The Design Psychologist | Psychology for UX, Product, Service, Instructional, Interior, and Game Designers

Marc Stickdorn, a service design expert and co-founder of More Than Metrics, dives into the transformative power of service design. He discusses the critical role of community collaboration and innovative approaches in enhancing customer experiences, using relatable examples like grocery store checkouts. The conversation explores how digital transformation can unify customer interactions and address organizational silos. Stickdorn emphasizes the iterative nature of design, advocating for continuous improvement and adaptation in an ever-changing landscape.

Discover how the peak-end rule shapes our memories and influences design. Designers learn that people remember experiences based on their most intense moments and how they end, rather than their entire duration. Explore why a positive conclusion matters, even in discomforting situations. The discussion reveals the disconnect between memory and actual experience, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful design in creating impactful moments. Plus, uncover fascinating insights from happiness research about our reactions and decision-making.

What’s the best way to choose how you’ll teach something so it actually sticks?Design your next lesson so learners don’t just follow along—they understand, remember, and apply their new skills.By grounding your instruction in Cognitive Load Theory, you’ll gain a practical compass for sequencing content, trimming unnecessary load, and accelerating real mastery.Our guest, Dr. John Sweller, pioneered Cognitive Load Theory during more than four decades as Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of New South Wales. His research has reshaped classrooms, training programs, and learning technologies worldwide.WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODEWhy learners often absorb less when they start by solving problems—and what to do insteadThe expertise‑reversal effect: why novices and experts need opposite instructional treatmentsHow to recognize when learners look active but aren’t actually learningThe modality, split‑attention, and redundancy effects—and how they guide interface and content designPractical ways to balance intrinsic, extraneous, and germane load so learners stay challenged without being overwhelmedFind The Design Psychologist on your favorite podcasting platforms (or share this link with a friend): https://designpsychologist.buzzsprout.com/2395044/follow If this show’s been useful or thought-provoking for you, I’d love it if you would do me a quick favor and let the Apple audience know! I know it takes an extra step—but it really helps new listeners discover the show, and it makes a big difference for us as we grow.Just open Apple Podcasts, search for The Design Psychologist, tap the show, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and hit “Write a Review.”

Discover how the Zeigarnik effect keeps unfinished tasks at the forefront of our minds. Unfinished business creates cognitive tension that designers can harness to enhance user engagement. Explore practical strategies like progress bars and checklists to motivate users and guide them towards completion. Learn about the surprising power of cliffhangers in learning experiences, and find out when this tension might cause frustration. The insights shared can transform ordinary tasks into captivating journeys, ensuring users return to finish what they've started.

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.

Explore how the order of information affects memory retention, focusing on the primacy and recency effects. Discover why we remember the first and last items better than those in the middle. Learn about the common pitfalls designers face when applying memory principles, and how to prioritize attention over mere recall. Get insights from pioneering psychologists and apply these findings to enhance your design, whether it’s a product pitch or content organization, ensuring your key messages resonate and stick.

Bill Albert, the Principal and founder of Greenlight Idea Lab, dives into the intricacies of user experience metrics. He emphasizes the difference between usability and desirability, advocating for tools that measure emotions like frustration and delight. The podcast explores the importance of aligning design with user expectations, using physiological tools like eye-tracking. Bill also highlights the need for deeper engagement strategies and the integration of quantitative research to better understand user insights, all while ensuring product relevance and satisfaction.

Discover how too many choices can hamper user experience through the lens of Hick's Law. This principle reveals that more options often lead to longer decision times, creating cognitive overload. Learn practical design strategies to streamline choices and enhance usability. When should you reduce options, and when might it backfire? Gain insights on making interfaces feel faster and more intuitive by leveraging psychological principles.

Stephen P. Anderson, a design leader known for the Mental Notes card deck, shares insights on transforming complex ideas into clear visuals. He discusses why visualization challenges often arise during the drawing process and whether effective illustration stems from method or talent. The conversation explores how metaphors impact understanding, and the power of visual collaboration in overcoming creative blocks. Anderson also highlights the role of embodied cognition in refining our approach to concept visualization, offering practical tips for better clarity in communication.

Can you really trust what users say? This discussion reveals the pitfalls of self-reporting in UX research, where memory and self-perception can lead to inaccuracies. Historical perspectives illustrate the complexities of human introspection, demonstrating how people's verbal accounts often differ from their actual behaviors. Key experiments highlight the challenges of capturing true motivations and cognitive processes. Overall, it's a call for blending self-reported data with observational insights to better understand user experiences and inform design decisions.