The Design Psychologist | Psychology for UX, Product, Service, Instructional, Interior, and Game Designers Closing the Knowing-Doing Gap: Designing for Real Behavior Change (with Julie Dirksen)
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Aug 18, 2025 Julie Dirksen, a seasoned designer of learning experiences and author, dives into the complexities of behavior change. She explores why simply sharing information often falls short in driving action. Discover practical strategies for tackling the knowing–doing gap, such as understanding motivation and habit dynamics. Julie introduces the 'elephant and rider' model to highlight how emotions influence decisions. Through real-world examples, she emphasizes tailoring training to diverse learner needs and reshaping environments to make the right choices easier.
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Knowledge In Head Vs Knowledge In World
- Knowledge can live either in the head or in the world, and design choices decide which works best.
- Instructional designers focus on knowledge-in-the-head while UX designers place knowledge in the world to support action.
Match Format To Learner Needs
- Match your format to learner needs: quick how-to for problem solvers, deeper practice for complex skills.
- Let experienced learners skip and self-select; provide indexed short resources for them.
Start By Diagnosing The Real Gap
- Identify the gap first: knowledge, procedure, skill, motivation, habit, or environment.
- Each gap implies different solutions like reference aids, practice, prompts, or environment redesign.
