visual representations of things that can be described by various adjectives

“We don’t have a hundred biases, we have the wrong model.” So said Jason Collins in a recent blog, perhaps somewhat provocatively likening the use of biases as akin to the activity of ancient astronomers who were required to compile an exhaustive number of deviations to retain the broken model of the universe revolving around the earth. Collins challenge is whether the model at the heart of behavioural science is similarly broken.

Below, I’ll break down the three key steps to creating a compelling pitch for behavioral science. A bonus: you can put it all together in one minute or less to make a short—and sweet—sell on our amazing field.

Could there be another way to practice copyediting—less attached to precedent, less perseverating, and more eagerly transgressive; a practice that, to distinguish itself from the quietly violent tradition from which it arises, might not be called “copyediting” at all; a practice that would not only “permit” but amplify the potential for linguistic invention and preservation in any written work?

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? According to digital storyteller, Brian Clark it doesn't! In this DIY conversation, Brian Clark applies the philosophical concept of phenomenology to art in the digital age.

One language shift that can help is moving from “audiences” to “actors.”

Getting the question right is the most important component in information design, and it’s the most common point where information design goes wrong. This is because information is always relative. Always. Before you can undertake any kind of visualization exercise, you need to know what question you want to answer, and for whom. So I propose the beginnings of a theory of information relativity: 1. All information is relative, and it’s always relative: relative to the observer and the observer’s point of view; relative to the culture and its values; relative to the situation; relative to what has come before, and to what will come next. 2. The value of information is always relative because it is directly related to it’s usefulness, which depends on the user, the context and the situation. 3. Information design must therefore be driven by the context within which it will be experienced. Information design must serve the needs of real human beings doing real things. Information wants to be used.

You don't have to track calories every day to lose weight, new research suggests Calorie counting with a smartphone app is a popular weight-loss strategy, and research shows it can work even if you don't track every bite. Tracking your food can help you lose weight by keeping a calorie deficit, eating less than you burn. But you don't need to monitor every meal — researchers found even part-time calorie tracking can help. Consistency, rather than perfection, can add up to healthy changes over time, researchers said.

“One of the greatest gifts strategists can give themselves is the humility to appreciate that tactical ideas are neither their strength nor their responsibility. Setting up goals and scoring them are two very different things. To do one well you usually need to ignore the other. ...Strategy is not lesser than creativity, because it pre-empts and prepares it for victory. A brand must travel through the confusing forests of targeting, positioning and objectives before it can set up camp on the fertile field of creativity.“

To solve creative problems with TRIZ, there are three elements you need to know: It’s been solved before. There are consistent patterns of solutions. Solving contradictions creates breakthrough innovation.

At times in life what might be described as a poor experience is actually a richer experience and makes life more interesting. This is my guilty service design secret.

“Availability” — short for “availability heuristic or availability bias, a pervasive mental shortcut whereby the perceived likelihood of any given event is tied to the ease with which its occurrence can be brought to mind”. “Cascade” — short for “social cascades through which expressed perceptions trigger chains of individual responses that make these perceptions appear increasingly plausible through their rising availability in public discourse”. An availability cascade is what happens when a social cascade rips through a population based on a more or less arbitrary topic — whatever topic happens to be in front of people when the cascade starts.

Hi, I'm Robert I hope this concept card is useful for you and helps you add a new tool to your toolbox. As someone who helps teams develop products, services and experiences, I did not see many open resources out there that combine behavioral science with other strategy and design processes, so I decided to take my experience and create frameworks and boards to share for free. If you have questions on the framework you can connect with me on Linkedin or see my website.

A unique compendium of the latest behavioural insights, distilled, applied and combined to strengthen your ideas

The Three Intrinsic Motivation Questions: Play, Purpose and Potential When someone comes to me for coaching, if they are at a big fork in the road, I’d suggest three questions. Each can help us to reflect on the three levers of intrinsic motivation. The diagram is a bit more convoluted than the original…but it reflects the complexity of life and the journey towards creating a life we love.. should you take on that new project? Yes…if it connects with your deepest sense of intrinsic motivation PLAY: WILL THIS PROJECT CREATE PURE JOY FOR ME, RIGHT NOW? PURPOSE: DOES THIS PROJECT CONNECT TO MY UNIQUE ZONE OF GENIUS OR MY BIGGEST, HAIRIEST, AUDACIOUS GOALS? POTENTIAL: WILL THIS PROJECT HELP CREATE A LIFE I LOVE?

This is the story of a marriage, told through an email being drafted in real time. It takes about five minutes to read/experience.

Wow - detailed and useful guide to creating a strategy

BC patterns are a collection of reoccurring solutions used in Behavioural Design to change people’s behaviour. They are patterns that designers, change makers and problem solvers can consider when solving people problems and designing behaviour change.

We have identified 30 “elements of value”—fundamental attributes in their most essential and discrete forms. These elements fall into four categories: functional, emotional, life changing, and social impact. Some elements are more inwardly focused, primarily addressing consumers’ personal needs.

It turns out that when I graduated from high school, I had already used up 93% of my in-person parent time. I’m now enjoying the last 5% of that time. We’re in the tail end.

Re: writing

new research is showing that people can impact their happiness levels through frequent small moments of joy which can train the brain to reach for positive feelings rather than negative ones like anger, fear or worry.

The sense-making definition of design fiction is to consider the ways that material artifacts — things considered, designed, made, produced in the material sense of things — can structure and arrange our understanding and ability to make sense of sometimes vague, nebulous notions of the future.