What makes some products so engaging while others flop? Nir Eyal explains the psychology behind the world's most habit-forming technologies and provides practical advice for increasing user engagement.

1. h kHooked
@nireyal

2. Products can profoundly
CHANGE OUR BEHAVIORS.

3. PA TT
E
SN
R
?

4. 100’s of millions of
users…
…and 100’s of
millions of dollars.

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

7. Habitscanbeusedforgood.

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

9. h k
with%enough%%
FREQUENCY%%
to%%
FORM+A+HABIT.+

10. h kA"Hook"has"4"parts:"

11. h k

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

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

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

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

16. When we feel LONELY we use

17. When we feel UNSURE we use

18. When we are BORED we use

19. Do you know your customer’s
INTERNAL TRIGGER?

20. What triggers make so habit-forming?

21. external triggers

22. of losing the moment.
solves the pain

23. But is
also a social network.
Urgeto
preserve
Stressed
Lonely
Curious
FOMO
Bored

24. h k

25. The
SIMPLEST BEHAVIOR
in anticipation of a reward.

26. Scroll

27. Search

28. Play

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

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

31. THERE ARE SIX FACTORS
THAT CAN INCREASE
MOTIVATION.
SeekingPleasure
AvoidingPain
SeekingHope
AvoidingFear
SeekingAcceptance
AvoidingRejection
Source: Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford University

32. ABILITY
the capacity to do
a particular action

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

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

35. h k

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

37. The nucleus accumbens
is activated when
we crave.

38. Olds & Milner
Notexactly.
stimulating
pleasure?
Were

39. They were stimulating the
STRESS OF DESIRE.

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

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

42. That’s the ITCH
we seek to SCRATCH.

43. There is a way to supercharge the stress of desire.

45. IS FASCINATING.
THE UNKNOWN
Variability causes us to
focus and engage

46. …and increases behavior.

47. The nucleus accumbens is
stimulated by variability.

48. 3 types of VARIABLE REWARDS
TRIBE HUNT SELF
Habit-forming tech uses 1 OR MORE

49. TRIBE
SEARCH FOR
SOCIAL REWARDS

50. partnershipempatheticjoy competition

51. We Like social rewards.

52. HUNT
SEARCH FOR
RESOURCES

53. Stems from the hunt for food and resources

54. Hunt for variable material rewards

55. Hunt
for variable
information
rewards.

56. SELF
SELF-ACHIEVEMENT
SEARCH FOR

57. Leveling-up reflects MASTERY and COMPETENCY.

58. Inbox or task management reflects
CONSISTENCY and COMPLETION.

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

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

61. h k

62. Users “invest” for future benefits.
Social
Capital
Money
Time
Effort
Emotional
CommitmentPersonal
Data

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

64. 1.INVESTMENTS
LOAD THE
NEXT TRIGGER
OF THE HOOK.

65. Each new message posted on

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

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

68. CONTENT

69. DATA

70. FOLLOWERS

71. REPUTATION

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

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

74. 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?
3. What is the simplest
behavior in anticipation
of reward?
5. What “bit of work” is done
to increase the likelihood of
returning?

75. THE MORALITY
OF MANIPULATION

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

77. Users take our technologies to bed.

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

79. Quite possibly, the
“CIGARETTE OF
THIS CENTURY.”
- Ian Bogost

80. What
RESPONSIBILITY
do we have when
changing user behavior?

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

82. We can DESIGN
HEALTHY HABITS
Photo: 7CupsOfTea.com

83. Build the
THE WORLD.
you want to see in
CHANGE

84. h k
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www.OpinionTo.Us
@nireyal
www.NirAndFar.com