Using behavioral science to improve your product | Kristen Berman (Irrational Labs)

Kristen Berman, founder of Irrational Labs, explains how behavioral science principles can refine product decisions by addressing human biases and motivations, drawing from experiments with companies like Intuit, Google, and Slack.

Key Behavioral Principles for Products

Berman highlights defaults, friction, and social proof as foundational tools. Defaults work because people stick with pre-selected options due to inertia, as seen in organ donation rates jumping from 15% to 90% with opt-out systems. Reducing friction—like shortening forms—increases completion by making action easier, but only if it aligns with user goals. Social proof leverages our tendency to follow others; testimonials boost sign-ups when they feel authentic and relatable, not generic.

Designing and Testing Interventions

To apply these, start with a behavioral diagnosis: map user pain points to biases like loss aversion or present bias. For example, framing savings as "avoid losses" rather than "gain rewards" lifts engagement in financial apps. Prototype small changes, like adding progress bars to reduce abandonment, and A/B test rigorously. Berman stresses measuring downstream behaviors, not just clicks—e.g., retention over 30 days—since vanity metrics mislead. Conditions for success include clear hypotheses and avoiding overgeneralizing lab findings to real users.