The hit TV series “24” always got my attention. Yes, I am a sucker for shows about spies, undercover cops and counter-terrorists. But in addition to all of the shoot-em-up theatrics, I could always count on that...
Category - Fifty Bits Design
Josh Barro at NY Time’s ever interesting TheUpshot offers some advice to the next Powerball winner(s): take the annuity, not the lump sum. He makes good points about tax implications that might advantage the annuity. He...
Piggybacking is one of the seven “fifty bits” design strategies. It works by making the desired behavior a side effect of another behavior that’s inherently fun or attractive. YumIt is using piggybacking to try...
I’m guilty, although thankfully I’ve not caused an accident (yet). The NY Times’ Jane Brody does a good job marshaling the evidence to prove what most of us already know: staring at your smart phone while...
Sounds a tad crazy, but there’s now a device that shocks you whenever it detects that you’re engaging in a habit you want to break. Here’s the pitch: MEET PAVLOK: THE FIRST DEVICE THAT BREAKS HABITS BY DELETING...
Tavis Coburn over at Wired notes that his playlists back in “the day” were far superior to those he hears today via streaming services. He chalks up the change to today’s overtly designed tunes, asserting Pop...
Mark Leibovich’s NY Times Magazine piece focuses on how politicians tip-toe around the challenge that arises when they change a position on a high-profile issue. These sorts of changes lead to “framing wars”...
Too much of anything – good, bad, or otherwise – can be a big problem. This editorial from the NY Times is a solid reminder to fifty bits designers: don’t overshoot when using the “Get in the Flow”...
Russia’s response to the political turbulence in Ukraine was surprisingly swift and aggressive. In a blink, Crimea was swarming with “plainclothes” military personnel, and a referendum on Crimea’s...
The FDA’s new anti-smoking campaign is getting kudos for a savvy approach that proponents say is likely to be more effective among teens than previous attempts. The campaign seems to leverage three key psychological...
