Products that Stick: Behavioral Design Techniques for Enhancing Product Stickiness

Discover how to create “sticky” products that users habitually return to by leveraging behavioral design principles, cognitive biases, and heuristics, with real-world examples from successful apps like Instagram, Slack, and Headspace, and a step-by-step guide to incorporating these principles into product development.

I. Introduction: The Power of Sticky Products

In today’s saturated market, the creation of sticky products — those that users habitually return to — represent a central challenge for product managers and designers. However, by tapping into the power of behavioral design, product managers and designers can architect products that encourage habitual use.

The term “sticky” is borrowed from Malcolm Gladwell’s best-selling book The Tipping Point, where it refers to ideas that “stick” in people’s minds (Gladwell). In product design, this implies creating experiences foster habits, driving regular engagement.

Behavioral design offers a robust framework for crafting such experiences. Grounded in behavioral science principles, this approach provides insights into human behavior, motivations, and decision-making processes. It leverages cognitive biases and heuristics — mental shortcuts we often unconsciously adopt — to influence user actions.

For instance, the anchoring bias proposes that individuals rely heavily on the first piece of information they receive when making decisions (Kahneman 1974). Product designers can use this bias to present a higher-priced option before showcasing more reasonably priced alternatives, making the latter appear more attractive.

Similarly, scarcity and social proof are powerful heuristics employed in behavioral design. Scarcity exploits our natural tendency to value scarce resources more highly than abundant ones (Cialdini 2009), while social proof leverages our inclination to conform to what others are doing (Asch 1951). Both can be harnessed in product design to drive engagement and loyalty.

These principles underscore a larger model within behavioral design: the Fogg Behavior Model. This model posits that three elements must converge for a behavior to occur: motivation, ability, and prompt (Fogg 2009). By designing products that align with this model, we can create experiences that form user habits, enhancing product stickiness.

Consider the popular meditation app Headspace. It effectively uses the Fogg Behavior Model by providing daily prompts (a notification), reducing barriers to meditating (a simple and easy-to-follow guided meditation), and fostering motivation (tracking streaks and progress). These elements work together to create a sticky product that users habitually engage with.

However, harnessing behavioral design principles is not just about incorporating biases and heuristics or following models. It also involves understanding your users’ behaviors, needs, and motivations at a granular level. This requires rigorous user research, testing, iteration, and a deep empathy for the people you’re designing for.

To illustrate this point further, let’s revisit our Headspace example. The app’s success doesn’t only stem from leveraging behavioral design principles but also from its creators’ deep understanding of their users’ challenges with meditation — such as finding time and maintaining consistency — which they address through their design.

In sum, creating sticky products entails more than just good design or innovative technology; it requires an intricate understanding of human behavior and the strategic application of behavioral design principles. In the following sections of this article, we’ll delve deeper into these principles, explore real-world examples of successful sticky products, and provide a detailed guide on how to incorporate behavioral design in product development.

As we learn about creating more engaging and compelling products that resonate with users, remember these words from renowned designer Dieter Rams: “You cannot understand good design if you do not understand people; design is made for people” (Rams).

II. Understanding Behavioral Design Principles

Behavioral design principles offer an accessible toolbox for product managers and designers. They help in understanding how to shape user behavior and create sticky products. Let’s dive into some of these principles, their underlying theories, and how they can be applied effectively.

A. Cognitive Biases

Cognitive biases are systematic errors in our thinking process that affect our decisions and judgments. They are intrinsic to human cognition (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974) and provide a fertile ground for behavioral design.

The anchoring bias, for instance, is the tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information offered when making decisions (Kahneman, 2011). Designers can use this bias by presenting a high-value proposition first before introducing cheaper alternatives, making them appear more attractive.

The scarcity heuristic is another cognitive bias where people place higher value on things that are scarce than those that are abundant (Cialdini, 2009). By limiting access or creating time restrictions on certain features or products, designers can drive up their perceived value and desirability.

B. Social Proof

The principle of social proof, coined by Robert Cialdini (2006), posits that individuals look to others’ actions to determine what is correct or desirable. This principle can be leveraged in product design by showcasing user reviews, ratings, or popular user actions to influence others’ behaviors.

This principle is evident in platforms like Amazon where user ratings and reviews heavily influence purchasing decisions; or social media platforms like Instagram where the number of likes influences perceived popularity.

C. The Fogg Behavior Model

As previously mentioned, the Fogg Behavior Model (Fogg, 2009) asserts that for a behavior to occur, three elements must coincide: motivation, ability, and a prompt. Designing with this model involves creating experiences that align these three components.

Motivation refers to the user’s desire to perform the behavior. This can be influenced by understanding and catering to users’ needs and wants. Ability refers to the user’s capacity to perform the behavior; this can be enhanced by minimizing complexity and barriers in your design. Prompt is about reminding or prompting the user at the right moment to perform the behavior.

D. Habit Formation

The Hook Model (Eyal & Hoover, 2014) provides a framework for understanding how products create habits. The model suggests a four-step loop: Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment.

A Trigger, either external or internal, initiates the behavior. The Action is the behavior itself which should be simple and easy for users to perform. The Variable Reward gives users a sense of pleasure or relief enhancing their motivation for future actions. Finally, Investment, where users put something into the product (like time or data), increases their likelihood of returning due to sunk cost fallacy (Arkes & Blumer, 1985).

E. Gamification

Gamification, applying game mechanics in non-game contexts, is another powerful behavioral design principle used in sticky products.

This principle harnesses our innate desire for competition, achievement, status recognition and offers rewards like points or badges upon completion of certain tasks. These rewards trigger dopamine release in our brains, making us feel good and motivating us to repeat the behavior.

Consider Duolingo, a language-learning app, which employs gamification effectively. It uses competition (leaderboards), achievement (streaks), status recognition (levels), and rewards (virtual currency) to keep users engaged and motivated.

F. Choice Architecture

Choice architecture, a term coined by Thaler & Sunstein (2008), involves organizing the context in which people make decisions. A key principle here is nudging, subtly guiding choices without restricting options.

Consider retirement savings plans where employees are automatically enrolled but can opt out at any time. This ‘opt-out’ system increases participation rates compared to an ‘opt-in’ system. This nudge leverages status quo bias where people prefer to stick with current states or defaults (Samuelson & Zeckhauser, 1988).

In sum, understanding behavioral design principles requires deep knowledge of cognitive biases, social proof heuristics, behavioral models like Fogg’s Behavior Model and the Hook Model, gamification techniques, and choice architecture strategies. By mastering these principles and strategically applying them in product design, we can create sticky products that users habitually engage with.

III. Real-World Examples of Successful Sticky Products

Let’s now turn our attention to concrete examples of sticky products that have successfully leveraged behavioral design principles to drive regular user engagement.

A. Instagram: Leveraging Social Proof and Gamification

Instagram, a social networking app, provides a masterclass in the use of social proof and gamification. The platform displays users’ follower count prominently, tapping into the principle of social proof by signaling popularity based on numbers. This number influences perceived status and can motivate users to increase their follower count.

The introduction of the ‘like’ feature further enhances this effect. Each ‘like’ serves as an affirmation from other users, validating the posted content and stimulating further engagement through recognition and validation.

Instagram also successfully employs gamification principles. The concept of Instagram Stories, which disappear after 24 hours (unless you add them as a Highlight), introduces an element of time-bound scarcity. This transient nature encourages daily usage as users rush to view stories before they vanish.

B. Slack: Harnessing Habit Formation and Choice Architecture

Slack, a business communication platform, has employed habit formation principles effectively. It uses external triggers like notifications to prompt users into action — opening the application or responding to a message — making these actions routine over time.

The platform’s design also makes it easy for users to take action by having a simple interface with clear prompts for response or task completion. Slack’s system of threading conversations is an example of good choice architecture, guiding the user’s decision-making process without limiting options.

C. Duolingo: Utilizing Fogg Behavior Model and Gamification

Duolingo, a language-learning app, is another excellent example of a sticky product. It utilizes the Fogg Behavior Model by sending daily reminders (prompts) to users to complete their language lessons. These prompts coincide with users’ motivation to learn a new language and the ability facilitated by easy-to-follow lessons.

Duolingo also employs gamification effectively to keep users engaged. Earning virtual coins for correct answers, progressing through levels, and competing with friends are all game mechanics that foster regular engagement.

D. Headspace: Exploiting Cognitive Biases and Fogg Behavior Model

Headspace, a meditation app, leverages the Fogg Behavior Model by providing daily prompts (notifications), reducing barriers to meditating (simplified guided sessions), and fostering motivation (tracking progress).

It also exploits cognitive biases like loss aversion where users are more motivated by avoiding losses than acquiring equivalent gains (Kahneman & Tversky 1979). By visualizing meditation streaks, Headspace makes breaking the streak feel like a loss, thus motivating continued practice.

E. Amazon: Implementing Scarcity Heuristic and Social Proof

Amazon uses behavioral design principles like scarcity heuristic by displaying limited stock availability or time-bound deals. This creates a sense of urgency among buyers leading to quicker purchasing decisions.

The platform also leverages social proof through customer reviews and ratings which heavily influence purchasing decisions. The ‘Customers who bought this also bought…’ feature is an effective use of normative social influence — implying that other people’s behavior might be the appropriate action in this context.

F. Netflix: Applying Anchoring Bias and Choice Architecture

Netflix, a streaming service, uses anchoring bias by offering multiple subscription plans with the most expensive option presented first. This makes subsequent options seem more reasonable in comparison.

The platform’s recommendation system is a clever use of choice architecture. By suggesting the ‘Top Picks for You’ or ‘Because you watched…’, Netflix subtly guides viewers towards certain content while maintaining an illusion of abundant choice (unlike Tubi, which really does have abundant choice 🙂).

G. LinkedIn: Embracing Fogg Behavior Model and Social Proof

LinkedIn, a professional networking platform, embraces the Fogg Behavior Model by sending regular prompts (notifications) which coincide with users’ motivation to network and their ability to do so via the platform.

The endorsement feature on LinkedIn taps into social proof, where individuals are influenced by others’ actions or opinions. This feature fosters engagement as users strive to accrue endorsements and reciprocate the favor.

Exploring these examples underlines how behavioral design principles can be harnessed in diverse ways across different product categories to create sticky products. The power of these principles lies not just in their individual application but also in their strategic combination tailored to fit specific user needs and contexts.

IV. Step-by-Step Guide to Incorporating Behavioral Design in Product Development

Creating sticky products demands an adept implementation of behavioral design principles. Let’s delve into a step-by-step guide that can illuminate your path towards developing engaging, habit-forming products.

A. Identifying User Behaviors and Needs

The first step involves gaining a deep understanding of your users’ behaviors, needs, and motivations. This requires rigorous user research that can take shape through surveys, interviews, or ethnographic studies. It’s essential to identify the factors that drive user engagement with similar products and understand the pain points that currently exist for them.

B. Defining Desired User Behavior

Once you have a clear understanding of your users’ needs and motivations, define the desired behavior you want from them when interacting with your product. For instance, Slack aims to make its users check messages frequently and respond promptly; hence, it uses notifications as triggers.

C. Creating Motivation

Your next task entails creating motivation for the desired behavior. This could involve leveraging cognitive biases like social proof by showcasing how other users are benefiting from performing the desired behavior or employing scarcity heuristic by limiting access to certain aspects of your product.

D. Reducing Friction

Reducing friction in performing the desired behavior is a key step in facilitating habits. This might entail simplifying processes or using choice architecture to guide user decisions subtly without restricting their options.

E. Designing Effective Prompts

Prompts act as reminders for users to perform the desired behavior at the right moment. Carefully consider the timing and context of these prompts to ensure they’re effective in driving engagement. For instance, as we discussed, Headspace sends daily prompts to encourage users to meditate.

F. Implementing Variable Rewards

Variable rewards play a crucial role in habit formation. They give users a sense of pleasure or relief, enhancing their motivation for future actions. Consider implementing different types of rewards that vary in value and frequency.

G. Encouraging User Investment

Encouraging users to invest time or data into your product increases their likelihood of returning due to sunk cost fallacy. This investment should directly improve the user’s experience with your product by tailoring it more towards their needs or preferences.

H. Iterating Based on Feedback

The last step involves continuously testing your product and iterating based on user feedback. This process is crucial for refining your behavioral design strategies, ensuring they align with changing user needs and behaviors over time.

Following these steps can help you incorporate behavioral design principles effectively into your product development process. However, remember that each product and its users are unique — there is no one-size-fits-all approach here. Flexibility and adaptability are key; adjust these steps according to your specific context, always keeping user needs at the center of your decisions.

And think back to the examples we used. Consider how Instagram has used social proof effectively by displaying follower counts prominently, thereby signaling popularity, or how Slack has ingeniously designed its platform to reduce friction in communication, making it easy for users to respond promptly. These real-world examples provide a blueprint for how behavioral design can be employed effectively.

V. Conclusion: Crafting Habit-forming Products with Behavioral Design

Behavioral design represents a potent tool in the arsenal of product managers and designers, offering a robust framework to architect products that foster habitual use, driving user engagement and loyalty. We have discussed the key principles of behavioral design, gleaned nuggets from real-world examples of successful sticky products, and dissected a detailed guide on incorporating these principles into product development.

The power of behavioral design lies in its ability to unlock profound insights into human behavior, motivations, and decision-making processes. The strategic application of cognitive biases, heuristics, models like Fogg’s Behavior Model (Fogg 2009), Hook Model (Eyal & Hoover 2014), and principles such as gamification (Deterding et al., 2011) or choice architecture (Thaler & Sunstein 2008) can serve as powerful catalysts in crafting sticky products.

The mastery of these principles demands rigorous user research, testing, iteration, and above all — empathy for users. As we recall from our Headspace example, the meditation app’s success stemmed not just from leveraging behavioral design principles but also from understanding their users’ challenges at a granular level.

Translating this understanding into product features that address specific user needs forms the bedrock of creating sticky products. This requires defining desired user behavior clearly and then designing experiences that align with this behavior using motivation, ability enhancement, effective prompts, variable rewards mechanism and fostering user investment.

However, while applying these principles, it’s crucial to maintain ethical considerations at the forefront. As product creators, we hold enormous influence over how users interact with our products. We should use this power responsibly, ensuring that our designs serve as enablers rather than manipulators of user behavior. As B.J. Fogg rightly points out, “As we use persuasion to design for behavior change, we must also be mindful of the line between helping people and manipulating them” (Fogg 2009).

Moreover, the impact of behavioral design extends beyond just creating sticky products. It has the potential to transform entire user experiences and influence broader patterns of human behavior. Therefore, embracing a holistic approach that considers not only individual interactions but also larger societal implications is vital.

As we continue to explore and harness the power of behavioral design in crafting sticky products, let’s remember these words from renowned sociologist Richard Thaler: “If you want to encourage some activity, make it easy” (Thaler 2008). The essence of behavioral design lies in making desired behaviors easy for users to adopt — a principle that can guide us in creating habit-forming products.

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