Nudging good behaviors
Do you have a tendency for procrastinating or getting work done early? How about choosing the healthiest options at a grocery store or restaurant? We all have something we want to get better at that we haven't gotten around to.
Designers have the power to nudge better choices from their products' users. Sonicare toothbrushes do this by turning off after two minutes of brushing. Some electric exercise equipment alerts you when your heartrate is too high. Aldi places healthy options at eye level as opposed to Walmart only promoting brands that pay more for better shelf placement.
Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein's book, Nudge, explains that, "A nudge, as we all use the term, is any aspect of the choice architecture that alerts people's behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives."
People have a tendency to make poor decisions because decisions are emotional and mentally taxing. Designers can save people's energy by pushing for systems and products that highlight the better choice. When they do, it leads to healthier, happier customers in the long-term— wouldn't more of that have a noticeable and profound impact on everyone?
