Throughout the DC area, there are people developing and studying products that influence user behavior, encouraging them take action. We're broken into very different camps though, and rarely learn from each other.
The product development and persuasive design folks are doing amazing things in the UX, HCI, and product design fields. Behavioral economics and social psychologists are researching the underlying cognitive mechanisms that drive action (and limit it). Data scientists are employing the methodological and technical chops to deeply analyze user behavior online (and beyond) and identify successes and failures. And, NGOs and political advocacy campaigns are doing very similar work to organize and motivate supporters online, but rarely get the opportunity to compare notes with related fields.
This first meetup is to bring together those interested in forming a new community conversation on these topics. We'll talk about what we know, what we're looking to learn, and how this meetup can best serve our needs and those of the community.
Here's a rough draft of the group's goals (from the "About Us" section of the Meetup):
