About behavioural research

Every designed object influences the behaviour of its users.

That might sound sinister, but mostly it isn’t.

For instance, the architect who specifies a balustrade around a balcony does so in order to stop people falling off the balcony – that’s the sort of way that design typically influences behaviour.

In order to design something that people can use as easily as possible, it is helpful to know what people are most likely to do: that is, design the thing to suit the behaviours that people already use. Knowing what people do is so much better than second-guessing. Clients are likely to find your design proposals more convincing if they are supported by an evidence base.

Designing to change behaviours is rather more challenging, but can be a worthwhile thing to do if you are trying, for instance, to encourage people to eat more healthily. The tools to achieve behaviour change must be used judiciously.

Behavioural research can take many forms, the most suitable approach will depend on the objectives of the particular project. Maybe it will be out in the real world or maybe it will be in a lab, maybe it will comprise quantitative statistical analyses or maybe it will comprise qualitative ethnographic reports, or maybe it will comprise a mixture of these things.

I have conducted behavioural research in academia and commercially, using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative approaches, examining behaviour in environmental space, on-screen, and in paper documents.

There is also a large body of behavioural research already conducted, but the data is mainly hidden away in abstruse academic journals. My PhD studies have equipped me to find, read, and understand this research, and my practice as a designer ensures that I understand what is going to be of use to designers within this research.

To find out more please email me or phone +44 (0)7974 176656.

British Library user research evidence photo
British Library user research evidence photo
participant-drawn map
participant-drawn map
participant-drawn map