Episode 115: The Psychology of Addictive Products with Jeff Davidson

We should make products useful, no doubt. But what if we could also make them addictive — so that the customers keep coming back? Our guest today is Jeff Davidson, a solo product designer and writer. You'll learn key psychological principles behind popular apps, why making a product addictive should never be a goal by itself, and how to design product features that satisfy the user's seeking system.

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Show Notes

• How to Design an Addictive Product — Jeff's article
• Ivan Pavlov, Sigmund Freud, Harry Harlow, Abraham Maslow — some of the famous psychologists Jeff mentions
• Thinking, Fast and Slow — a book by Daniel Kahneman
• Intrinsic motivation, Maslow's hierarchy of needs — Wikipedia definitions
• The Power of Habit — a book by Charles Duhigg
• Reddit, Product Hunt, Hacker News, Designer News — popular websites with a content voting system
• Jeff's consulting website
• Follow Jeff on Medium
• Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdavidsond

Today's Sponsor

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