The Upshot: Users Trust an Open Book
Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Thinking Differently
Why the Future Self Is So Far Away
The Upshot: Make the Future Feel Real
Kate Wolin on Sustaining the Journey
Be a Behavior Change Evangelist
The Promise of Behavior Change
Kate Lawrence and Building New Capabilities
FOREWORD
Behavioral science is having a moment. Nobel prizes, bestselling books, sought-after experts, speakers and consultants. People of every station peer over at the field, wondering if it might be a fix for their personal, professional, and community challenges. The field, which explains the hidden forces that drive human decision-making, is becoming a vital tool for building the future.
Amy Bucher jumps headfirst into this moment with Engaged, a practical, fun, and inspiring book about designing for change. Dr. Bucher knows that behavioral science doesn’t provide a silver bullet to solve our problems in a single shot. So she outfits us with a bandolier full of bullets, explains what each does and why, shows how others have fired them, gives a little moral guidance, and sets us off, like Rambo, to save the day.
Okay, that dated reference was a little dramatic. The point is: I love this book and everything it offers us.
It’s an accessible, relatable, and usable real-world how-to that should be on every designer’s nightstand. Not only does Dr. Bucher explain the science for both newbies and seasoned pros—she makes big, scary words seem small and friendly—but she also uses hundreds of specific examples that pull the concepts right off the page. Reading about designers who have already executed these ideas helps us picture ourselves doing the same. She finishes each section with perspectives from leading practitioners, which not only brings our challenges and opportunities into greater focus, but also makes me wonder why I was relegated to the foreword. What the heck, Amy?
Despite that slight, what I really love about Engaged is that it’s grounded in science. Dr. Bucher put the science first, even if that costs her some easy “solutions.” She knows that behavioral science tempts some people either to sell easy fixes where none exist or to dismiss it all as some “cheesy Instagram motivational quote rabbit hole.” In order to avoid either of those fates, Dr. Bucher calls on us to be guided both by the scientific method and by ethics. We can stick to clear ethical, moral, and trust-based principles and still make life-changing products.
Oh, and this dang thing is well-written, too! Dr. Bucher packs a lot of ideas in here, but does so with depth and appreciation for our cognitive skills and limits. She does it, I think, not so we just throw these ideas against the wall, but so that we appreciate the holistic, well-rounded, contextual approach, which will be key to the design of the future. Yes, our bandolier has a lot of bullets, but Amy loads each one with care, understanding, and purpose.
People will love this book because, like an 80s stand-up straightening his or her necktie, we’re all asking, “What’s the deal with behavioral science?” How can we balance optimism, progress, and excitement with pragmatism and a dash of caution? What is the guidance and knowledge we need to ensure that we’re riding this moment in the right direction? Amy Bucher’s Engaged answers those questions.
I wish I had written this book, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.
—Jeff Kreisler
Editor-in-chief, PeopleScience.com Coauthor, Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter
INTRODUCTION
When I tell people I’m a psychologist, there are certain reactions I’ve come to expect. One is people asking if I can read their minds. (No. That’s a psychic.) Another is people asking if I am diagnosing them based on our conversation. (No. I’m not a clinician, and even if I were, why would I work for free?) And very often, people ask if I’m able to force others into behaving a certain way using the tricks of psychology. (Another no.)
For better or for worse, psychology is not magic. And it’s certainly not about forcing people to do something! There’s no guarantee
