Design and the subconscious mind

As designers, we frequently look to build products that embrace our user’s natural behaviours. We aim to craft interactions that aim to reduce cognitive load and support user’s automatic responses, recognising the greater contribution the user’s subconscious plays in their use of the technology.

Whilst many use this knowledge to support their users and provide better services, others sadly use this knowledge to manipulate and deceive for commercial gain. In this presentation Chris will explore the different techniques that organisations are using to engage with their users, highlighting the best and worst case examples (ranging from design patterns to behavioural design), and to providing some consideration points of things you should try in your own product development cycles.

Transcript

1. DESIGN AND THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
2. Hej! Chris Bush Head of Experience Design @suthen @wearesigma
3. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Setting the scene…
4. wearesigma.com @wearesigma EARLY COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY WAS DESIGNED TO BE USED BY EXPERTS EARLY COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY WAS DESIGNED TO BE USED BY EXPERTS
5. wearesigma.com @wearesigma HOW DO WE HELP… MORE PEOPLE WITH LESS EXPERTISE DO MORE HOW DO WE HELP… MORE PEOPLE WITH LESS EXPERTISE DO MORE
7. wearesigma.com @wearesigma The rise of the internet
8. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Search engine optimised Usable Persuasive Capturing user attention
9. Persuasive design is a series of principles (based on cognitive biases) that help teams align usability, psychology and marketing principles with their digital products. ▸ Persuasion Principles used to encourage or discourage particular user behaviours during a process. ▸ Emotion Principles used to encourage an emotional response such as satisfaction, achievement, empathy or surprise during a process. ▸ Trust Principles used to establish confidence during a process, perceptions of security and credibility for example. Functional Usable Persuasive FROM USABILITY TO PERSUASION
10. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Often, when people talk about persuasive design they talk about it in terms of the user interface
11. wearesigma.com @wearesigma There are some good examples
12. “Difference” draws attention to the donate button. “Framing” helps people understand how their donation will be used.
15. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Some ugly
17. wearesigma.com @wearesigma And some really really bad ones
23. wearesigma.com @wearesigma The point of realisation Luckily, all of these things have a point of realisation… - You’ll see the charge (eventually). - You’ll recognise the false advertising on subsequent visits. - You’ll realise that there isn’t actually dust on your screen.
24. wearesigma.com @wearesigma But, what if that point of realisation was obscured from you? What if the persuasion wasn't in the UI at all?
25. wearesigma.com @wearesigma HOW MANY APPS DO YOU HAVE ON YOUR PHONE?
26. wearesigma.com @wearesigma 77% of our time in our top 3 apps 96% of our time in our top 10 apps < 25% of downloaded apps are used after day 1 COMSCORE via STATISTICA, JUNE 2017
27. wearesigma.com @wearesigma App publishers have very little time to convince you to stick around, they need to capture your engagement
28. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Personalisation Gamification The hook model* Some techniques for capturing engagement * we're going to explore this technique today
29. Exploring the hook model Eyal’s “Hook Model” brings together an understanding of user behaviour and a carefully considered set of interactions that entice people into using a product or service more and more. If you can connect a user’s need (unconscious or otherwise) with your service frequently enough, Eyal asserts, the user will begin to form a habit of using it. By looping through the steps again and again, he explains, “the user begins to associate the behaviour with their own internal motivations and emotions” (ibid.).
30. Exploring the hook model External Trigger – Notification sent to user Internal Trigger – “I wonder what Bex is doing at UXCPH?”
31. Exploring the hook model Action – click the notification
32. Exploring the hook model Variable reward – The payoff from performing the action. What distinguishes the Hook model from traditional feedback loops is the hook’s ability to create craving. Feedback loops are all around us, but predictable ones don’t create desire.
33. Exploring the hook model Investment To increase the chances of the user returning, the service needs to get the user to make some form of contribution to the platform, whether that is time, data, effort, social capital, or money. If the user comments on the photo, that’s an investment. If all goes well, the user may receive a like or a comment in return for that effort, which in turn would prompt a new notification, thus beginning the cycle again.
34. wearesigma.com @wearesigma With great power, comes great responsibility
35. wearesigma.com @wearesigma The advantages of designing for the conscious mind rather than the subconscious
36. Opportunity (Physical, Social and Cultural environment) Capability (Knowledge, skills and stamina) Motivation External Internal Autonomy, Competence & Relatedness & Engagement Conditions for motivation Types of motivation COM-B model SDT = Self determination theory Financial moment @catarina_nyberg
37. Opportunity (Physical, Social and Cultural environment) Capability (Knowledge, skills and stamina) Motivation External Internal Autonomy, Competence & Relatedness & Engagement Conditions for motivation Types of motivation COM-B model SDT = Self determination theory Financial moment @catarina_nyberg
38. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Great things can happen when publishers encourage autonomy and mastery in their users
41. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Slack (mostly) allows users to control their exposure to external triggers
43. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Social media services are slowly starting to change their behaviors too
45. wearesigma.com @wearesigma Finding good ideas and sources of inspiration?
46. Resources Positive Computing Projects by IF Data Permissions Catalogue Center for Humane Technology Microsoft’s Respecting Focus Mentalnotes Hooked Exploring Techno-Spirituality Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas
47. wearesigma.com @wearesigma FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: DESIGN TO EVOKE THE UNCONSCIOUS https://bit.ly/2uefRjU
48. Tak! For copies of the slides and useful resources (or if you want help or have more questions) chris.bush@sigma.se - @suthen @wearesigma