IndustryConf 2014: You May Be Right, by Timoni West

Every great product is a series of decisions. Some are influenced by market forces, some with data, some with testing, and some are decided by pure old-fashioned gut instinct.
But every type of decision is influenced by your own experiences, though process, and what information you have at hand. Even though you're not aware, you're always influenced by common cognitive biases: the mental shortcut evolution has provided to help humans survive. Even though they have their uses, they lead to us making some quirky, irrational conclusions and decisions, without even noticing.
The first step is awareness. This talk will explore some common cognitive and memory bias and logical fallacies that often come up in product design and decision-making, and how to work around them.

Transcript

1. Industry 2014 timoni west @TIMONI
2. You May Be Right Cognitive bias + product design
4. WHICH FEATURES HOW DO THEY FEEL WHAT IS THE SCOPE HOW DO THEY WORK IN WHAT ORDER WHO BUILDS THEM WHEN DO THEY SHIP
6. Prefrontal cortex LIMBIc SYSTEM (Not rational) LIZARD STUFF (REALLY noT)
8. ONE IMPORTANT POINT
9. the bias TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Confirmation Bias You are so wrong I’m not even going to listen to you anymore.
10. There are more American Indians alive today than there were when Columbus arrived… Does this sound like a record of genocide?
12. Confirmation Bias How to avoid
13. REMEMBER: TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 if you don’t agree with something, learn more about it. Don’t ignore it.
14. the bias TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Cognitive Dissonance I had a good reason for doing that. Let me figure out what it was.
15. It was a dubious compromise Someone got confused and implemented the wrong thing Somebody argued until we gave in
16. REMEMBER: TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 It’s hard to remember exactly why you decide to do something. Take good notes.
17. Choice Support Bias CONFIRMATION + DISSONANCE =
19. the bias TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Halo Effect I like you. I bet you’re really smart, too.
20. Clever! Hardworking! Funny!
21. Angry! Aggressive!
23. ANONYMOUS IDEA SUBMISSIONS PRESENT DATA TWO WAYS PRESENT SOMEONE ELSE’S IDEA WRITE OPINIONS IN ADVANCE
24. FORGET THE SOURCE REPLACE THE SOURCE
25. I am the best coworker ever
26. REMEMBER: TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 You are constantly influenced by not only what you hear and see, but the order in which you see it, and the way it’s presented.
27. the bias TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Observational What’s the deal with this song? Why do I keep hearing it so much lately?
30. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
31. REMEMBER: TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Things that seem familiar also seem more dependable, whether they are or not.
32. the bias TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Social Proof I’m going along with this because you guys already thought it through ...right?
37. REMEMBER: TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 it’s always worth asking why things are done a certain way if they seem odd or confusing.
38. the bias TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Negativity Bias seriously, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
43. He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.
44. the bias TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Cognitive Dissonance I had a good reason for doing that. Let me figure out what it was.
46. REMEMBER: TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Negativity bias means we react to negative things sometimes more strongly than we should. There are ways to fix the fallout.
47. the bias TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 Bias Blind Spot Yes, you too.
49. REMEMBER: TIMONI WEST INDUSTRY 2014 We’re all in this together.
51. THANK YOU!