Design with Intent: understanding users and influencing behaviour

Whether we choose to do it or not, what we design is going to affect how users behave, so we might as well think about it, and – if we can—actually get good at it. A systems approach can help us understand how people interact with the different products and services they experience, how mental models and cognitive biases and heuristics influence the way people make decisions about what to do, and hence how we might apply that knowledge (for good).

In this practical workshop, we’ll first try a novel investigatory approach to design and behaviour, using ourselves as both designers and ‘guinea pigs’ in exploring the different ways in which designers model users when seeking to influence behaviour, how users respond, and how better to uncover users' understanding, mental models and heuristics. We will explore the possibilities of constructing behavioural personas, and what insights these could offer.

Then, using a structured 'systems' approach, together with the latest iteration of the Design with Intent toolkit, we'll tackle a behaviour change case study, generating and developing concepts for influencing user behaviour which better match – and even help improve – users' understanding in the process of changing how they act.