By Jason Hreha

Glossary

Behavioral Product Design

Reviewed by Jason Hreha

Published 2 min read

What is behavioral product design?

Behavioral product design applies behavioral research to decisions about a product or service. The work may concern whether people understand an action, can perform it, or choose to continue using a feature. The first decision is which behavior the product should support. That behavior needs to be useful and feasible for the intended user.

From explanation to feature

The COM-B framework provides one way to investigate capability, opportunity, and motivation. It does not imply that every product problem is a motivation problem.

For example, a person may want to complete an application but lack a required document. Another motivational message would not necessarily resolve that barrier. A design proposal could instead address how the requirement is explained or how progress is saved.

Examples of behavioral product design

  • Health and fitness apps: make a chosen activity easier to plan and carry out. A leaderboard may suit some users; it is not a universal source of motivation.
  • Financial services: make costs, options, and consequences understandable before a choice. More transactions are not automatically better financial decisions.
  • Educational technology: build the product around a learning task, with opportunities to practice and receive feedback. Test learning, not just engagement.
  • E-commerce: help users find a suitable product and complete a clear checkout. Social proof or scarcity claims cannot repair a confusing or unreliable basic experience.

Assessing the result

Specify the intended behavior and the user outcome separately. More visits, purchases, or time spent are not automatically evidence that a product serves the user better. Test the proposed change with the relevant population and assess unintended effects.

What the approach does not establish

A framework can guide questions; it cannot establish that a particular product feature works. Claims about improved retention, health, learning, or financial outcomes require studies that measure those outcomes.