Understanding behavioural design: barriers and enablers

Figures & data

Table 1. Research framework with seven components of behaviour in design.

	Component	Definition	Example
Related to user behaviour	Action	The specific behaviour performed (Fishbein and Ajzen 2010)	Derived from the user's role in the phases of product lifecycle – Accept/purchase, use/maintain, or discard/recycle/reuse (e.g. Ulrich and Eppinger 2000; Hubka and Ernst Eder 2012)
	Context/time	The time/place in which the action is performed (Fishbein and Ajzen 2010)	Industrial, public, and private (Otto and Wood 2001; Niedderer et al. 2016; Morelli 2007)
	Target	The target at which the action is directed (Fishbein and Ajzen 2010)	Product, process, service, interface or system (Ceschin and Gaziulusoy 2016)
Related to design process	Goal	The purpose of the design activity (Blessing and Chakrabarti 2009; Roozenburg and Eekels 1995)	To achieve Industrial efficiency (Hubka and Ernst Eder 2012) or reduce ecological impact (Lilley 2009)
	Object	The thing that the designer develops to fulfil the goal (Cross 2006, 15)	Products (Roozenburg and Eekels 1995), Product-Service Systems (Morelli 2002), Systems (da Costa Junior, Diehl, and Snelders 2019)
	Use of behavioural theories	The use of scientific insights in dealing with goals and objects (Michie et al. 2014)	Not used, implicitly used, or explicitly used (French et al. 2012)
	Use of psychology	The utilisation of user’s psychology in achieving the goal (Michie et al. 2014)	Used as a static reference, used as a dynamic means (e.g. refer axis of influence in Lilley et al. 2018, 45)

Figure 1. The seven paradigms of behaviour in design.

Table 2. Sample interview questions.

Component of research framework	Example questions
Action	Can you talk me through the behaviour you worked on in this project? What were its characteristics and range of behaviour?
Context/Time	How general was the behaviour and demographic? What were the causes of this behaviour? Why do you think users behave in this way?
Target	How did the intervention get the person from current behaviour to target behaviour? What other interventions did you consider during development?
Goal	How did these considerations [related to behaviours] inform your project formulation? Did you make a brief, if so what did it include?
Object	How did these considerations [related to behaviours] inform your project formulation?How did you arrive at target behaviour? How did you evaluate the success of the project?
Use of behavioural theories	Can you talk me through any behavioural theories you use during the design process?
Use of psychology	How did the intervention get the person from current to target behaviour? Why do you think users behave in this way?
Wider context	Example questions
Company context	Did you make a brief, if so what did it include? Do you differentiate projects with respect to the target behaviour? If so how?
Process	Can you sketch a project timeline? and talk me through the process from idea to final solution?
Project Management	How did you set up the project and team organisation? How did you keep track of the project?

Figure 2. A proposed conceptual model of behavioural design.

Table 3. Three key barriers and 10 enablers in behavioural design.

Barriers	Enablers
Joint behavioural and technical complexity	1. Use of behavioural theories to align analysis, development, and evaluation activities 2. Dividing overall behavioural goals into linked sub-behaviours 3. Explicit division between behavioural objects and artefact objects as sub-projects
Capability	4. Teams where members combine design and behavioural science expertise, by cross-training and skills development between design and behavioural science 5. Compilation of case compendia for training, reflection, and lessons learned 6. Collaboration with universities to structure knowledge via frameworks and methods 7. Project-specific business collaboration to provide specific capabilities
Management	8. Highlighting the behavioural competencies and challenges through e.g. social media 9. Formulation of projects with a clear emphasis on behavioural aspects and distinct process steps in project budgets 10. Communication of specific behavioural outcomes, such as behavioural analysis reports, and evaluation of outcomes through behavioural Key Performance Indicators

Fishbein, Martin, and Icek Ajzen. 2010. Predicting and Changing Behavior: The Reasoned Action Approach. New York: Psychology Press.

 Google Scholar

Ulrich, Karl, and Steven Eppinger. 2000. Product Design and Development. New York: Irwin McGraw-Hill.

 Google Scholar

Hubka, Vladimir, and W. Ernst Eder. 2012. Theory of Technical Systems: A Total Concept Theory for Engineering Design. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Science & Business Media.

 Google Scholar

Otto, Kevin, and Kristin Wood. 2001. Product Design: Techniques in Reverse Engineering and New Product Development. New Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall.

 Google Scholar

Niedderer, Kristina, Geke Ludden, Stephen Clune, Dan Lockton, Jamie Mackrill, Andrew Morris, Rebecca Cain, et al. 2016. “Design for Behaviour Change as a Driver for Sustainable Innovation: Challenges and Opportunities for Implementation in the Private and Public Sectors.” International Journal of Design 10 (2): 67–85.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Morelli, Nicola. 2007. “Social Innovation and New Industrial Contexts: Can Designers ‘Industrialize’ Socially Responsible Solutions?” Design Issues 23 (Autumn 4): 3–21. doi:10.1162/desi.2007.23.4.3.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Ceschin, Fabrizio, and Idil Gaziulusoy. 2016. “Evolution of Design for Sustainability: From Product Design to Design for System Innovations and Transitions.” Design Studies 47: 118–163.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Blessing, Lucienne T M, and Amaresh Chakrabarti. 2009. DRM, a Design Research Methodology. London, UK: Springer-Verlag. doi:10.1007/978-1-84882-587-1.

 Google Scholar

Roozenburg, Norbert, and J. Eekels. 1995. Product Design: Fundamentals and Methods. A Wiley Series in Product Development. West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

 Google Scholar

Lilley, Debra. 2009. “Design for Sustainable Behaviour: Strategies and Perceptions.” Design Studies 30 (6): 704–720.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Cross, Nigel. 2006. Designerly Ways of Knowing. London: Springer-Verlag.

 Google Scholar

Morelli, Nicola. 2002. “Designing Product/Service Systems: A Methodological Exploration.” Design Issues 18 (Summer 3): 3–17.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

da Costa Junior, Jairo, Jan Carel Diehl, and Dirk Snelders. 2019. “A Framework for a Systems Design Approach to Complex Societal Problems.” Design Science 5.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Michie, Susan, Rona Campbell, Jamie Brown, Robert West, Heather Gainforth, Rona Campbell, Jamie Brown, Heather Gainforth, Robert West, and Heather Gainforth. 2014. ABC of Behaviour Change Theories. London, UK: Silverback Publishing.

 Google Scholar

French, S. D., S. E. Green, D. A. O’Connor, J. E. McKenzie, J. J. Francis, S. Michie, R. Buchbinder, P. Schattner, N. Spike, and J. M. Grimshaw. 2012. “Developing Theory-Informed Behaviour Change Interventions to Implement Evidence Into Practice: A Systematic Approach Using the Theoretical Domains Framework.” Implementation Science 7 (1): 38. doi:10.1186/1748-5908-7-38.

 PubMedGoogle Scholar

Lilley, Debra, Garrath Wilson, Tracy Bhamra, Marcus Hanratty, and Tang Tang. 2018. “Design Interventions for Sustainable Behaviour.” In Design for Behaviour Change, edited by Kristina Niedderer, Stephen Clune, and Geke Ludden, 40–57. New York, USA: Routledge.

 Google Scholar