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The New York Times recently ran a piece on why Fitbit, the smart pedometer blogged here in 2008, has such a captive audience, despite delays in filling orders placed months ago. This amount of loyalty and patience can be attributed to the display of a flower that grows or wilts in reaction to how healthy the Fitbit calculates you to be. This behavior-changing design is an example of a phenomenon dubbed "captology" by B.J. Fogg, the director of the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University.
The height of the flower correlates with how active and healthy the wearer of the Fitbit is. Ran a mile during lunch and ate a healthy lunch? Your bud will unfurl and stretch along the length of the device. Stayed out late partying Saturday night and spent Sunday buried in a pile of pillows? Your flower will wilt and shrink..."The little flower growing represents anticipation and hope that something good will happen, which is the flower growing," he said. "When you push that button and see the change, it's instant feedback, a reward."
"Even though the device seems simple, it's tapping into a complex psychology that changes people's behavior," he said. "It hits the right button."
These kinds of feedback systems tap into basic human nature, said Mr. Fogg. "Most humans are naturally wired to nurture things and be rewarded for doing so," he said.
Read the rest here.
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