Many years ago a few of my colleagues were super excited about the book “Hooked”, the yellow one that promises to teach designers how to ensure their products can’t be put down. That your users become addicted to it so your metrics go through the roof.
Some quotes from a well know book store:
IN ‘HOOKED’, NIR EYAL REVEALS HOW SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES CREATE PRODUCTS PEOPLE CAN’T PUT DOWN.
Through consecutive “hook cycles,” these products bring people back again and again.
Ehhh, yeah, surely great for generating shareholder value, but I’m not sure that it aligns with my moral values.
Back then I wasn’t that negative about engagement and other bs metrics, but there was something there that rang alarm bells in my head. Something fundamental about the concept felt wrong.
So it was quite hilarious when one edition of the #WakeUpWednesday, a safety-focused tech newsletter for parents that tries to teach people about how to keep their kids safe, was focused on persuasive design. Quote:
Apps and sites are all competing for our attention 📢👀 Over the years, numerous strategies have been developed which are intended to influence users’ behaviour – making us more likely to remain on a site, game or platform for longer periods of time. These techniques are known as ‘persuasive design’ and can have a particularly profound effect on children and young people 😳
Well done you hooked, engagement chasers. I hope you have climbed the corporate ladder nicely because now even parents have to be warned about your work. 🤦🏻