Information alone does NOT change behavior

As digital product designers, the end goal of our product can be boiled down to one of two things: 1) Attract new customers or 2) Increase engagement with current customers.

However, we could drill down even further and say that, at the end of the day, we’re all in the business of driving behaviors. If one is designing a marketing website for a service provider of some sort - the goal is to drive a behavior that currently doesn’t exist (the service is new to the customer) or change an existing behavior (the customer uses a similar service, but with a different provider). When designing an application that caters to current customers, the goal is typically to increase the quantity of an established behavior (buy more widgets, order more items, etc.).

Unfortunately, this very basic tenet of product design seems to get overlooked by product teams - a lot. What I typically experience is an unfortunate myopic view that places all emphasis on information. Teams get hyperfocused on crafting words and graphics that extol the virtues of their company and their products and then completely overlook everything else that goes in the customer journey. Now, of course, information plays a significant role influencing purchasing choices, but there so many other factors involved.

All things considered

So, in order to design for these targeted behaviors, one needs to truly understand all the factors involved in human behavior. A framework that I like to start with is the Fogg Behavioral Model. Created by BJ Fogg, who founded and helms the Stanford Behavior Design Lab, the model proposes that three elements must converge at the same moment for a behavior to occur - Motivation, Ability and a Trigger.

The formula for behaviors: B=MAT

I like to use this formula as a diagnostic tool to determine the viability of a given digital output. Does the user have sufficient motivation to use or choose this product? Does the user have adequate ability - ie, is it readily available and easy to use? Finally, is there a clear trigger to prompt the user to try it? This formula can also be used to diagnose anything that might be underperforming. Product not selling or application not being used? Chances are, at least one of these elements is missing. 

Turning a behavior into a habit

Building off of the concepts first brought forth by Fogg, entrepreneur and Stanford alumnus Nir Eyal developed a 4-part framework called the “Hook” model that he believes are the key to getting someone to not only perform a single behavior, but come back to an application again and again. In addition to an adequate trigger and ability to use, Eyal recommends providing a variable reward at the end to award the user for their efforts as well as providing an opportunity for them to invest in the product.

At play here are a couple of key psychological drivers. Neuroscience has taught us that variable rewards have an ever greater pull on our brains than predictable rewards. If you’ve ever found yourself endlessly scrolling through a Twitter feed, you’ve experienced the intense pull of a variable reward. The second driver is investment, which is rooted in the “Ikea Effect” (yes, it’s a real thing). Science has taught us that humans irrationally add value to things they put effort into.

In review…

Above all, recognize that the mere presence of something that attempts to inform - everything from a flashy website to a simple sandwich board outside a deli - does not instill a behavior on its own. “Build it and they will come” is a movie fantasy - if you want to create a new behavior, or instill more repeat use, you need to design with a full understanding of behavioral science in order to achieve your desired outcome.