One of the many talks at hcid2011 held at City University London on 19th April 2011

1. Engineering Persuasion, Emotion & Trust
The Strategy of Persuasive Design
Robert Gillham
19th April 2011

2. Why Consumer Experience (as opposed to ‘usability’) is Important
79% of consumers will commit to a deeper brand
relationship – through product or service adoption – after a
satisfying online experience
59% of customers will stop doing business with the brand
after just one bad experience in any channel
IBM customer study
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3. Initial relationship-building is increasingly in the hands of the customer
Online &
Salesman Store Self-serve
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4. Is a “rational” person a cool, unemotional user of logic?
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5. Persuasion, Emotion & Trust?
Persuasion Emotion Trust
• Communication • Defined loosely as • To have faith or
intended to induce a physiological confidence in
belief or action state of arousal something or
• Process of guiding • Triggered by someone
someone toward beliefs about
the adoption of an something
idea, attitude, or • Has cognitive,
action by rational physiological,
and symbolic social, and
means behavioural
• Not coercive aspects
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6. “Six Weapons of Influence”
• Reciprocity
• Commitment
Consistency
• Social Proof
• Authority
• Liking
• Scarcity
Robert B. Cialdini “Influence: The Psychology of
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Persuasion”

7. • Reciprocity
• Commitment
Consistency
• People tend to return a
• Social Proof favour
• Authority
• Liking
• Scarcity
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8. • Reciprocity
• Commitment
Consistency • People behave more
• Social Proof
consistently when they have
• Authority
committed to something
• Liking
• Scarcity
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9. • Reciprocity
• Commitment
Consistency • People are more likely to do
• Social Proof
what everyone else is doing
• Authority
• Liking
• Scarcity
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10. • Reciprocity
• Commitment
Consistency • People will obey perceived
• Social Proof
figures of authority
• Authority
• Liking
• Scarcity
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11. • Reciprocity
• Commitment
Consistency
• People are more likely to buy
• Social Proof
from people they like
• Authority
• Liking
• Scarcity
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12. • Reciprocity
• Commitment
• Goods become more valuable as
Consistency
they become scare and we
• Social Proof compete for them
• Authority
• Liking
• Scarcity
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13. Why is Persuasive Design a Challenge for UX?
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14. Usability is only a hygienic factor
• ‘Easy to use’ is something consumers always ask for
• But it’s not a competitive advantage – it’s becoming a given
• ‘Usability’ doesn’t persuade (but the lack of it can disuade!)
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15. Emotion influences perceived usability
Once a consumer feels positively (or negatively) about a product or
service, their emotional reaction influences the perceived
importance of small usability issues
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16. Consumers don’t have sufficient insight to help
• Pantyhose Study by Nisbett and Wilson
12% 17% 31% 40%
“This pair is sheerer”
“I think this pair is better made.”
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17. Measuring Persuasion Through Conversion
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18. Measuring Persuasion: How do people think about
a new online banking proposition?
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19. Measuring Persuasion: Task flow on the banking site
Choose a
Enter Site Browse & Start Commit to Converted
conversion
Explore “Checkout” Convert Visitor
path
Unengaged Unpersuaded Unconverted

20. Measuring Persuasion: The traditional view - X visitors in, Y visitors out
Common Conversion
Choose a
Enter Site Browse & Start Commit to Converted
conversion
Explore “Checkout” Convert Visitor
path

21. Measuring Persuasion: Start measuring from a meaningful point
Common Conversion
Engaged Conversion
Choose a
Enter Site Browse & Start Commit to Converted
conversion
Explore “Checkout” Convert Visitor
path

22. Measuring Persuasion: Distinguish between different cognitive stages
Common Conversion
Engaged Conversion
Committed Conversion
Choose a
Enter Site Browse & Start Commit to Converted
conversion
Explore “Checkout” Convert Visitor
path

23. Summary
• Human beings make decisions based on emotional responses as well
as rational thought processes
• Usability governs whether or not people can complete a task
• Persuasion, emotion & trust determines whether they will do it
• Psychological principles give us a framework for thinking about
persuasive design solutions
• Persuasion can be thought about in terms of conversion – but only if we
break it down and think about conversion as a series of persuasive
steps

24. Thank You!
24 BBC World Service - Chinese