Engaged: Behavioral Science for Digital Product Design
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Engaged: Behavioral Science for Digital Product Design
Included with
Recommended experience
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
Apply psychological principles to improve user motivation and engagement
Design decision points that reduce friction and build user confidence
Measure and iterate on product impact using meaningful metrics
Skills you'll gain
- Product Management
- User Experience Design
- User Centered Design
- Behavioral Economics
- Digital Marketing
- Decision Making
- Persona (User Experience)
- Design Strategies
- UI/UX Strategy
- Behavior Management
- Experimentation
- Driving engagement
- User Experience
- Trustworthiness
- Interaction Design
- Motivational Skills
- Human Factors
- Psychology
- Behavioral Management
- Experience Design
Details to know
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
There are 12 modules in this course
Designing digital products that truly engage users requires more than great visuals or smooth functionality—it demands a deep understanding of human behavior. This course provides a science-backed framework for leveraging psychology in product design to drive lasting behavior change and meaningful user engagement.
Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to apply evidence-based methods to increase motivation, reduce friction, and build user trust. Each module blends actionable tools with real-world examples, enabling you to translate theory into practical design strategies that improve user experiences and outcomes. What sets this course apart is its unique combination of behavioral science and product design expertise. You’ll not only explore psychological models but also see how they can be implemented in product workflows, decision points, and user journeys. This course is designed for product designers, managers, UX researchers, and anyone involved in creating digital experiences. No prior psychology training is required, but familiarity with design or product development concepts will help maximize your learning. Copyright @ 2020 Amy Bucher. All rights reserved. Originally published by Rosenfeld Media, LLC. This course edition is published by Packt Publishing under license from Rosenfeld Media LLC. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means @2014 electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise @ 2014 without prior written permission from the author or the publisher.
In this section, we link psychology and design to evaluate motivation, fulfill autonomy, competence and relatedness, and plan culturally sensitive, teachable-moment prompts for durable behavior change.
What's included
2 videos5 readings1 assignment
2 videos•Total 3 minutes
- Course Overview•1 minute
- A Kind of Magic: Psychology and Design Belong Together - Overview Video•1 minute
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- What Types of Products Benefit from Behavior Change•10 minutes
- Some Core Tenets•10 minutes
- All About Motivation•10 minutes
- Note Teachable Moments•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Psychology and Design in Action•10 minutes
In this section, we learn to set metrics, map behavior shifts, collect baselines, and plan evaluations using Randomized Controlled Trials or field comparisons to demonstrate impact and guide iteration.
What's included
1 video7 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Pictures of Success: Measurement and Monitoring - Overview Video•1 minute
7 readings•Total 70 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Define the Long-Term Success Metrics•10 minutes
- Determine How To Measure Exposure•10 minutes
- The Gold Standard Randomized Control Trials•10 minutes
- Case Studies•10 minutes
- Mind Your Research P's and Q's•10 minutes
- The Upshot Metrics Tell Your Story•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 180 minutes
- Evaluating Success Through Data and Research•180 minutes
In this section, we explore ethical choice architecture that safeguards user autonomy, apply motivational interviewing to uncover motivations, and design transparent interfaces that disclose costs, trade-offs, and value-aligned options.
What's included
1 video5 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- It's My Life: Making Meaningful Choices - Overview Video•1 minute
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- What Really Matters•10 minutes
- How Not To Hook Users•10 minutes
- When There Really Is No Choice•10 minutes
- Package Values with Choices•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Navigating Choices and Values•10 minutes
In this section, we uncover cognitive biases, quantify opportunity costs, and deploy option-pruning techniques to reduce analysis paralysis, constrain choices, and guide teams to faster, higher-quality decisions.
What's included
1 video5 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Weapon of Choice Make Decisions Easier - Overview Video•1 minute
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Opportunity Costs•10 minutes
- Expose Just Enough Detail•10 minutes
- Recharge the Batteries•10 minutes
- Give Permission to Be "Bad"•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Influencing Choices Through Design and Psychology•10 minutes
In this section, we detect ability blockers using the Behaviour Change Wheel, layer common-sense, informal and formal research, then organize findings in data grids to design accessible, barrier-free solutions.
What's included
1 video6 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Something in the Way Diagnosing Ability Blockers - Overview Video•1 minute
6 readings•Total 60 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Use Common Sense•10 minutes
- A World Of Possibility•10 minutes
- Where There's a Will•10 minutes
- Organizing Your Research To Detect Ability Blockers•10 minutes
- The Upshot Be a Detective•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Diagnosing and Addressing Behavioral Challenges•10 minutes
In this section, we pinpoint capability, opportunity and motivation blockers, score their impact, and craft ethical personalized interventions that boost user ability and adoption using a systems lens.
What's included
1 video9 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Fix You Solving Ability Blockers - Overview Video•1 minute
9 readings•Total 90 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Overcoming Ability Blockers•10 minutes
- Solving Psychological Capability Blockers•10 minutes
- Overcoming Social Opportunity Blockers•10 minutes
- Overcoming Reflective Motivation Blockers•10 minutes
- Overcoming Automatic Motivation Blockers•10 minutes
- Tried And True Ability Enhancers•10 minutes
- Personalizing for Ability•10 minutes
- The Upshot Pick the Right Solution•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Navigating Challenges in Behavior and Learning Design•10 minutes
In this section, we map user growth with milestones and layered feedback, leverage social comparison metrics, then audit incentives to keep progress fair and prevent manipulation, ensuring long term engagement.
What's included
1 video10 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger Designing For Growth - Overview Video•1 minute
10 readings•Total 100 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- It's All About The Milestones•10 minutes
- Flow and Grow•10 minutes
- The Feedback Playbook•10 minutes
- Measure Something•10 minutes
- Offer Feedback at Multiple Levels•10 minutes
- Add Information About What Other People Do•10 minutes
- Find a Frequency•10 minutes
- Tee Up the Next Action•10 minutes
- The Upshot Feedback For All•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Cultivating Growth and Engagement Through Feedback•10 minutes
In this section, we dissect social support roles across user journeys, design purposeful, honest interaction features, and evaluate online and real-world platforms for inclusive, resilient community connection.
What's included
1 video9 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Come Together Design For Connection - Overview Video•1 minute
9 readings•Total 90 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Show The Way•10 minutes
- Who You Are Matters•10 minutes
- And Just Be Authentic•10 minutes
- Ask the Right People•10 minutes
- For the Right Things•10 minutes
- Real-World Social Networking•10 minutes
- Lurkers Welcome•10 minutes
- The Upshot Everybody Needs Somebody•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Designing for Connection in Behavior Change•10 minutes
In this section, we explore anthropomorphized interfaces, hyper personalized preference models, and natural language processing based tone adaptive dialogs that together build user trust and deepen long term engagement.
What's included
1 video6 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Mr. Roboto Connecting With Technology - Overview Video•1 minute
6 readings•Total 60 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Personalized Preferences•10 minutes
- Don't Be Afraid to Learn•10 minutes
- Speak My Language•10 minutes
- Watch Your Tone•10 minutes
- Two-Way Transmission•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Connecting with Technology: Human and Machine Interaction•10 minutes
In this section, we design credibility cues, craft transparent consent processes, prioritize data privacy, and iterate via feedback loops to foster user trust, engagement, and long-term product success.
What's included
1 video7 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- A Matter of Trust Design Users Can Believe In - Overview Video•1 minute
7 readings•Total 70 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Show Off Satisfied Customers•10 minutes
- Prioritize Data Privacy And Security•10 minutes
- De-Mystify Your Legalese•10 minutes
- Provide Clear And Immediate Value•10 minutes
- Not Too Human•10 minutes
- How to Say Goodbye•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Building Trust Through User-Centered Design•10 minutes
In this section, we create goal frameworks tied to the future self and use contextual cues, incremental commitments, and small-win feedback to convert short-term actions into lasting behavior change.
What's included
1 video5 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Someday Never Comes Design For The Future Self - Overview Video•1 minute
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Make a Plan to Reach Them•10 minutes
- Foot in the Door•10 minutes
- Bring the Future to Life•10 minutes
- The Upshot Make The Future Feel Real•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Designing for the Future Self•10 minutes
In this section, we apply evidence-based engagement tactics, build a personal competence engine for continuous learning, and analyze insights to embed research at the center of behavior-change product decisions.
What's included
1 video3 readings1 assignment
1 video•Total 1 minute
- Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now Go Forth and Engage - Overview Video•1 minute
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
- Introduction•10 minutes
- Fueling the Competence Engine•10 minutes
- The Promise of Behavior Change•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Navigating Behavior Change and Research Collaboration•10 minutes
Instructor
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can preview the first video and view the syllabus before you enroll. You must purchase the course to access content not included in the preview.
If you decide to enroll in the course before the session start date, you will have access to all of the lecture videos and readings for the course. You’ll be able to submit assignments once the session starts.
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