The Complexity of Designing for Human Behaviour.

Jun 4, 20213 min read

The Role of Design Thinking: Bridging Logic, Creativity, and Human Behaviour.

Designing for human behaviour is both an art and a science, requiring a deep understanding of human actions, cognitive biases, and emotional responses. While it may seem simple to design solutions based on familiar behavioural patterns, the reality is far more complex.

Human behaviour is often irrational, unpredictable, and influenced by a multitude of factors, context, culture, and even unconscious habits. To successfully navigate these challenges, designers must balance research-driven insights with intuitive creativity, ensuring solutions are not only functional but also emotionally resonant and visually appealing. This process is what transforms ordinary designs into extraordinary experiences that engage, inspire, and connect with people on a human level.

So, if designing for human behaviour comes down to simply designing to the patterns for which users are accustomed within specific environments, where is the problem? Sounds simple, right? Not so fast. The problem with this approach is that one needs to be extremely mindful and certain of the exact context and behaviour one is setting out to frame. This, in itself, can take a bit of time and restraint to avoid falling victim to the cognitive bias that exists with both client and designer, called “The curse of knowledge,” i.e., the tendency to jump to "informed" conclusions around projected rational or logical behavioural patterns based on one's personal experience and knowledge.

This is because behaviour is often illogical and irrational. However, in very specific settings and environments, behaviour can also be quite predictably irrational. Author and Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Economics at Duke University, Dan Ariely, the founder of the research institution, The Centre for Advanced Hindsight, has written three New York Times bestsellers which are all dedicated to exploring our repetitive behavioural traits:

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. Predictably Irrational is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions. Why can a 50p aspirin do what a 5p aspirin can't? If an item is free it must be a bargain, right? Why is everything relative, even when it shouldn't be? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions? In this astounding book, behavioural economist Dan Ariely cuts to the heart of our strange behaviour, demonstrating how irrationality often supplants rational thought and that the reason for this is embedded in the very structure of our minds. Predicatably Irrational brilliantly blends everyday experiences with a series of illuminating and often surprising experiments, that will change your understanding of human behaviour. And, by recognising these patterns, Ariely shows that we can make better decisions in business, in matters of collective welfare, and in our everyday lives from drinking coffee to losing weight, buying a car to choosing a romantic partner. — Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely | www.wob.com

Finally, for the most part, there are a tremendous number of intangibles. Having all the information at hand does not necessarily mean that you are now equipped and ready to design a highly popular, highly successful space, interface, or building, for example. Far from it. There is a part of this entire journey that also requires some art, some magic, and some boundless intuitive leap into the creative abyss to bring magic to the product. To make people really care about your design, to love your design, it needs to be "beautiful," as subjective as that may be. It has to be relatable to the core audience. The design has to be human and therefore elicit emotion, no matter how functional or usable it may be.

Beautiful designs get half of their credibility because of their visual appeal. Humans are hardwired to process visual information, with 30% of the cortex devoted to visual stimuli, enabling the brain to identify visual images in as little as 13 milliseconds. Sixty-five percent of people are visual learners. Most people, therefore, believe that if it looks good, it is good.

“Usability is not everything. If usability engineers designed a nightclub, it would be clean, quiet, brightly lit, with lots of places to sit down, plenty of bartenders, menus written in 18-point sans-serif, and easy-to-find bathrooms. But nobody would be there. They would all be down the street at Coyote Ugly, pouring beer on each other.”

Joel Spolsky

Designing for human behaviour is both an art and a science, requiring a deep understanding of natural patterns, cognitive biases, and emotional responses. By blending data-driven insights with creativity, designers can craft solutions that resonate on a human level, balancing functionality, beauty, and usability.

Ultimately, the success of any design lies in its ability to align with how people naturally think, act, and feel, creating spaces, products, and experiences that are intuitive, meaningful, and impactful.

The problem with Design Thinking.

The Complexity of Designing for Human Behaviour.

The Role of Design Thinking: Bridging Logic, Creativity, and Human Behaviour.

Designing for human behaviour is both an art and a science, requiring a deep understanding of human actions, cognitive biases, and emotional responses. While it may seem simple to design solutions based on familiar behavioural patterns, the reality is far more complex.

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