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

Users' minds take shortcuts to get through the day. Usually they’re harmless. Even helpful. But what happens when they’re not? In this talk he’ll use real-world examples to identify some particularly harmful biases that frequently lead users to make bad decisions. He'll then 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, He'll explore our own biases as designers and some methods to prevent our own blind spots from hurting users.

David Dylan Thomas, author of the book Design for Cognitive Bias from A Book Apart, serves as Content Strategy Advocate at experience design firm Think Company and is the creator and host of the Cognitive Bias Podcast. He has developed digital strategies for major clients in entertainment, healthcare, publishing, finance, and retail. He has presented at TEDNYC, SXSW Interactive, Confab, An Event Apart, LavaCon, UX Copenhagen, Artifact, IA Conference, Design and Content Conference, and the Wharton Web Conference on topics at the intersection of bias, design, and social justice.

Design for Cognitive Bias:
https://abookapart.com/products/design-for-cognitive-bias

David's website:
https://www.daviddylanthomas.com/

The Cognitive Bias Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cognitive-bias-podcast/id1197648130

David's Shop Talk Show Episode:
https://shoptalkshow.com/429/