Because of my work, I spend a great deal of my time not only understanding, but designing strategies and advising on products that modify behaviours. As challenging as this can be it is also a fantastic way of testing how successful the power of building habits is.
There is a number of sources I quote often when talking about this topic. I recently found one that explains how to create new habits in a very succinct way. Have a look and tell me what you think.
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Try to answer the following problem:
A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
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My line of work entails keeping close track of cultural trends in the digital technology field.
The trend I’ve picked in this occasion points out a common behaviour amongst mobile Internet users, which is their reluctance to produce and manage their own online content. This refers specifically to commenting on websites, micro-blogging, and blogging.
I have observed how people use digital and mobile technology in South Africa for 3 years. Data shows an incremental connectivity from mobile phones, but restricted online activity. The time users spend online is short, and given that the majority of them keep account of this as the airtime has high costs, their online engagement is limited. Due to these reasons, amongst others, users perform searches but upload very little content.
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Behaviour change
When I first took an interest in learning how to influence people’s behaviour, there was something creepy about it. The topic reminded me of those conspiracy films that show us how our minds and personal decisions are manipulated by super-structures and systems such as governments and corporations.
I decided I wanted to understand thoroughly what goes on behind decision-making, and whether we are as susceptible to being manipulated as these theories state.
These are my take outs from the literature I read this year. I would like to share them with you, and point out that this work is in progress and I am still getting my head around some of the concepts.
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Alex Atala
There were a number of talks that inspired me at this year’s Design Indaba conference.
They ranged from the presentations on unusual creative projects whose practical applications were unclear, to very inspiring pieces of information that motivated me to better myself in my field, and perhaps take some risks in unknown territories.
My main take- outs are as follows:
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