Make it a Better Experience (makeit Goal Oriented)

I leverage the Make it Toolkit in my CX Strategy and Experience Design work for clients across industries.

Every few weeks I post on one of the 15 makeit toolkit strategies or other topics for designing more human-centered experiences.

Focusing on practical examples of specific makeit Tactics being utilized in creative ways by different brands and companies.

Hopefully, these examples will inspire you to consider leveraging a more human-centered design process, we call it The makeit Behavioral Design Sprint.

This week, my post is around one of the Make it Toolkit strategies 'make it Goal-oriented'.

In this post I'll be highlighting three specific Tactics as part of 'Make it Goal-oriented' individually and in combination with other Tactics:

(1) Clear Goals: Set a specific, unambigious and possibly time-bound goals to direct one's attention and effort.

(2) Visual Hint: Provide clear and focused instructions and suggestions on what action to take next.

(3) Goal Gradient Effect: Accelerate the behaviour to progress towards a goal or reward by emphasizing (and eventually create anticipation) once one is getting closer to achieving it.

make it goal-oriented by leveraging people's need for completeness, and provide a sense of accomplishment, progress, and competence.

(1) Clear Goals

Fitbit employs the clear goals tactic by setting specific, measurable, and time-bound objectives for its users.

FOR EXAMPLE:

• Step Count Targets: Fitbit allows users to set daily step goals, such as aiming for 10,000 steps per day. This clear, quantifiable target provides a concrete objective that users can strive towards, directing their attention and effort towards increasing their physical activity.

The specificity of the goal reduces ambiguity and helps users understand exactly what is required to achieve their daily fitness targets. By having a clear benchmark, users can monitor their progress and stay motivated to meet or exceed their daily step count.

• Progress Tracking: The Fitbit app offers detailed progress reports, showing users how close they are to reaching their goals. These reports provide real-time feedback, which is essential for maintaining engagement and motivation.

Users can see their step count, active minutes, and other health metrics at a glance, allowing them to adjust their behavior and activities to stay on track. This continuous feedback loop not only keeps users informed about their progress but also reinforces their sense of competence and achievement as they move closer to their goals.

• Challenges and Badges: Users can participate in challenges and earn badges for reaching milestones, further reinforcing the sense of achievement and progress.

The Science (Clear Goals):

The science behind the makeit Tactic of Clear Goals is based upon Self-Determination Theory (SDT), developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, a broad framework for the study of human motivation and personality. SDT posits that people have three innate psychological needs that are essential for psychological growth, integrity, and well-being: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Types of motivation: Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic

• Extrinsic motivation: Extrinsic motivation refers to performing an activity to obtain an external reward or avoid a punishment. It is driven by external factors.
• Intrinsic motivation: Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence. It is driven by internal rewards.

According to SDT, competence is one of the key factors that drive intrinsic motivation. When individuals feel competent, they are more likely to be intrinsically motivated to engage in an activity.

Setting clear goals enhances intrinsic motivation by providing a clear target to aim for, which satisfies the psychological need for competence as outlined by Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000).

(2) Visual Hint

Credit Karma leverages visual hints to guide users toward financial health and credit improvement:

FOR EXAMPLE:

• Credit Score Simulation: Credit Karma employs a powerful visual simulation tool that allows users to see the potential impact of various financial actions on their credit scores.

For instance, users can input scenarios such as adding a new credit card, increasing or decreasing balances, or increasing their credit limit. These simulations then visually demonstrates how these actions could positively or negatively affect their credit score.

This tool serves as a clear visual hint, helping users understand the potential consequences of their financial decisions. By making the outcomes of different actions transparent, Credit Karma guides users towards making more informed and beneficial financial choices, fostering a deeper understanding of credit management.

• Next Step Suggestions: The platform provides clear and focused instructions on what actions users should take next to improve their credit score, such as paying off specific debts or opening a new credit line.

These next step suggestions are tailored to the user's specific financial situation and presented in a straightforward manner. By breaking down complex financial strategies into simple, actionable tasks, Credit Karma makes it easier for users to follow through on recommendations and see tangible improvements in their credit health.

• Progress Tracking: Credit Karma's dashboard is designed to help users track their credit score progress over time. It offers a comprehensive view of their credit health, including current credit scores, historical trends, and key factors influencing their scores. Additionally, the dashboard provides actionable insights and personalized recommendations to help users continue improving their credit

By visualizing their journey and seeing the incremental progress they make, users are more likely to stay motivated and committed to their financial goals. The ongoing feedback and positive reinforcement from tracking progress help users build better financial habits and achieve long-term credit improvement.

The Science (Visual Hint):

The science behind the makeit Tactic of Visual Hint is based upon cognitive load theory. When you have multiple sources of visual information, such as diagrams, labels and explanatory text, your attention is divided between them. This adds to the cognitive load, making it more difficult to create new schemas. This effect is reduced when you integrate visual information.

Visual hints help reduce cognitive load by providing clear, focused instructions on what action to take next, making it easier for individuals to process information and make decisions (Sweller, Ayres, & Kalyuga, 2011). This enhances the perceived ease of task completion, thus increasing the likelihood of action.

In addition, visual hints act as nudges, subtly guiding behavior in a desired direction without restricting freedom of choice (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). By making the next steps clear and visually prominent, users are more likely to follow through on the suggested actions.

Definitions of intrinsic load, extraneous load, and germane load from a general UX standpoint:

• Intrinsic Load: Intrinsic load refers to the inherent complexity of the task or content that users need to interact with. It is determined by the nature of the information and the interactivity of the elements involved.

This type of load is intrinsic to the task itself and is unavoidable. It depends on how many elements need to be processed simultaneously and how they interact with each other.

• Extraneous Load: Extraneous load is the cognitive load imposed by the way information and tasks are presented to users. It is influenced by design and can be minimized or eliminated through effective user experience (UX) strategies.

This load does not contribute to the user's goals and often hinders them. Poorly designed interfaces, unnecessary information, or confusing layouts contribute to extraneous load.

• Germane Load: Germane load refers to the cognitive effort dedicated to understanding, processing, and using information effectively. It is the mental work that contributes to achieving user goals and improving usability.

This load is beneficial for users as it involves meaningful interaction and comprehension. Effective UX design aims to maximize germane load while minimizing extraneous load.

In summary: intrinsic load refers to the inherent complexity of the task or content itself, while extraneous load is the unnecessary cognitive effort caused by poor design. Germane load, on the other hand, is the cognitive effort that supports user goals and effective interaction.

(3) Goal Gradient Effect

LinkedIn utilizes the goal gradient effect to encourage users to complete their profiles and engage more deeply with the platform:

FOR EXAMPLE:

• Profile Completion Bar: LinkedIn displays a visual progress bar that shows users how complete their profile is. This bar is a powerful visual cue that leverages the goal gradient effect by providing a clear, immediate indication of progress.

The proximity to the goal heightens users' anticipation and urgency to complete their profiles, as the end result feels more attainable and rewarding. The progress bar also serves to constantly remind users of their proximity to a significant milestone, keeping them engaged with the task.

• Step-by-Step Guidance: To further capitalize on the goal gradient effect, LinkedIn provides detailed step-by-step guidance when users are near completing their profiles. These suggestions are personalized and actionable, such as adding a profile picture, updating work experiences, or listing skills and endorsements.

By breaking down the remaining tasks into manageable steps, LinkedIn reduces the perceived effort required to reach the goal. This incremental approach helps maintain users' momentum and reduces the likelihood of abandonment, as users feel that they are steadily making progress towards a tangible and beneficial outcome.

• Rewards for Completion: Upon achieving profile completeness, LinkedIn reinforces the goal gradient effect by highlighting the significant benefits of having a complete profile. Users receive notifications and prompts that underscore the advantages, such as increased visibility to potential employers, higher chances of being contacted for job opportunities, and better professional networking.

These rewards act as positive reinforcement, celebrating users' achievements and validating their efforts. By making the benefits of a complete profile explicit and immediate, LinkedIn not only motivates users to complete their profiles but also enhances their overall engagement with the platform.

The Science (Goal Gradient Effect):

The science behind the makeit Tactic of Goal Gradient Effect comes from behavioral economics. The goal gradient hypothesis suggests that individuals accelerate their efforts as they get closer to a reward. This phenomenon was first observed by Hull (1932) in animal studies and later confirmed in human behavior (Kivetz, Urminsky, & Zheng, 2006). It highlights that motivation increases as the goal becomes more attainable, driving higher engagement and effort.

Studies have shown that individuals are more likely to increase their efforts as they perceive themselves to be near the completion of a goal (F?rster, Higgins, & Bianco, 2003). This effect is leveraged by providing visual progress indicators and breaking down larger goals into smaller, more manageable steps.

In Summary

By leveraging these tactics, Fitbit, LinkedIn, and Credit Karma effectively drive user engagement and behavior change by setting clear goals, emphasizing progress towards these goals, and providing visual cues to guide users along their journey.

• Clear Goals: Setting specific, unambiguous, and time-bound goals directs attention and effort toward a defined target. This reduces ambiguity and enhances focus, making it easier to understand what is expected. Clear goals provide motivation and purpose, improving performance by giving individuals a clear sense of direction.
• Visual Hint: Providing clear and focused instructions reduces cognitive load and helps individuals make decisions more easily. Visual hints guide behavior without overwhelming the user, enhancing the perceived ease of task completion and increasing the likelihood of follow-through.
• Goal Gradient Effect: This effect accelerates behavior as individuals get closer to achieving a goal, creating a sense of anticipation and urgency. As people approach the final stages, motivation increases, driving them to complete the remaining steps. Emphasizing proximity to the goal keeps individuals engaged and motivated.

This approach not only fosters a sense of accomplishment but also enhances the users' experience by making their progress visible and tangible.