A friend of mine named Javier Velasquez once told me: “Behavioral economics sets up a choice architecture so that people are most likely to pick one specific option. Game designers aim to give users meaningful choices where all of the options are equally valuable, they just represent different play styles that suit each player. There’s a balance there if you want to create engagement in product design.” When he drew this out in my tiny notebook at a conference I knew we were going to be friends
I want to give users choices that matter so that they can tell the app what their User GoalUser Goal
There are individual differences between new users in their initial user goals, which plays a crucial role in the Parameters of onboarding. Since Adoption requires a baseline of user involvement in order to overcome inertia, the user must see how the app relates to their ability to accomplish goals quickly.
Additionally, User goals change over time, so if we want Retention, we need continued User Involvement.
Goals that matter to the user are ones they were struggling to accomplish on their...s are and what playstyles make sense to them to achieve it. I then work to facilitate the user in achieving that goal through behavioral influence. This increases User InvolvementUser Involvement
Imagine purchasing a gym membership in order to lose weight or grow more muscular. Having a gym membership is not enough on its own! In order to successfully accomplish that goal, you would need to work out regularly on the right muscle groups. You might have a higher likelihood of success if you participate in exercise classes or hire a personal trainer. Your outcomes are shaped by your own behavior in the gym.
User involvement is defined by the set of user behaviors that lead to experienci....
It can be dangerous to design with only one playstyle in mind. As I outline in The hard problem of onboarding horizontal productsThe hard problem of onboarding horizontal products
In order to successfully onboard a Horizontal product, we need to deliver an experience that is initially meaningful to groups of people who understand and care about different things.
There are individual differences between new users in their initial user goals and People start using an app with different prior skill levels. This makes it difficult to Speak to the user with a shared vocabulary because there is no single user group to speak to. The Upfront onboarding needs to teach the user..., there are a lot of different user groups. Additionally, There are individual differences between users in preferred playstyles. If you have a mismatch between the user’s preferred playstyle and the behaviors the app is designed for, then you’re fighting an uphill battle since Products are fundamentally voluntaryProducts are fundamentally voluntary
People can always choose to use the product, use an alternative, or use nothing at all. In fact, not using your product is their default state of being, and you’re trying to get them to do something different and effortful in using your product. Adoption requires a baseline of user involvement in order to overcome inertia.
It’s easier to facilitate people doing something that they want to do than it is to convince them to do something they don’t want to do. It’s easier to enhance their desir....