Tipitap #3 Research from readings

After a lot of reading, there were two books I really liked which not only explained the manipulative tactics used in social media but gave models that could be considered in the design process: Hooked by Nir Eyal and Stand Out of Our Light by James Williams. In a similar way to how the exhibit I spoke about in the previous blog post which was inspired to create an immersive exhibit by perspective drawings. Williams model illustrates the language of persuasion through the use of a graph which shows the relationship between the level of goal alignment between the user and persuasive Technology and the degree of constraint. Presumably, the graph would be used as a metric aid in user experience (UX) to see the levels of persuading users to which designers would decide where their work lies on the scale. This would help me to think about the purpose of what I will create. Whereas, Eyal’s model offers a framework of four stages: trigger, action, variable reward and investment. These stages could help me to decide which features I should include creating the most engaging possible design.

Reading these books I started to notice the manipulative techniques being used by social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. Learning about these features made me more aware of what I was using and I had undergone a kind of self ethnography. Understanding how I’m being drawn to these tactics and if I were in the same position as the person who designed them what would I do?