Hooked by the book Hooked: Introduction

A few of my notes and analysis of the intro

Habits are defined as “behaviors done with little or no conscious thought.”

• What comes first to mind? These products are driven by internal triggers and do not need massive marketing to woo users into using their product.
• As engineers, designers, and product owners, it is our civic duty to ensure that the products we create are not creating full-fledged addictions that cause compulsions that negatively impact an individual’s livelihood.

When harnessed correctly, technology can enhance lives through healthful behaviors that improve our relationships, make us smarter, and increase productivity.

The convergence of access, data, and speed is making the world a more habit-forming place.

• I find this rather intimidating as a user can be easily manipulated into using products, yet exciting to be working in the tech industry.

Businesses that create customer habits gain a significant competitive advantage.

• The more a product becomes a habit, the more user engagement a business has, the more power a business has in its industry.

The Hook Model describes an experience designed to connect the user’s problem to a solution frequently enough to form a habit.

• It’s different from a boring feedback loop since the Hook Model creates an experience that is unpredictable and filled with actionable items that result into variable rewards.

Alas, the famous Hook Model

The Hook Model has four phases: trigger, action, variable reward, and investment

1. Trigger (External and Internal triggers)

There are two types:

• External: The marketing stunt that triggers a user to do something
• Internal: It comes from within. Emotions that trigger behavior

2. Action (think of pavlov’s dog)

• Behavior done in anticipation of a reward

3. Variable Reward

User gets a reward. In most products, it is an emotional satisfaction reward. ie: Jenny feeling exhilarated to find new items in her pinterest board

• User gets a reward. In most products, it is an emotional satisfaction reward. ie: Jenny feeling exhilarated to find new items in her pinterest board

4. Investment

• How does the current user improve the service of the product? Does he/she invite friends, build virtual assets, upgrade to the latest features?

Further questions and areas to explore for the curious birds:

• What are the user-experience designs and functionality patterns that create habit-forming products?
• Webcast of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Influencing human behavior. (Could not find this online :( )
• Check out the author’s blog and subscribe NirAndFar.com
• Imagine yourself undergoing the hook model cycle using a product that you interact with on a day to day basis.
• Explore the concept of choice architecture, coined by famous scholars Thaler, Sunstein, and Balz. Here is the paper.