2006: Want to Design User Behavior? Pass the Regret Test First by Nir Eyal of Nir and Far On Ethical Behavior Design

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Episode 2006:

Nir Eyal explores the ethical responsibility that comes with designing products capable of shaping human behavior. He introduces the "regret test," a simple standard asking whether users would still choose an action if they fully understood how a product influences them. The idea challenges creators to build persuasive technology that improves lives rather than manipulates people into choices they later regret.

Read along with the original article(s) here: https://medium.com/behavior-design/urwant-to-design-user-behavior-pass-the-regret-test-first-fd6cfa797b04

Quotes to ponder:

"At the end of the day, I have an obligation to my investors and employees, and I'll do anything I can, short of breaking the law, to get people using my product."

"If people knew everything the product designer knows, would they still execute the intended behavior? Are they likely to regret doing this?"

"The invention of the ship was also the invention of the shipwreck."

Episode references:

Duolingo: https://www.duolingo.com

Nielsen Norman Group: https://www.nngroup.com