Designing for Persuasion, An Experimental Case Study: Oura Ring

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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Perustieteiden korkeakoulu | Master's thesis
Date
2019-10-23
Department
Major/Subject
International Design Business Management
Mcode
SCI3062
Degree programme
Master’s Degree Programme in International Design Business Management (IDBM)
Language
en
Pages
70
Series
Abstract
The information age has ushered in an era of digital devices galore, and swaths of data to boot. These devices and the ease of collecting data on user behavior have contributed to the growing interest in persuasive design, the application of psychological and social principles of influence to elicit a desired action from the user of a product or service. This Master’s Thesis explores the potential of persuasive design to induce healthy behavioral change in the context of the sleep and activity tracker Oura ring and its adjoined mobile application. In partnership with Oura Health, a persuasive design is developed and tested against a control. The persuasive design incorporates theories of narrative persuasion and seeks to enhance the onboarding process of users into the Oura app. In our experiment, we focus on message timing and format, and postulate that a more narrative like onboarding process will be easier to digest and absorb, leading to increased engagement and a possible uptick in the target behavior of ring wear. Compared to control, the engagement metrics of time in app and sessions per day were observed to increase in the treatment group, although not statistically significantly. Additionally, the rate of ring wear was observed to increase, but without significance. Interestingly, among the subset of users found to have been traveling internationally, the rate of ring wear increased by 3.4% (P < 0.037). Despite the lack of significance, our research finds that persuasive design, and narrative persuasion specifically, hold promise for the design of digital products aimed at promoting healthy habits. In order to achieve the desired outcomes, iteration of persuasive designs is advised. Additionally, engagement metrics such as time in app or sessions per day, show promise as leading indicators for behavioral change.
Description
Supervisor
Vartiainen, Matti
Thesis advisor
Kurppa, Teemu
Keywords
persuasive design, behavioral change, user experience, narrative persuasion, health, product design
Other note
Citation