Aim For Behavior/How To Design For Engagement

The Behavior Design Membership

Design For Lasting Behavior Change

Learn the exact psychological frameworks used by behavioral scientists to create experiences people actually stick with — addressing both conscious decisions AND unconscious drives.


The Problem Most Organizations Face

Even great products and initiatives fail because of poor engagement. Users and employees say they want to use your solution, but most don't follow through.

  • Users abandon products within days of starting

  • Millions spent on features and systems people don't consistently use

  • Traditional engagement programs create temporary spikes followed by inevitable drop-offs

  • Education and information alone rarely drive sustainable behavior change

Why Traditional Engagement Strategies Fail

Most approaches address only half of what drives human behavior, leaving critical engagement barriers untouched.

The Traditional Approach

  • Focuses only on conscious motivation (what people think they should do)

  • Relies heavily on information, education, and incentives

  • Creates temporary compliance rather than lasting engagement

  • Ignores the unconscious drivers that often override intentions

  • Confuses habits with routines, applying the wrong strategies

  • Treats all users the same despite different motivation types

The Dual Motivation Approach

  • Addresses both reflective AND automatic motivation

  • Based on evidence-based frameworks (COM-B, SDT, PRIME)

  • Creates sustainable engagement by satisfying core psychological needs

  • Designs for both conscious intentions AND unconscious drives

  • Distinguishes between habits and routines, applying appropriate strategies to each

  • Provides a systematic approach to diagnosing and solving engagement challenges

Master Three Powerful Frameworks

Learn the science-backed models that will transform how you design for engagement.

Self-Determination Theory

The architecture of intrinsic motivation that drives sustainable engagement

  • Satisfy the need for Autonomy (choice and control)

  • Build experiences that develop Competence (mastery and progress)

  • Create Relatedness (connection and belonging)

  • Transform \"I should do this\" into \"I want to do this\"

PRIME Theory

The hidden drivers that determine whether behavior actually happens

  • Design for Plans (implementation intentions)

  • Shape Reflections (identity alignment)

  • Tap into Impulses (emotional drivers)

  • Address Motives (wants and needs)

  • Work with Emotional responses (hardwired tendencies)

Our Engagement Model

Our proprietary engagement framework that combines key insights from multiple theories

  • Motivational Interviewing

  • Personalization

  • Gamification

Case Studies You’ll Learn From

Learn how behavioral frameworks are applied to real-world challenges — and how to do the same

Healthcare

Getting Radiologists to Use AI

Challenge: Resistance to AI decision support tools despite known benefits.

You'll learn to:

  • Diagnose motivational barriers

  • Find the psychological needs

  • Use PRIME to target unconscious resistance

  • Apply the engagement model to design a motivational journey

  • See real examples

Workplace

Introducing AI in Hiring Without Backlash

Challenge: Improving efficiency with AI while protecting team autonomy and trust.

You'll learn to:

  • Map autonomy threats using Self-Determination Theory

  • Design engagement without triggering loss aversion

  • Balance speed and psychological safety in implementation

Course Structure

PART I - Theory

1. Introduction to motivation in behavior change

2. How do social norms motivate behavior?

3. Understanding motivation using the COM-B model

4. Using motivation theories to drive engagement (PRIME Theory & Self-Determination Theory)

5. Generate your initial ideation

6. Designing for lasting motivation and engagement

PART II - Practice

Motivation and engagement in practice

1. Case Study I: Adoption in a radiology

2. Case Study  II: Adoption in an HR firm

Bonus: Prototype Examples

What Makes This Course Different?

Evidence-Based Approach – Go beyond surface-level engagement tricks with scientifically-validated frameworks that address the full spectrum of motivation factors driving sustainable behavior change.

Dual Motivation Framework – The only course that addresses both reflective AND automatic motivation—the key to sustainable engagement that most approaches ignore.

Practical Behavioral Design Tools – Unlike courses that just explain concepts, we provide the Motivation Diagnostic Matrix, Engagement Audit Tool, and implementation templates to identify and solve specific motivation barriers.

Expert Instructor with Real World Experience – Learn from Robert Meza the founder, who regularly applies these frameworks with real organizations to transform resistance into enthusiastic adoption.

Self-Paced with Real-World Application – Apply these frameworks to your products or workplace initiatives immediately while learning at your own pace.

Comprehensive Step-by-Step Case Studies – See exactly how to apply what you're learning with detailed examples from healthcare and workplace contexts, showing the exact process from analysis to implementation.

Trusted by Professionals Across Industries

Certification

After you have finished all the lessons in the How To Design For Engagement course, you will get a certificate to show that you have completed the course.

Each certificate comes with its own unique ID, the name of the course, and the date it was awarded.

Ready to join the Behavior Design Membership?

Join people using behavioral science to design better products, services, experiences, communications, and policy interventions. 

  • Monthly access — cancel anytime 

  • Includes all 4 core courses 

  • Worksheets, templates, PDFs, and practical tools included 

  • Additional resources added over time 

  • Real-world examples across health, public policy, product, service design, and behavior change 

  • 14-day money-back guarantee (provided no substantial course progress has been completed ) 

*Many members expense this through their professional development or learning budget.