Category
Behavioral Design & Choice Architecture
37 free guides in this category.
2 guides
Behavioral Diagnostics
COM-B Behavioral Diagnosis
A diagnostic framework that identifies why behaviors do or don't occur by examining three core components: Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation.
Read guideSystem 1/2 Thinking
Two modes of thought: fast, automatic intuition versus slow, deliberate reasoning—and how habits bridge them.
Read guide20 guides
Choice Architecture (Design Practice)
Dark Pattern Resistance
When nudges trigger resistance or manipulative interfaces erode trust through psychological reactance.
Read guideChoice Architecture
The design of how choices are presented to influence decisions without restricting freedom.
Read guideChoice Overload & Assortment
When too many similar options reduce choosing and satisfaction—and how to design assortments that help people decide.
Read guideChoice Overload Paradox
The finding that having too many options can lead to decision paralysis, lower satisfaction, and a reduced likelihood of making a choice at all.
Read guideDefaults and Opt-Out Design
How pre-set choices dramatically influence behavior by leveraging our inertia, making the path of least resistance the default option.
Read guideDigital Nudges
Subtle interface design elements that guide user decisions without restricting options, leveraging how our brains naturally process information.
Read guideEAST & MINDSPACE
Two behavioral science frameworks that help designers structure choices to guide decisions while preserving freedom of choice.
Read guideEAST Framework
A step-by-step checklist—Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely—to design choices that people are more likely to follow.
Read guideEnvironment Restructuring
Changing your physical and digital surroundings to make good choices easier and bad choices harder.
Read guideEthical Nudging
How to influence decisions responsibly while respecting autonomy and avoiding manipulation.
Read guideFraming and Anchoring in Design
How wording and first numbers steer user choices—and how to design and test those effects ethically.
Read guideLibertarian Paternalism
An approach to influencing behavior that preserves freedom of choice while guiding people toward decisions that improve their welfare.
Read guideImpact Measurement
Evaluating the actual effects and welfare implications of behavioral interventions to determine if they truly help people make better decisions.
Read guideNudge Experiment Design
Test whether small changes to how choices are presented actually influence behavior using randomized controlled trials.
Read guideSalience and Visual Cues
Visually prominent elements capture attention and shape decisions, often without our awareness.
Read guideSalience
The quality of being particularly noticeable, which guides our attention and influences our choices without restricting them.
Read guideSocial Norms & Peer Comparison
How seeing what peers do shapes choices—and how to use norm messages and benchmarks to nudge behavior without mandates.
Read guideTiming, Prompts, and Reminders
Strategic use of when and how we ask people to take action can dramatically increase follow-through on their intentions.
Read guideNudge
A gentle change to how choices are presented that steers decisions without restricting freedom.
Read guideChoice Architecture
The design of how choices are presented to influence decision-making while preserving freedom of choice.
Read guide5 guides
Defaults & Simplification
Defaults and Opt-Outs
How pre-set choices and opt-out designs steer decisions—and when to use them responsibly.
Read guideDesigning Effective Defaults
How to harness the power of default settings to guide better decisions while preserving freedom of choice.
Read guideSimplification and Friction
The cognitive trade-off between making choices easier through simplification and maintaining accuracy through appropriate friction.
Read guideSludge Audits and Dark Patterns
How to identify and remove friction that manipulates your choices and saps your time, money, and energy.
Read guideThe Power of Defaults
How pre-set options quietly steer our choices—and how to use them wisely.
Read guide5 guides
Incentive Design
Commitment Devices
Arrangements that lock you into better future choices by making it harder to act against your own long-term interests.
Read guideEffective Incentive Schemes
Learn the principles for creating motivational systems that align individual actions with organizational goals, avoiding common pitfalls and unintended consequences.
Read guideIncentive Architecture
A step-by-step way to design rewards, rules, and metrics that steer behavior toward your goals—while minimizing gaming and backfires.
Read guideIncentive Compatibility
A principle in economics and game theory where rules are designed so that telling the truth and following the system's goals is also in each person's best self-interest.
Read guidePrincipal-Agent Problem
A conflict in priorities when someone (the agent) makes decisions on behalf of another (the principal), but their goals and information don't align.
Read guide3 guides
Measurement & Experimentation
A/B Testing for Nudges
Compare two versions of a choice design to measure which better guides decisions without limiting freedom.
Read guideBehavioral KPIs & Metrics
Metrics that track what people actually do, not what they say they'll do—revealing the gap between intentions and actions.
Read guideFeedback, Goals, and Progress
A step-by-step loop: set a goal, pick a metric, measure where you are, then give timely feedback to close the gap.
Read guide2 guides
Targeting & Personalization
Personalization & Algorithmic Nudges
How digital platforms use your data to tailor experiences and subtly guide your choices, from product recommendations to news feeds.
Read guidePersonalization & Segmentation
The systematic process of dividing audiences into groups and tailoring experiences to individual preferences using data analysis.
Read guide