Behavior Change is increasingly recognized as central to human wellbeing, social cohesion and sustainability. But effectively changing behavior is a challenging and complex process. We’ve been leading individual, organizational and community level change efforts across domains such as health, financial wellbeing, sustainability and lifelong learning and development.
Rooted in Science, Enabled by Design
We design interventions that are built from behavior change science. Our process includes the integration of theory and evidence (along with some creative ingenuity) at every step. We focus on clinically significant target behaviors, the underlying determinants that influence behavior and the implementable behavior change techniques most likely to shift those determinants in a given context.
Target Effective Engagement and Impact
Interventions must be sufficiently engaged with in order to be effective. We seek to promote "effective engagement", ensuring optimal dose exposure to the intervention's active ingredients while minimizing user burden, fatigue and attrition. Randomized evaluation methods assess and optimize reach, usage and outcome effects ensuring that our work achieves the outcomes that matter most.
“We don’t believe in magical thinking but instead in a systematic process that integrates theory, evidence and the perspectives of our target populations at every step of the way.”
Sample Behavior Change Design Activities
Primary and Secondary Research
We combine qualitative, quantitative and ethnographic research methods such as evidence-based literature reviews, in-depth interviews, quantitative surveys and data analysis to build a deep understanding and contextualize the intervention for our target beneficiaries.
Applied Behavioral Science
Behavior change is a challenging and complex process, requiring theories, methods and evidence from many academic disciplines. If we’re going design effective products and services to help people change their behaviors, we need to understand human behavior at more than a cursory, intuitive level.
Systems Thinking
Our teams work to visualize a common understanding of the most pertinent factors to target through design. Methods for changing behavior may be aimed at individuals, organizations, communities, and/or populations and at changing different systems-level influences on behavior.
Collaborative Workshopping
Creative and collaborative workshopping methods help to engage client stakeholders and target audience members in aligning around new ideas, opportunities and strategies, and in co-creating solutions that match unmet needs and expectations, business viability, organizational capacity and technical feasibility.
Data Analysis
Fueling interventions with data streams and machine learning transforms our ability to dynamically adapt and tailor content and techniques to each individual’s situation, characteristics, and desired outcomes.
Experimentation
We consider experimental tests and randomized evaluations an essential part of the design process. Initial design decisions are driven by behavior change science, direct and indirect evidence, and user and stakeholder insights. Early concepts and prototypes benefit greatly from iterative feedback and validation.
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April 14th and 15th, 2020
Royal Sonesta, Boston MA
The annual HXD conference provides a unique crossroads for a diverse community of creators, practitioners, researchers, and developers, to help accelerate the transformation of our health system. Attracting over 500 visionaries across the health ecosystem, this event is created to drive real world change.
Learn More2020 Dates To Be Announced!
Join design and business leaders from Insurance, Fintech, Banking and more to discuss how experience design strategies can be applied to drive market solutions that achieve social good and profit alike.
Learn MoreThe Center for Health Experience Design (CHXD) is a community that is designed to foster connection across the health ecosystem. It is only by working together that we can solve the toughest health challenges.
Learn MoreEthical Guidelines for Designers
The Designer’s Oath is a tool that helps multidisciplinary teams define the ethical guidelines of their engagements. Designers are responsible for creating more than ever before and with this increased influence, we must take a step back and recognize the responsibility we have to those we design for.
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