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Hooked
@nireyal
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Products can profoundly CHANGE
OUR BEHAVIORS.

100’s of millions of
users… …and 100’s of millions of dollars.

? NS T AT P
R E

I wrote this … …
more at: NirAndFar.com

Vitamins OR
Pain Killers?

PAIN KILLERS address a
burning need.

VITAMINS are “nice
to have.”

Vitamins OR
Pain Killers?

With habit-­‐forming technology PLEASURE SEEKING
behavior becomes PAIN ALLEVIATING behavior

What do we mean by
PAIN?

Close your eyes.

HOW DID YOU FEEL?

When we FEEL AN ITCH
we seek to SCRATCH IT.

The SOLUTION TO OUR
DISCOMFORT is found in the product’s use.

We are not designing for
addiction Do not design for addiction. NOT must be in graphic

hab·it A BEHAVIOR DONE WITH
LITTLE OR NO CONSCIOUS THOUGHT

HEALTHTAP LUMO POCKET REFRESH.IO EMODT
Habits can be used for good. REV 7 CUPS BIA PANTRY LABS

1. FREQUENCY Source: Judah,
G; Gardner, B; Aunger, R; 2013

2. ATTITUDE CHANGE Source:
Judah, G; Gardner, B; Aunger, R; 2013

Harnessing HABITS can
be VERY GOOD FOR BUSINESS.

Creating consumer habits drives
HIGHER CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUE (CLTV).

Creating consumer habits gives companies
GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO INCREASE PRICES.

Creating consumer habits SUPERCHARGES
GROWTH.

Creating consumer habits
INCREASES DEFENSIBILITY.

HARD WORK However, forming new
habits is

AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE.

But if your business requires
“unprompted user engagement,”

A design pattern to help
FORM BETTER PRODUCT HYPOTHESES.

BUILDING IS EXPENSIVE

INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF SUCCESS.

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The$HOOK$is$an$experience$designed$to$
connect$the$user’s$problem$to$your$solu7on.$

h with%enough%% FREQUENCY%% to%% FORM+A+HABIT.+
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A"Hook"has"4"parts:"

A -­‐ A hook has
4 parts: T -­‐ Trigger A -­‐ Action R -­‐ Reward I -­‐ Investment

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HABITS ARE BUILT UPON
like the layers of a pearl.

Triggers come in two flavors:
EXTERNAL & INTERNAL

EXTERNAL TRIGGERS The information for
what to do next is within the trigger. Billboards SO DA

Optimizing external triggers =
Growth Hacking

INTERNAL TRIGGERS The information for
what to do next is informed through an association in the user’s memory.

Negative emotions are POWERFUL INTERNAL
TRIGGERS. lonesome indecisive powerless tense dissatisfied confused inferior fatigued discouraged fear of loss bored lost

People who are DEPRESSED CHECK
EMAIL MORE OFTEN. Source: Kotikalapudi et al 2012

When we feel LONELY we
use

When we feel UNSURE we
use

When we are BORED we
use

Do you know your customer’s
INTERNAL TRIGGER?

What triggers make
so habit-­‐forming?

external triggers

solves the pain of losing
the moment.

But
is also a social network. Lonely Stressed Curious Urge to preserve Bored Insecurity

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The SIMPLEST ACTION in anticipation
of a reward.

Scroll

Search

Play

According to BJ Fogg, for
any behavior to occur, we need MOTIVATION, ABILITY, and a TRIGGER b=m+a+t

mo·ti·va·tion “THE ENERGY FOR ACTION”
-­‐Edward Deci

THERE ARE SIX FACTORS
THAT CAN INCREASE MOTIVATION. Seeking Pleasure Avoiding Pain Seeking Hope Avoiding Fear Seeking Acceptance Avoiding Rejection Source: Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford University

Seeking HOPE

Seeking PLEASURE

Avoiding FEAR

Seeking ACCEPTANCE

ABILITY the capacity to do
a particular action

Time% $ Money% Physical%effort% %
Six$factors$can$increase$or$decrease$ability. Brain%cycles% Social%deviance% Non8rou:ne% Source:%Dr.%BJ%Fogg,%Stanford%University%

Level of of motivation and
ability determines if action will occur. MOTIVATION TRIGGER SUCCEEDS TRIGGER FAILS Fogg Behavior Model ABILITY Source: Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford University

Simplicity is a function of
your scarcest resource at that moment. -­‐BJ Fogg

through the years 2009 2010
2011 2012 2013

through the years 2009 2010
2011 2012 2013

through the years 2009 2010
2011 2012 2013

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Source: Olds and Milner,
1945 It all starts with the NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS studied by Olds & Milner.

The nucleus accumbens is
activated when we crave.

Were Olds & Milner stimulating
pleasure? Not exactly.

They were stimulating the
STRESS OF DESIRE.

Our reward system activates
with anticipation Source: Knutson et al 2001

… and calms when
we get what we want. Source: Knutson et al 2001

That’s the ITCH we seek
to SCRATCH.

There is a way to
supercharge the stress of desire.

THE UNKNOWN IS FASCINATING. Variability
causes us to focus and engagement

…and increases behavior.

The nucleus accumbens is
stimulated by variability.

3 types of VARIABLE REWARDS
TRIBE HUNT SELF Habit-­‐forming tech uses 1 OR MORE

SEARCH FOR
SOCIAL REWARDS
TRIBE

empathetic joy
partnership
competition

We Like social rewards.

We LOVE our tribes.

We value recognition and cooperation

SEARCH FOR
RESOURCES
HUNT

Stems from the hunt for
food and resources

Hunt for variable material rewards

Hunt for variable material rewards

Hunt for variable
information rewards.

Hunters on
scroll pages.

SEARCH FOR
SELF-­‐ACHIEVEMENT
SELF

Leveling-­‐up reflects MASTERY and COMPETENCY.

Inbox or task management reflects
CONSISTENCY and COMPLETION.

WARNING Variable rewards are not
a free pass. Your product still must address the itch.

Build variable rewards that scratch
the users itch, but leave them wanting more.

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Users “invest” for future benefits.
Money Social Capital Personal Data Time Emotional Commitment Effort

Investments increase the likelihood of
the next pass through the Hook in TWO ways.

1. INVESTMENTS LOAD THE
NEXT TRIGGER OF THE HOOK.

Each new message posted on

is an open invitation
for an external trigger to be returned.

Loading the next trigger with
Pin It button

The
Hook External Trigger: Facebook, Twitter, WOM Interesting objects (Hunt) Re-­‐pin, follow, comment Scroll (Early User – “Consumer” )

The
Hook External Trigger: Emails and notifications Internal Trigger: Fear of losing content, boredom What did friend post? (Tribe) Interesting objects (Hunt) Install Pin It button, Pin, Re-­‐pin, follow, comment (Experienced User – “Curators”) Log-­‐in

2. INVESTMENTS STORE VALUE,
improving the product with use.

CONTENT

DATA

FOLLOWERS

REPUTATION
30

!
INVESTMENTS!
CREATES !
PREFERENCE.

We value things more when
put work in them. 3rd Party Bids $0.05 Expert Origami $0.27 Source: Ariely, Mochon, and Norton, 2012 Self-made Origami $0.23

As we invest, we seek
to be consistent with our past behaviors. Group 1 Group 2 Source: Freedman & Fraser, 1966 76% 17%

Changing attitude and perception
to avoid COGNITIVE DISSONANCE. Source: Jon Esler, 1983

We change our preferences,
tastes and attitudes.

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The$HOOK$is$an$experience$designed$to$
connect$the$user’s$problem$to$your$solu7on.$

Each pass through the Hook
helps SHAPE USER PREFERENCES AND ATTITUDES.

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With%enough%frequency,%
A"HABIT"IS"FORMED."
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A -­‐ A hook has
4 parts: T -­‐ Trigger A -­‐ Action R -­‐ Reward I -­‐ Investment

The HOOK Canvas 1. What
internal trigger is the product addressing? 2. What external trigger gets the user to the product? 4. Is the reward fulfilling, yet leaves the user wanting more? 5. What “bit of work” is done to increase the likelihood of returning? 3. What is the simplest behavior in anticipation of reward?

THE MORALITY
OF MANIPULATION

Designing habit-­‐forming
products is a form of manipulation.

Users take our technologies to
bed.

They check our devices before
saying “good morning” to loved ones.

Quite possibly, the
“CIGARETTE OF THIS CENTURY.” -­‐ Ian Bogust

What RESPONSIBILITY do
we have when changing user behavior?

THE WORLD IS FULL OF
PROBLEMS TO FIX. Help others find meaning. Engage them in something important.

Build the CHANGE you
want to see in THE WORLD.

Read this … … more
at: NirAndFar.com

h 1. Take the survey.
k www.OpinionTo.Us ! 2. Get the slides. @nireyal www.nirandfar.com