Why do we do what we do? Since Eve ate fruit from the forbidden tree, to me ordering crap online that I will never use. We are not always capable of explaining these choices or, with Eve and me, justifying them. Why do we decide against our own interest? Is there a method to the madness? The course: ‘How you decide The science of human decision making’ from Professor Ryan Hamilton inspired me to design a couple of things based on key insights I had during the course. The aim of these designs? They should help me and others. I will not design for profit optimization for companies. You can hire me for that.
Prof. Hamilton gives an analogy of the process of decisions making. Think of a factory with the subject or information rather as the raw material, your brain as the cognitive machine, and your motivations as the control panel with a lot of switches and buttons with no explanation.
The first insight I had was the trade-off your brain makes. According to research by professor Hamilton, people who set a budget for their purchase end up paying more than people without a budget. Let’s say you want to buy a television and set yourself on a budget of 400 EUR. You will more likely buy a TV of 390 or 350 with some extra stuff than when you didn’t set yourself a budget. You processed the raw material budget into the machine, don’t need to worry about the cost. He calls this the trade-off.
People who set a budget for their purchase end up paying more than people without a budget.
How might we help people get an insight into their decision trade-offs in a fun and easy way? The challenge: ‘Can we make people aware of their thought process and make a product applicable to decisions.' I landed on a deck of cards. You can customize the cards to different scenarios. They are not unimportant for a designer, visual. It helps to organize thoughts. And it’s an easy way to make the tradeoff in your mind visible. And It’s fun!
The first focus was the raw materials, or rather, information. How can we create information for every situation in the world? So I started with three major categories: quality, quantity and time. The machine is you with your beautiful brain. The second part of the cards is the control panels. What is your motivation? You can either press them randomly or set it up just for your purpose. You have the option to use the cards laterally to uncover important aspects or focus on one segment to gain deeper insight into your reasoning. Use the cards random for a bit of fun or use them to assist you. Just think of a goal: Buying a house? Eating forbidden fruit offered by a snake? Let me get my cards.
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Conclusion
We can’t pull the leaver, or press the button to make exactly the right decision. We can do is make a fun tool to gain insight. Merely altering the sequence can produce fantastic alternatives.
Maybe some activity element: ‘Meditate for 10 minutes, write a journal or call some random person about your decision.’ I like the idea that someone in some office will one day be called: “I’m late. I had to meditate if would add pecan nuts to my granola. "
Would you use these cards? Would you use them, digital or physical? Do you want them on your fridge? Please let me know what you think!
