Design for Cognitive Bias: Using Mental Shortcuts for Good Instead of Evil

People take shortcuts to get through the day. Usually, they’re harmless–even helpful. But what happens when they’re not?

David Dylan Thomas’ forthcoming book Design for Cognitive Bias forms the basis for his Big Design Conference 2020 talk.

Here is how David describes his talk:

In this talk, I’ll use real-world examples to identify some particularly nasty biases that frequently lead users to make bad decisions. Next, I will talk about some content strategy and design choices we can use in our apps, designs, and platforms to redirect or eliminate the impact of those biases. Finally, I’ll explore our own biases as designers and some methods to prevent our own blind spots from hurting users.

If the future legacy of design is to be worth saving, it must reckon with the biases of our users and, more importantly, the biases designers bring to the table.

Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts and user preferences that help people get through the day. Responsible designers must understand how biases impact design and business decisions.

As we build a future legacy for our design discipline, let’s make it filled with ethical practices.

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