Designing for Generosity: Encouraging Acts of Kindness
Explore how behavioral design principles, rooted in behavioral economics and empathy, can be strategically applied in product design and organizational culture to encourage acts of kindness, foster a culture of generosity, and promote positive societal behaviors.
Designing for Generosity: Encouraging Acts of Kindness
In an ever-increasingly interconnected world, the design principles we implement can have profound impacts on human behavior. One area where this is particularly salient is in designing for generosity, a concept that encourages acts of kindness and fosters a culture of giving. In this article, we will delve into the science behind behavioral design and how it can be used to promote altruism.
The Science Behind Behavioral Design
Behavioral design is rooted in behavioral economics, which merges elements from psychology and economics to understand why individuals make certain decisions. It recognizes that humans are not always rational actors; our choices are influenced by cognitive biases, social norms, emotions, and other factors.
Renowned economist Richard Thaler’s ‘nudge theory’ posits that subtle changes in the way options are presented can significantly influence people’s behaviors without restricting their freedom of choice.[1]. By understanding these influences and applying them strategically through thoughtful design choices, we can guide users towards behaviors that benefit both themselves and society at large — including acts of generosity.
Promoting Generosity Through Design
A classic example where behavioral design has been successfully employed to encourage generosity is in charitable giving platforms such as GoFundMe or Kickstarter. These platforms use various nudges like social proof (displaying donation amounts from others), scarcity (time-limited campaigns), or anchoring (suggested donation amounts) to motivate potential donors.[2]
Social networking giant Facebook also employs similar strategies with its birthday fundraisers feature — leveraging personal connections while providing visibility into who has donated thus far.[3]
The Power of Social Proof
Social proof is a powerful motivator in encouraging generous behavior. As humans, we are inherently social creatures and often look to others for cues on how to behave. When we see our friends or peers performing an act of kindness, we’re more likely to do the same.
Consider LinkedIn’s “Kudos” feature — it enables users to publicly recognize their colleagues’ work, thereby fostering a culture of appreciation and generosity within professional networks.[4]
Leveraging Scarcity
The scarcity principle — the idea that people assign more value to opportunities when they are less available — can also be used as an effective nudge towards generosity. For example, limited-time campaigns or exclusive benefits for early donors can create urgency and incentivize immediate action.
Designing Products That Encourage Kindness
As product designers and managers, it is within our power (and responsibility) not only to create products that solve problems but also promote positive behaviors such as kindness and empathy among users.
In this regard, apps like Headspace have done commendable work by incorporating ‘kindness meditations’ into their offerings. These guided sessions help users cultivate compassion towards themselves and others — subtly promoting acts of kindness in their everyday lives.[5]
A Culture of Generosity at Work
Fostering a culture of generosity extends beyond just product design; it permeates all aspects of organizational life. Companies like Salesforce have institutionalized philanthropy through their 1–1–1 model (donating 1% equity, 1% employee time & 1% product), setting an example for employees while making significant societal contributions.[6]
The Future: Designing with Empathy
As we move forward, one thing is clear: the future of design lies in empathy. As technology advances and artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, our ability to understand and cater to human emotions will be a key differentiator.
Pioneering companies like Google are already incorporating ‘empathy training’ into their design processes — encouraging designers to step into users’ shoes and create products that not only solve problems but also resonate emotionally.[7]
Conclusion
In conclusion, designing for generosity isn’t just about encouraging acts of kindness; it’s about creating an environment where such behaviors are the norm rather than the exception. By leveraging principles from behavioral economics and infusing empathy into our designs, we can foster a culture of giving — benefiting not just individuals but society as a whole.
References:
- Thaler RH, Sunstein CR. Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Yale University Press; 2008.
- Bekkers R., Wiepking P. A Literature Review of Empirical Studies of Philanthropy: Eight Mechanisms That Drive Charitable Giving. Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q. 2011;40(5):924–973.
- Zhang S., Melumad S., & Ferro E.G.. Facebook birthday fundraisers: An exploration of online prosocial crowdfunding in social networking sites . Computers in Human Behavior Reports Volume 1 , December 2020
- Ackerman M.S., Dachtera J., Pipek V., Wulf V.. Sharing Knowledge and Expertise: The CSCW Viewpoints . Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) volume 22 , pages283–318(2013)
- Klimecki O.M., Leiberg S., Lamm C., Singer T. Functional Neural Plasticity and Associated Changes in Positive Affect After Compassion Training. Cereb Cortex. 2013;23(7):1552–1561.
- Levenson H.. Salesforce.com: Creating a Blue Ocean in the B‐to‐B Space . Strategy & Leadership Vol. 33, №2, pp.4–9 (2005)
- Google Design Team.: The Google way of designing for everyone . Retrieved from https://design.google/library/google-way-designing-for-everyone/
Note: This article is based on the author’s interpretation of related research studies and should not be taken as financial or professional advice.
