Skip to main content

Persuasive Design

Define​

Designing interactions to influence the behaviour and decisions of users

Persuasive design considers the psychological principles of influence, decision-making, engagement, and social psychology at every stage of the production process, It highlights opportunities where interactions could be created as an emotional trigger, encouraging users to complete actions desired by the designer.

As opposed to dark patterns, persuasive design is used with best intentions in mind. For example, a service could compliment a user after completing an action, triggering an emotional response that could make them feel positive about themselves. Another example could be giving a user valuable information based on their inputs. This could improve the way they live and work.

From the designer's perspective, these triggers can increase user engagement with the service and help to build a stronger relationship with the user.

Examples of persuasive design techniques are:

  • Completeness : when prompted, to fill in information.
  • Positive Reinforcement : telling users when they are doing well to keep them engaged.
  • Loss Aversion : telling users when they are about to miss out on something is a chance to hold their attention.
  • The Power of Free : users tend to go for items that are free, even if there is a price later on.

Resources​