on UX, behavior design

What is Behavior Design?

The problem is: People try to change and they fail. No matter the ambition—making lasting, positive behavior change can be incredibly difficult. You can pick up an unhealthy habit very easily, but creating healthy behaviors is another deal entirely. Ever since I dropped out of University in 2009 to run my first tech startup I have been trying to change and grow as a person. At the heart of any personal or organization change is human behavior. I have experienced the challenge of creating lasting behavior change countless times. I can think back to many ambitions and all

on behavior design, digital minimalism, digital wellbeing

Three Steps to Digital Wellbeing

Many of my behavior design clients have a shared aspiration: They want more peace in their lives, more time with family and less time in front of their screens (specifically their phones). I've been designing behavior interventions to fulfill this aspiration for myself over the last five years. The following steps are based on BJ Fogg's Behavior Model and his methods for troubleshooting behaviors. Step one: Get clear on your aspiration First, you need to define which behaviors you deem are unhealthy. In his latest book Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport describes a process we must all go through to evaluate

on behavior design, tiny habits, productivity

Tiny Habits + Pomodoro: The Ultimate Productivity System

Our society is separating into two camps: People who can focus (are masters of technology) People who can't (are slaves to technology) You have 80,000 hours of your career. Are you going to spend 10,000 of those hours flicking through social media posts?  If you're like the average smartphone user then yup, you will. The average smart phone user spends 3 hours per day on their phone. That's 21 hours a week 1,092 hours a year... The call to action In a society of constant distraction, how can you focus on the most important task every minute

on behavior design, device addiction

Tech: Are you the slave or the master?

In 2015 I realized I had a problem. I woke up first thing in the morning and checked my email on my phone. I skimmed social media and read articles on my commute to work. I spent all day at work in front of a screen. I continued my phone-in-face routine on my way home, after dinner and before bed. I was so tired by the end of each day I often felt sick. Something had to change... I was a slave to technology. Trying to solve the behavior addiction I've been trying different approaches to moderate my device addiction.

on behavior design, device addiction

How one simple change can give you 21 more hours of life every week

We're all busy. We all want more time. What would you do if you had 21 more hours to live every single week? Finding My 21 Hours The average smartphone user spends 3 hours actively using their phone every single day. That's 21 hours a week—nearly three full 8-hour working days spent texting, flicking through social media and checking the news. That's crazy. Does this investment of time produce reciprocal benefits? Over the past few days a series of articles challenged me to reevaluate my relationship with technology from the perspective of a new father faced with the