Super stoked to be a part of Memorisely’s UX/UI Bootcamp with ⚡️Zander Whitehurst. I am really excited that the Bootcamp will start soon! I am continuing with my reading list on the prep tasks for the Bootcamp!
I have finished reading "Hooked - How to Build Habit-Forming Products" by Nir Eyal and Ryan Hoover. Here are my key takeaways from this amazing book:
- Habits are automatic behaviors triggered by situational cues
- Products and services alter our everyday behavior, just as their designers intended
- Companies that form strong user habits enjoy several benefits to their bottom line. These companies attach their product to internal triggers
- The hook model consists of a trigger, action, investment, and variable reward
- A trigger is the actuator of behavior. Triggers come in two types: external and internal
- To build a habit-forming product, makers need to understand which user emotions may be tied to internal triggers and know how to leverage external triggers to drive the user to action
- An action is the behavior done in anticipation of a reward. Ability is influenced by 6 factors - time, money, physical effort, brain cycles, social deviance, and non-routineness.
- Variable rewards are very powerful tools where introducing variability multiplies the effect, creating a focused effort, which suppresses the areas of the brain associated with judgment and reason while activating the parts associated with wanting and desire.
- Variable rewards must satisfy users’ needs while leaning them wanting to reengage with the product.
- Investment phase increases the odds that the user will make another pass through the Hook cycle in the future. The investment occurs when the user puts something into the product or service such as time, data, effort, social, capital or money.
- Investments increase the likelihood of users returning by improving the service the more it is used
- Habit forming products change user behavior and create unprompted user engagement. The aim is to influence customers to use your product multiple times.
- For an infrequent action to become a habit, the user must perceive a high degree of utility either from gaining pleasure or avoiding pain.
- Habit forming products alleviate users’ pain. Designing habit-forming products is a form of manipulation. Product builders would benefit from a bit of introspection before attempting to hook users to make sure they are building healthy habits, not unhealthy addictions.
- The Hook model helps the product designer generate an initial prototype for a habit-forming technology. It also helps uncover potential weaknesses in an existing product’s habit-forming potential.