This is about optimizing for 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... within the context of what the app can do. The user needs to exert effort into making the app work for their needs, and the app needs to reduce the effort required and make the effort worthwhile. The social contract between the user and the app tends to work best when the app is transparent about what user involvement is necessary so the user can make an informed choice that they internalize as self-motivated.
This is worthwhile to the app because Designing for user involvement creates a virtuous cycle of usageDesigning for user involvement creates a virtuous cycle of usage
Once we’ve set the behaviors involved in enhancing User Involvement in motion, we create a virtuous cycle of involvement. User behavior turns into goal accomplishment. This reinforces the value of those user behaviors, so the user is more likely to use your product when they have a goal that the product can help them accomplish.
People internalize the value of the app more deeply over time, so Designing for user involvement has positive effects on adoption, retention, and virality.
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Ask yourself-
- What is the user expecting us to do for them?
- What is influencing those expectations?
- Are those expectations reasonable given our constraints?
- What are we expecting the user to do with the app?
- Do the users share those expectations?
- How might we influence those expectations?
- How can the app and the user provide each other value so their interests are aligned?
If you’re successful in this and the user understands their role in goal achievement, then the user won’t blame the app when they experienced a Failure stateFailure state
Index
Intentionally design for failure states
Difficulty Matching
and they are more likely to try again. They’ll recognize what it is they have to do and what it is the app has to do.