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
   

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2. Hej!
   Chris Bush
   Head of Experience Design
   @suthen @wearesigma
   

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3. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
   Setting the scene…
   

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4. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
   EARLY COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY
   WAS DESIGNED TO BE
   USED BY EXPERTS
   EARLY COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY
   WAS DESIGNED TO BE
   USED BY EXPERTS
   

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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
   

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7. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
   The rise of the internet
   

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8. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
   Search engine
   optimised
   Usable Persuasive
   Capturing user attention
   

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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
   

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10. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    Often, when people talk about
    persuasive design they talk about it
    in terms of the user interface
    

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11. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    There are some good examples
    

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12. “Difference”
    draws
    attention to
    the donate
    button.
    “Framing”
    helps people
    understand
    how their
    donation will
    be used.
    

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15. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    Some ugly
    

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17. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    And some really really bad ones
    

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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.
    

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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?
    

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25. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    HOW MANY APPS
    DO YOU HAVE
    ON YOUR PHONE?
    

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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
    

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27. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    App publishers have very little time
    to convince you to stick around,
    they need to capture your engagement
    

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28. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    Personalisation Gamification The hook model*
    Some techniques for capturing engagement
    * we're going to explore this technique today
    

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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.).
    

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30. Exploring the hook model
    External Trigger – Notification sent to user
    Internal Trigger – “I wonder what Bex is doing at
    UXCPH?”
    

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31. Exploring the hook model
    Action – click the notification
    

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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.
    

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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.
    

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34. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    With great power,
    comes great responsibility
    

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35. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    The advantages of designing
    for the conscious mind
    rather than the subconscious
    

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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
    

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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
    

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38. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    Great things can happen
    when publishers encourage
    autonomy and mastery in their users
    

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41. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    Slack (mostly) allows users to control
    their exposure to external triggers
    

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43. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    Social media services are slowly
    starting to change their behaviors too
    

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45. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    Finding good ideas and
    sources of inspiration?
    

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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
    

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47. wearesigma.com @wearesigma
    FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT:
    DESIGN TO EVOKE THE UNCONSCIOUS
    https://bit.ly/2uefRjU
    

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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
    

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