Today, interactions with prospective
customers start on the web. This means
to be useful, a website must be more
than usable. It must also be engaging
and persuasive, like a charismatic
salesman.
Persuasive designs do not „just happen“.
They are derived through rigorous
research identifying the emotional
triggers that drive a customer to commit
or fears that hinder a customer from
acting.
Once key emotional responses are
understood, organizations can
develop content and messaging
strategies which employ principles of
social psychology to amplifying
customers motivations and minimize
their concerns.
By extending the traditional usability
methods into the domains of
emotional response and human
decision making, designers can
create content that transform
exploration into commitment.
The science of persuasive design | Capturing emotional triggers that transform exploration into action
1. The science of persuasive design
Capturing
emo.onal
triggers
that
transform
explora.on
into
ac.on
Kath
Straub Arno
Bublitz
Usability.ORG Human
Factors
Interna8onal
2. Designing
persuasive
content
is
a
2
step
process
1.
Learn
your
user’s
mo.va.ons
and
barriers
to
commitment
2.
Apply
social
psych
principles
of
influence
to
amplify
mo.va.ons
and
reduce/remove
barriers
3. What’s persuasive?
circa 2000
Friends Domain
and
Family Professionals
(Bricks
and
mortar)
Media
Internet
consumer information ecosystem
3
4. Website credibility circa 2000
Credibility
Killers
Quick
response
to
ques.ons Slow
download
Physical
address Has
ads
Contact
informa.on Typos
Recently
updated Broken
links
Professionally
designed .
Arrangement
makes
sense .
. Hard
to
navigate
. Has
popup
ads
.
No
updates
Has
ads
that
match
the
topic .
Requires
you
to
register Hard
to
tell
ads
from
content
Credibility
Enhancers
Fogg,
et.
al.,
2000
6. Early evolution of information consumers
Quick
response
to
ques.ons Design
look
Physical
address Informa.on
structure
Contact
informa.on .
Recently
updated .
Professionally
designed Usefulness
of
informa.on
Arrangement
makes
sense .
. Func.onality
. Customer
Service
.
Iden.ty
of
sponsor
Has
ads
that
match
the
topic .
Requires
you
to
register Readability
Affilia.ons
2002 2004
Fogg,
et.
al.,
2003
Credibility
Enhancers
7. Early evolution of information consumers
Quick
response
to
ques.ons Design
look
Physical
address Informa.on
structure
Contact
informa.on .
Recently
updated .
Usability Focus
Professionally
designed
Arrangement
makes
sense
Usefullness
of
informa.on
.
. Func.onality
. Customer
Service
.
Iden.ty
of
sponsor
Has
ads
that
match
the
topic .
Requires
you
to
register Readability
Afillia.ons
2002 2004
Credibility
Enhancers
8. Consumers use different cues than professionals (2003)
Name/Affilia.on Design
look
Informa.on
source Informa.on
focus
Business
mo.ve Informa.on
design
Informa.on
focus Adver.sing
Adver.sing 3 Company
mo.ve
Design
look 1 Reputa.on/Affilia.on
Informa.on
bias Informa.on
bias
Informa.on
design Informa.on
accuracy
Wri.ng
tone Wri.ng
tone
Informa.on
Accuracy 2 Informa.on
source
Professionals Non-‐professionals
Fogg,
et.
al.,
2003 Credibility
Enhancers
9. What’s persuasive?
circa 2000
Friends Domain
and
Family Professionals
(Bricks
and
mortar)
Media
Internet
consumer information ecosystem
9
12. 1.
Consumers
have
become
more
sophis.cated
users
2.
Design
is
becoming
more
about
CONTENT
13. What’s persuasive?
circa today
Friends Domain
and
Family Professionals
(Bricks
and
mortar)
Media
Internet
consumer information ecosystem
13
14. The
internet
is
may
be
your
first
(and
last)
chance
to
engage
a
new
customer.
15. Modified
belief
or
behavior
The
goal
of
a
website
is
to
change
a
set
of
beliefs
and
behaviors,
driving
target
ac.ons.
===
Website
===
Exis*ng Motivation
belief
or
behavior
16. Modified
belief
or
behavior
Commitment
barrier
Commitment
barrier
Commitment Commitment
barrier barrier
Commitment
barrier
Commitment
The
goal
is
o^en
barrier
thwarted
by
consumers’
barriers
to
commitment.
===
Website
===
Exis*ng Motivation
belief
or
behavior
17. Human
to
human
interac.ons
are
different
from
reading
web
content
because
face
to
face
interac.ons
support
empathy
&
message
tuning
real
.me
18. To
make
content
persuasive....
Modified
belief
or
behavior
Commitment
barrier
Commitment
barrier
Commitment Commitment
barrier barrier
Commitment
barrier
Commitment
Increasing
mo.va.on barrier
is
one
way
to
make
content
persuasive.
===
Website
===
Exis*ng Motivation Increase
belief
or
behavior
Mo.va.on
19. To
make
content
persuasive....
Modified
belief
or
behavior
Commitment
barrier Reduce/remove
Commitment
Commitment
barrier
Commitment
barriers
barrier barrier
Commitment
barrier
Reducing/removing
Commitment
barrier
barriers
is
another.
===
Website
===
Exis*ng Increase
Motivation
belief
or
behavior
Mo.va.on
20. Designing
persuasive
content
is
a
2
step
process
1.
Learn
your
user’s
mo.va.ons
and
barriers
to
commitment
2.
Apply
social
psych
principles
of
influence
to
amplify
mo.va.ons
and
reduce/remove
barriers
21. PERSUASIVE
CONTENT
INTERVIEWS
1.
Are
about
topics
not
tasks
2.
Are
(guided)
free
form
3.
Take
longer
4.
Typically
require
some
laddering*
You
will
•
listen
for
mo.va.ons
and
barriers
to
commitment
•
watch
for
body
language
/
fidge.ng
that
indicates
emo.onal
change
*Having
some
therapeu3c
training
helps
22. Usability
tes3ng
wants
this
level
of
descrip3on
What
I
am
doing
Most
people
are
comfortable
here
How
is
it
working
What
I
am
feeling
Empathe3c
content
interviews
need
to
tap
into
this
23. PERSUASIVE
CONTENT
DESIGN
Ψ
applies
the
social
psychology
of
influence
to
amplify
mo.va.ons
and
reduce/remove
barriers
24. Ψ
A
few
of
the
principles
of
of
INFLUENCE
Scarcity
Authority
Consistency
Contrast
Dissonance
WriNen
commitment
Reciprocity
Social
Proof
Social
Valida8on
Loss
Aversion
Impression
Management
Framing
25. Mapping Influence Principles to Design
Want to keep
number
Cost to
change
Phone plans
are too
complex
Painful to
change
Uncertain
of choice
This
is
just
an
example
of
using
good
marke8ng.
9¢/
minute.
No
maNer
what.
Want to
Save $$
understand
Simple.
Simple.Simple.
Want to
appear consistent
26. Mapping Influence Principles to Design
Simyo
has
a
help
system
that
takes
in
personal
account
info
and
helps
you
kill/end
Want to keep other
accounts
simply
...
number
Cost to
even
if
the
process
is
Phone plans
change challenging.
The
link
is
are too
complex
prominent
on
the
homepage.
Painful to
change
Uncertain
of choice
Want to
Save $$
understand
Want to
appear consistent
27. Mapping Influence Principles to Design
Customer
tes8monials
...
Social Proof hundreds
....
by
real
Want to keep
number (People like me) customers
...
these
are
not
Cost to
change
marke8ng
photos.
Surely
Phone plans someone
in
here
looks
like
are too
complex you
...
Painful to
change
Uncertain
of choice
Want to
Save $$
understand
Want to
appear consistent
28. Mapping Influence Principles to Design
Social Proof?
Want to keep
number
Can
you
iden8fy
Cost to with
this
guy?
change
Phone plans
are too
complex
Painful to
change
Uncertain
of choice
Want to
Save $$
understand
Want to
appear consistent
29. Mapping Influence Principles to Design
Potential Subscribers
Visible Commitment reciprocity
Want to keep
(Dissonance)
number
Cost to
change
Phone plans
are too
complex
Painful to
change
Uncertain
of choice
If
you
tell
them
when
your
Save $$
Want to current
contract
ends,
they
understand
will
nudge
you
to
remind
Want to
you
that
simyo
is
there.
appear consistent WriNen
commitment
+
reciprocity.
30. Mapping Influence Principles to Design
Current Subscribers
Visible Commitment
Want to keep
(Dissonance)
number
Cost to
change
Phone plans
are too
complex
Painful to
change
Uncertain
of choice
Current
customers
provide
Save $$
Want to support
to
new
customers.
This
understand
public
tes8monia
is
a
form
of
Want to
public
commitment
-‐-‐
this
8me
to
appear consistent deepen
rela8onships
with
current
customers.
31. PERSUASIVE
CONTENT
DESIGN
1.
Learn
your
user’s
mo.va.ons
and
barriers
to
commitment
2.
Apply
social
psych
principles
of
influence
to
amplify
mo.va.ons
and
reduce/remove
barriers
32. Author
Contact
Informa3on
Kath
Straub Arno
Bublitz
kath@usability.org arno@humanfactors.com
kas abublitz
kstraub abublitz
kstraub
researchdrivebys.usability.org