How I learned to appreciate our tame social scientist: experiences in integrating design research and the behavioural sciences

Sander Hermsen, Remko van der Lugt, Sander Mulder, Reint Jan Renes

Chindōgu

Undesired Chindōgu: the danger of implicit user models

Why inform designs with theory from behavioural sciences?

More effective (we know from evidence)Avoids cherry pickingIncreases decisional accountability

Multidisciplinary cooperation enhances the efficacy of behaviour change design projects

Hypothesis

But: colliding world views

AtomisticSeeking underlying working mechanismsTheory accepted or refuted

Truth

But: colliding world views

HolisticSeeking what works in the current context

Theory can be bent and stretched

Reality

Hypothesis

Multidisciplinary cooperation enhances the efficacy of behaviour change design projects: Truth + Reality

Case study: Increasing safety motivation

The Persuasive by Design Model

In every phase.

Information: structuring interviews, analysis of current interventionsIdeation: defining target behaviours, structuring ‘drifting’Build: guarding operationalizationEvaluation: devising viable measurement instruments

Mixing designerly methods with behavioural insights

Danger!

Safety

Where the behavioural scientific method fell short

VagueElusiveNaive

Issues that transpired

Successes

designer: model / theory as anchoring, scaffold for validity and reliabilitybehavioural scientist: theory in rich context, increased ecological validitycommissioner: sense of trust

Thank you.

Questions? @sanderhermsen