Behavioral Design Frameworks
Some of the most popular and influential behavioral design and habit-forming models include the Hook Model, Habit Loop, EAST Framework, COM-B Model, BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model (FBM), and Nudge Theory. These models share core components related to user behavior, motivation, and habit reinforcement.
Sustainable Engagement Loop
The Sustainable Engagement Loop is a behavioral model that promotes long-term user engagement through a cyclical process. It consists of six key stages: Triggers, Motivation, Action, Reward, Investment, and Progression. The model also addresses relapse and reinstatement, ensuring users return to the loop and re-establish habits.
Creating Effective Triggers
Triggers are essential for prompting users to take action. External triggers, such as notifications, reminders, and visual cues, are particularly effective in the early stages of habit formation. Internal triggers, like emotions, can drive engagement without external prompts. Triggers can also be proactive, initiated by the system, or reactive, responding to user behavior. Contextual triggers are based on the user’s situation, while scheduled triggers occur at pre-set times. Personalized triggers are tailored to individual user preferences, while generic triggers are broad prompts sent to all users.
Motivating Users to Engage
Motivation and ability are crucial elements for ensuring that triggers lead to action. Intrinsic motivation stems from personal satisfaction, while extrinsic motivation involves external rewards. User ability can be classified into cognitive ability, physical ability, time availability, financial ability, and effort & skill.
Effortless and Nearly Instinctive Actions
Action is the core outcome of every well-designed element. Successful products guide users to focus on one primary action at a time, reducing distractions and presenting a clear task. Instant feedback, such as success messages or progress updates, reassures users that their actions are recognized. Frequent repetition helps engrain actions in users’ minds, turning behaviors into routines.
Reinforce User Actions with Rewards
Rewards incentivize users to continue engaging with a product by providing immediate gratification or a sense of accomplishment. Behavioral conditioning explains how behaviors can be shaped through rewards. Fixed rewards provide predictable reinforcement, while variable rewards introduce an element of surprise. The three types of rewards are Hunt rewards, Self rewards, and Tribe rewards.
Investment Makes Users Less Likely to Abandon the Product
Users invest time, effort, or resources in a product, becoming more committed. This investment can take the form of time & effort, data or content, social, or financial.
Give Users a Sense of Growth and Accomplishment
Progression is the ongoing advancement a user experiences while interacting with a product, and milestones are key achievements that mark that progress. Displaying a visible progression path, offering tiered milestones, and celebrating them can motivate users to continue engaging. Dynamic difficulty ramping keeps users in a state of flow, where tasks feel achievable but challenging.
Ethical Considerations for Designing Addictive Products
Many engagement strategies leverage psychological behaviors, potentially leading to addictive products. While some engagement loops lead to positive outcomes, others can have negative consequences. Design teams have an ethical responsibility to use these tactics responsibly, balancing engagement with user well-being.
To mitigate potential harm, design teams should avoid doom-scrolling and limit variable reward abuse. They should mitigate social validation traps, reduce emphasis on likes and shares, and prioritize meaningful engagement. Transparency about algorithms and recommendation systems, along with insights into time spent on the platform, allows users to manage their engagement more mindfully.
This is a summary of the original article. You can read the original article here: ‘https://uxdesign.cc/21-ux-strategies-to-maximize-user-engagement-without-exploitation-a39428cd66c5’
