. These features demonstrate a thoughtful consideration for user well-being by promoting healthier online habits and thus, fostering a more trustworthy, positive relationship with the brand.

Apple’s iOS screen time feature

When designers focus on making users happy, being clear, and doing things right, it makes a big difference. It improves how users feel, how satisfied they are, and helps them reach their goals. This builds trust between users and the things they use. By caring about users' well-being, designers make sure the features in products match what users need, making the whole experience better. Being open about what's happening and doing things ethically adds to this positive impact, creating a strong trust between users and the products or services they use.

In the end, applying behavioural design doesn't just enhance the usability of products and services; it also contributes to forging a robust and lasting relationship between the user and the product, ensuring success for everyone in their unique ways.