DE7042 - Design for Behaviour Change

You will engage in experiential learning through studio-based activities, which simulate real-world design studios. The brief will ask you to observe and research a common real-world behaviour (identified by the academic team or in collaboration with an external partner) before developing and testing design-concepts which might change it.



The studio provides a lively, creative and collaborative environment with the opportunity to gauge your own progress, learn from each-others’ strengths and even build friendship groups. Tutors will encourage you to interact with your peers in sessions and always to support each other through positive feedback.



Timetabled studio sessions will usually include short opening lectures or seminars, to introduce new methods, as well as providing time to get feedback on your developing service design proposals through 1-to-1 discussion. This regular guidance will help you reflect-on your own design process as you work to clarify and focus your ideas, conceptualize new opportunities, deliver prototypes or finalize your other project deliverables.



You will be encouraged to think critically and experiment with new ideas throughout the module. You will be expected to reflect on and document your own learning process as the project unfolds.



By the end of the module, you'll be able to demonstrate and communicate how behaviour change theory can be integrated into a design project and will have project-outcomes for your portfolio. You will be asked to explain your proposals as a set of presentation boards and where appropriate a short visual and verbal presentation to your peers – as might be expected in industry.

Your module tutors will provide specialist project support through the timetabled sessions. Tutors are aligned to teach modules which relate closely to their own expertise and experience – whether that is gained through prior professional experience, through ongoing industry collaborations or through current research work they undertake within the University.



This module begins with a comprehensive briefing that outlines the expected learning outcomes, module requirements, and a detailed schedule.



Where a collaborative live-project brief is being set, experts from the external partner will work with your module tutors to agree a suitable project and any additional support they can offer, which may include any of the following: in-person briefings; feedback and guidance on your developing proposals; site-visits; access to proprietary research, potential end-customers or equipment.



You will also have regular weekly sessions in a studio setting to structure your learning experience. In these sessions, you’ll participate in group discussions to receive feedback from your peers and tutors. Furthermore, you’ll receive tailored feedback during tutorials before you submit your work, helping you polish and enhance your project work for successful module completion.



During core working hours for the Design School but outside your timetabled sessions, you will have access to a wide range of technician-supported workshop environments. These will support all your making requirements including specialist model-making materials, laser-cutting, 3D-printing, creating sewn soft-products, sensors and electronics, photography and videography.



This module will share a live industrial project with DE7041 (Service Design module).

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding (K&U):

Evaluate how behaviour change principles can be applied in design at different scales.

Synthesize relevant behavioural design theory and methods.



Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities (IPSA):

Create plausible user-centred interventions with embedded behaviour change principles.

Manage your individual and teamwork responsibilities effectively.



Personal Values Attributes (PVA) (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity):

Reflect on the social and ethical responsibilities around designing for behaviour change.

This is a graded module.



The assessment is:



A video essay (up to 5 mins) which will give a brief overview of the behaviour change models you have used, a narrative with examples of the way you have the theory in design practice, with self-reflection on what/ how you have learned.



Specific submission requirements will be available on the module brief.


You will benefit from verbal formative feedback during weekly timetabled sessions and at key stages of the design development process.



At this summative stage you will receive initial feedback during a verbal team presentation of your work, with additional written feedback on your reflective process viva to follow.


This module is exempt from the Anonymous Marking Policy. The nature of working closely and directly with the students in teams makes anonymity unfeasible.

DE7037, DE7038, DE7039, DE7040

DE7041

Design changes behaviour! Whether through an intuitive user interface, persuasive communication or compelling product packaging design can direct user action. In this module you will explore how you can deliberately guide positive, ethical behaviour change, by igniting desires and motivations, or shaping capabilities, opportunities, and perceptions. In all of these cases, you will draw on underlying psychological principles such as social proof, scarcity, or reciprocity to help realise positive outcomes.



In this module you will explore how an interdisciplinary approach, combining models from design, behavioural science, and sociology, can inform your design process. It introduces key design-for-behaviour-change processes and methods, as well as tools to help manage their ethical and social implications.



Learning will centre around a collaborative design brief, which will enable you to try/test/integrate the new ideas in a real-world live industrial project shared with DE7041 module. This will equip you to tackle not only business-related challenges such as user experience or user-centred design, but also those focused on social good, such as adopting better health behaviours, or acting to reduce environmental impacts.