Changing behaviour starts not with communication, but with redesigning the environment. Systems design is the art of building contexts that make the right behaviour the path of least resistance.
5 articlesChoice architecture is the deliberate design of the environment in which people make decisions. Whoever designs the context, designs the behaviour.
Defaults are the most powerful tool in the behavioural designer's arsenal. The default option is followed by the vast majority of people — by design.
Friction is anything that makes behaviour harder. Good systems design knows when to add friction and when to remove it entirely.
A commitment device is a self-imposed constraint that steers future behaviour. How to design them and when they work.
Nudging is the subtle adjustment of choice architecture to guide behaviour without restricting freedom. The essence of systems design in practice.