Persuasive Design: a nudge in your decisions

Persuasive design refers to an approach to design or project modeling that leverages scientific knowledge to influence people's actions.

Persuasive design is a tool that can be strategically used to influence thoughts and trigger user behaviors through UI and marketing elements, primarily based on psychology and neuroscience knowledge. It can be tailored to both business goals and user preferences, but - spoiler alert! - ideally, it should consider both.

Strategies

Persuasive Design employs strategies based on fundamental aspects of human psychology, such as the desire to belong to a social group, to be praised, to feel secure, and to be seen as a leader or someone important and influential. It is applied to capture the user's attention and turn it into action.

These actions are generally directed toward an overall outcome: conversions. These conversions are the actual goals of the digital product or service, such as selling something or getting the user to spend more time online.

In general, Persuasive Design strategies are related to cognitive biases and mental triggers. Let's say you're looking to buy a pair of sneakers. We'll use four elements of persuasive design to help you decide:

1.Authority = people tend to trust more when there's an authoritative figure involved.

That athlete you admire has been using the sneakers, maintaining top performance in their sport for a long time. They are featured on the website, seen wearing the models you're considering, and appear in constant ads. They know what's good, and so do you.

👉You decide to visit the brand's website to take a look at the products.

2. Consistency = people have a commitment to be consistent with something they've said or an action they've taken before.

👉You decide to click on the model in the store, and you notice a tag on the sneaker's photo. It indicates that the sole is made of recycled rubber, and you believe plastic is the evil of the modern world. You've been talking about it with friends and family for a while. The company is also recognized for its sustainable actions, such as the use of clean energy, responsible labor practices, and support for social causes (Noble Edge Effect). Bingo!

3. Social Proof = tendency to make decisions based on a "standard" behavior or be influenced by the actions of people around us.

👉You decide to read the reviews. Consumers are praising the product, talking about how comfortable it is and the benefits they've enjoyed since buying it. Not to mention the delivery: well-packaged and arrived quickly. Soon, you too can benefit from this amazing product.

4. Scarcity = the more difficult it is to acquire an item the more we value it. We value things more when we perceive that they are running out.

👉You decide to add the sneakers to the cart and discover that there are only two pairs available in your size. This is the final touch to increase your sense of urgency.

Is it ethical to persuade?

It depends. That's the default answer in practically everything related to UX Design. Therefore, I believe it's fair to consider at least two points:

• Despite all the involved premises, it doesn't mean that Persuasive Design is inherently negative. Through it, users can be encouraged to engage in beneficial activities, such as exercising more often, learning a new language or organising study routines - but also to choose between this or that pair of sneakers.

• Practically all (I won't say all because I don't know all) digital experiences involve Persuasive Design, as it plays an essential role in creating digital products and services. However, users are often unaware of the techniques used, and even designers themselves may not be conscious, as some things are so constantly replicated in design (because they work) that they become standard… and are applied without reflection or knowledge.

That said, I believe persuasion is a useful tool for any business and should not only be used but strategically thought out to positively influence.

How to use Persuasive Design in design solutions

First, it's necessary to develop some knowledge about these strategies. With a critical perspective, we need to reflect on the reasons behind choices, especially regarding UI elements—buttons, copywriting, flows, etc.—and on the potential influences and hypothetical behaviors that can be stimulated. Keeping business goals in mind, but never forgetting users and their demands.

We must not confuse persuasion with coercion or deception. This means that we cannot induce behaviours that are not beneficial or meet users' demands or deceive them about what we are offering and its consequences.

👉Returning to our example: you don't tell the customer that there are only 2 sneakers available in that size when in fact there are more. This is easily debunked and will have an immediate negative effect. And it will affect the entire experience before the customer even receives the product.

Moreover, it is indispensable to think about the experience as a whole and be meticulous about each stage. We must ensure not only about appearance but also the usability and functionality of everything included in the user's journey.

👉Our example, again: having a beautiful e-commerce site with appealing aesthetics and well-positioned products is pointless if the checkout process is complicated or slow.

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🧠 Thus, when it comes to digital experiences, the design's goal is to attract consumers through aesthetics and engage them through functionality, leading them to trigger behaviors predicted as converters for business goals, without lying or creating false expectations.

However, it's important to remember that behavior is not an exact science. Some people will respond better to certain biases, depending on their background, context, and experiences.

Therefore, knowing the user and understanding the product and solution's target audience remains fundamental for the development of the design strategy.

References

Growth.Design (https://growth.design/psychology)

Dutra, Rian. Enviesados: Psicologia e Vieses Cognitivos no Design para criar produtos e serviços que ajudam usuários a tomar melhores decisões, 2022.

Cialdini, Robert B. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, 2006.