WE DESIGN TO ELICIT RESPONSES from people. We want them to buy something, read more, or take action of some kind. Designing without understanding what makes people act the way they do is like exploring a new city without a map: results will be haphazard, confusing, and inefficient. This book combines real science and research with practical examples to deliver a guide every designer needs. With this book you’ll design more intuitive and engaging apps, software, websites and products that match the way people think, decide and behave.

INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR PRODUCTS.

Apply psychology and behavioral science to your designs.

Here are some of the questions this book will answer:

• What grabs and holds attention.

• What makes memories stick?

• What is more important, peripheral or central vision?

• Can you predict the types of errors people will make?

• What is the limit to someone’s social circle?

• What line length for text is best?

• Are some fonts better than others?

These are just a few of the questions that the book answers in its deep-dive exploration of what makes people tick.

• What grabs and holds attention on a page or screen?

• What makes memories stick?

• What is more important, peripheral or central vision?

• How can you predict the types of errors that people will make?

• What is the limit to someone’s social circle?

• How do you motivate people to continue on to (the next step?

• What line length for text is best?

• Are some fonts better than others?

• The more choices people have the more regret they feel about the choice they pick. If you want people to feel less regret then offer them fewer choices.

• If you are going to use a reward, give the reward continuously at first, and then switch to giving a reward only sometimes.

• If you want people to act independently, then make a reference to money, BUT if you want people to work with others or help others, then make sure you DON’T refer to money.

• If you want people to remember something, make sure it is at the beginning or end of your book, presentation, or meeting. Things in the middle are more easily forgotten.

• If you are using feedback to increase the desire for mastery keep the feedback objective, and don’t include praise.

• What grabs and holds attention during a presentation?

• How do you choose the best media to use?

• What makes the content of a presentation stick?

• How do people react to your voice, posture, and gestures?

• How do people respond to the flow of your message?

• How do you motivate people to take action?