GoKawiilDesign Veteran Argues All Design Is Behavior Change, Not Just Aesthetics
A design educator who teaches a course on behavior change argues that every design decision—whether for a book cover, app, or ad—is ultimately an attempt to influence user actions, most often to boost sales or shareholder value. The essay contrasts public companies, B corps, and nonprofits, noting that even mission-driven organizations use design to drive fundraising or other outcomes, and that designers rarely know an employer's true motives until they're inside.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This reframes a common industry debate about ethics in UX and product design, suggesting that claims of being 'user-centered' often mask commercial incentives baked into every interface choice. For designers and companies alike, it raises questions about transparency, incentive alignment, and how organizational structure (public company, B corp, nonprofit) shapes the true purpose behind design work.
- The author argues all design work is fundamentally about changing user behavior, not just visual polish.
- Public companies' design choices ultimately serve shareholder value, even when framed as user-centric.
- Nonprofits and B corps offer more transparent behavior-change goals, but incentives can still be murky from outside.
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman — If you're wrestling with how design nudges people toward doing things "the right way," Norman's classic is the foundational text on affordances, signifiers, and human-centered thinking. It's the book designers keep returning to when they need language for why people behave the way they do around objects and interfaces. A great companion read for anyone teaching or studying design for behavior change.
See The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: cwodtke.com, 2026-09-08
Published there as: “Disappointed Optimists”
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