this stupidly simple trick helped these sites multiply their click rates Sebastian Deterding (@dingstweets)UXI Studio, December 15, 2014

cb

Image: JosephB

*Designing for Curiosity

*

chapter 1

Storytime

exhibit #1

Curiosity** like, literally

2012: curiosity - what’s inside the cube?

In the first month:3 million users

800,000 daily active users5 billion cubes clicked

exhibit #2

CoffeCup

2010

+ 600% page views+ 300% traffic

+217% facebook fans+170% twitter followers

“Just can’t let it go. Into my third day now. Ashamed of how many hours I’ve spent.”

- paintbrush, forum user

exhibit #3

Upworthy

(1) Forbes, 2013 (2) Quantcast, 2013 (3) Quantcast, 2014 (4) The Whip, 2013

2012

Fasted growing media site in history1

6 mio. UU/m. in first 12 months1

90 mio. UU/m. in first 18 months2

79th largest US site in traffic3

3rd most fb likes/shares of any news site4

(1) Forbes, 2013 (2) Quantcast, 2013 (3) Quantcast, 2014 (4) The Whip, 2013

2012

Fasted growing media site in history1

6 mio. UU/m. in first 12 months1

90 mio. UU/m. in first 18 months2

79th largest US site in traffic3

3rd most fb likes/shares of any news site4

... with 7.5 articles per day.4(1) Forbes, 2013 (2) Quantcast, 2013 (3) Quantcast, 2014 (4) The Whip, 2013

2012

The Atlantic, 2013

HOW?*

*?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!???!??!?!???????!?!?

all about that headline

so what makes a viral headline?

Link to their guide in online slides

curiosity drivesengagement

AttentionPositive emotional brand experienceExploration, first use, signupOnboarding, learningEngagementReturn visits, re-engagementSocial sharing

curiosity can fuel ...

how to drivecuriosity?

chapter 2

How does curiosity work?

unpredictabilityCan I not reliably anticipate

the future of this?

solvabilityAm I able to resolve

that inability?

relevanceIs the ability to anticipate this

relevant to me?

curiosityunpredictable, positively relevant,

solvable, safe

safetyIs resolving this inability

dangerous?

fearunpredictable, (un)solvable, negatively relevant, unsafe

curiosity: a motive to approach novel stimuli

invitation

Links in the online version

Invitation:Click me!

Not fully predictable.

I tell you that there’s something, but not what – and it’s shocking, not what you’d expect.

Solvable.

Did I mention you can click here?Come on. You know you want to.

Relevant.

Really, it’s shocking!And its about what you would pay.

Safe.

Honestly: Clicking never hurt anyone.

chapter 3

How to designfor curiosity?

six forms ofunpredictability

Links here, just click:

Curiosity

Curiosity drives us to explore actions with potentially positively relevant outcomes we can bring about (self-efficacy) but not fully anticipate – if we get a promising invitation to do so. Careful: If we feel the outcomes might be negative or the actions unsafe, this can stoke fear instead or in parallel.

▪ How might you make the outcome positively relevant? How might you signal this to players without giving it away?

▪ How might the outcome be somewhat unanticipatable, inviting guesses to test?

▪ How might you give players confidence that they can bring the outcome about?

▪ How might you reduce (the impression of) potential negative consequences of taking the action?

Instantiations: Conflict, Hide-and-hint, Novelty, Possibility Space, Surprise, Uncertainty,

Unresolved complexity.

CUNovelty

We are curious about novel experiences: something potentially enjoyable we haven't experienced yet has us wonder: "How does it feel?" We follow a promise or surprise signalling novelty if we feel we are able and safe to do so.

▪ What experiences, interactions, content do players know and expect in the given context?

▪ What haven't they experienced they might want to know how it feels?

▪ How might you signal that the new experience exists and is enjoyable without giving it away?

▪ Do players fear the experience might be overwhelming, boring, or unpleasant? How might you mitigate those fear?

Instantiations: Novel Content, Novel Interactions, Novel Interfaces, Surprise.

CUUncertainty

We are curious about potentially positive but uncertain outcomes. Especially when we have a hypothesis, we want to test our bet on "What will happen?" and "When?"

▪ How might you make the outcomes positively relevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you vary and randomise what positive outcomes follow an action?

▪ How might you randomise when an outcome follows an action?

▪ How might you help the player seek and hypothesise patterns in that randomness?

▪ How might you invite players to test their hypotheses?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can test hypotheses safely?

Instantiations: Action Probability, Betting, Hidden Information, Loot Drop.

CUHide-and-hint

We are curious about potentially relevant information and resources that are hinted at but hidden. If we know about something, but not its content, we wonder: "What is there?"

▪ What information or resources are relevant to players at this point?

▪ How might you hide their specific content away?▪ How might you hint at their existence?▪ How might you signal their potential relevance?▪ How might you help players feel that they can

follow that hint safely?

Instantiations: Cliffhanger, Fog of War, Hidden Information, Locked Abilities, Locked Content,

Locked Items, Skill Tree, Tech Tree.

CU

Unresolved Complexity

We are curious about unclear meanings or paths to a positively relevant outcome, wondering: "How do I get there?"

▪ How might you make a situation positively relevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you create a complex, non-obvious path to or symbol within that situation?

▪ Do players feel confident they can find the path or mearning? If not, how might you instil that confidence?

▪ How might you offer leads that spark multiple hypotheses for paths or meanings that players want to test?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can safely test these hypotheses?

Instantiations: Puzzles, Whodunnits.

CU Possibility Space

We are curious and feel autonomous in front of an untested possibility space, wondering: "What if …?" Possibility spaces emerge from recombinable items or actions with no prescribed goals and emergent effects that feel unpredictable but over time, guessable and reliably learnable.

▪ What actions and/or items might you offer to combine?

▪ Do they produce a combinatorial explosion of possible effects that are logical but not foreseeable by you?

▪ How might you give players space, time, and license to try their own combinations?

▪ How might you give openings that suggest new combinations to try: constraints, traces of others, random suggestions, or half-begun things?

▪ How might you make testing an untried combination relevant – e.g. with novelty, competence, or self-expression?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can safely test new combinations?

Instantiations: Building blocks, Editors.

CU/AU

We are curious and get aroused over how a conflict of information or interests will resolve, wondering: "How or what will out?"

▪ What pieces of information or parties may clash in the given context?

▪ How might you make the outcome positively relevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you keep the end result maximally on the edge?

▪ How might you provide and retain equally plausible scenarios supporting each information?

Instantiations: Balancing, Dramatic Conflict, Whodunnits.

Conflict CU/AR

Surprise

We feel good when our expectations are positively broken: something novel and good happens that we did not foresee. Such surprises stoke curiosity whether there might be further surprises in store, wondering: "Is there more like this?" A first surprise can thus become the hint in a hide-and-hint.

▪ What do players expect in this context (genre, level, interaction, situation, plot, menu, ...)?

▪ How might you positively break these expectations: something vastly more, better, or different?

▪ How might you first create or affirm the expectations – and then positively break them?

▪ How might you not reveal the existence of something positive for the player in your game until you surprise them with it? (Think level and interface design, but also packaging, marketing).

Instantiations: Easter Eggs, Hidden Information, Panoramic Opening, Plot Twist.

CU

We are curious and get aroused over potentially positive but uncertain outcomes. Especially when we have a hypothesis, we want to test our bet on "What will happen?" and "When?"

▪ How might you make the outcomes positively relevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you vary and randomise what positive outcomes follow an action?

▪ How might you randomise when an outcome follows an action?

▪ How might you help the player seek and hypothesise patterns in that randomness?

▪ How might you invite players to test their hypotheses?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can test hypotheses safely?

Instantiations: Action Probability, Betting, Hidden Information, Loot Drop.

Uncertainty CU/AR

Novelty

We are curious about novel experiences: something potentially enjoyable we haven't experienced yet has us wonder: "How does it feel?" We follow a promise or surprise signalling novelty if we feel we are able and safe to do so.

▪ What experiences, interactions, content doplayers know and expect in the given context?

▪ What haven't they experienced they might want toknow how it feels?

▪ How might you signal that the new experienceexists and is enjoyable without giving it away?

▪ Do players fear the experience might beoverwhelming, boring, or unpleasant? How might you mitigate those fear?

Instantiations: Novel Content, Novel Interactions, Novel Interfaces, Surprise.

CU

users

users

what if?

clear: novel interactions drive engagement, discovery

do not press the red button: novel content drives engagement

timehop: novel content drives re-engagement, positive experience

mailchimp: drive re-engagement, positive experience

Surprise

We feel good when our expectations are positively broken: something novel and good happens that we did not foresee. Such surprises stoke curiosity whether there might be further surprises in store, wondering: "Is there more like this?" A first surprise can thus become the hint in a hide-and-hint.

▪ What do players expect in this context (genre, level,interaction, situation, plot, menu, ...)?

▪ How might you positively break these expectations:something vastly more, better, or different?

▪ How might you first create or affirm theexpectations – and then positively break them?

▪ How might you not reveal the existence ofsomething positive for the player in your game untilyou surprise them with it? (Think level and interfacedesign, but also packaging, marketing).

Instantiations: Easter Eggs, Hidden Information, Panoramic Opening, Plot Twist.

CU

users

user

innocent smoothies: easter eggs drive positive brand image, exploration

old navy: coupons drive exploration, sales

timehop: easter eggs drive exploration

what if you… scroll beyond the edge?!?

what if you... scroll above the edge?!?

“I wonder whatelse they’ve hidden…”

We sneakily auto-sign you up for our spammy deals newsletter because our marketing department told us to

how users typically see and expect newsletters to be

E-Mail address Register

“If it’s a secret and that much effort, it must be special...”

how you see the kickstarter newsletter

Hide-and-hint

We are curious about potentially relevant information and resources that are hinted at but hidden. If we know about something, but not its content, we wonder: "What is there?"

▪ What information or resources are relevant toplayers at this point?

▪ How might you hide their specific content away?▪ How might you hint at their existence?▪ How might you signal their potential relevance?▪ How might you help players feel that they can

follow that hint safely?

Instantiations: Cliffhanger, Fog of War, Hidden Information, Locked Abilities, Locked Content,

Locked Items, Skill Tree, Tech Tree.

CU

users

users

Hint-and-hide

upworthy: curiosity gap drives clicks, shares

crazyegg: drives sign-ups

crazyegg: drives sign-ups

command & conquer: fog of war

which is more curiosity-inducing?

okcupid: drives user input

paper: drives sales

paper: drives sales

linkedin: drives upgrade sales, re-engagement

linkedin: drives re-engagement

linkedin: drive re-engagement, shares

yahoo! news digest: drive return visits

yahoo! news digest: drive return visits

yahoo! news digest: drive return visits

yahoo! news digest: drive return visits

yahoo! news digest: drive return visits

Unresolved Complexity

We are curious about unclear meanings or paths to a positively relevant outcome, wondering: "What's the solution?"

▪ How might you make a situation positively relevant?How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you create a complex, non-obvious pathto or symbol within that situation?

▪ Do players feel confident they can find the path ormeaning? If not, how might you instil that confidence?

▪ How might you offer leads that spark multiplehypotheses for paths or meanings that players wantto test?

▪ How might you help players feel that they cansafely test these hypotheses?

Instantiations: Puzzles, Whodunnits.

CU

users

koi pond: drive exploration

dan meyer: math education

dan meyer: drive learning

dan meyer: drive learning

bbc: drive attention

ontario science museum: drive deliberation, engagement

VOTE TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE THINK

We are curious and get aroused over potentially positive but uncertain outcomes. Especially when we have a hypothesis, we want to test our bet on "What will happen?" and "When?"

▪ How might you make the outcomes positivelyrelevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you vary and randomise what positiveoutcomes follow an action?

▪ How might you randomise when an outcomefollows an action?

▪ How might you help the player seek andhypothesise patterns in that randomness?

▪ How might you invite players to test theirhypotheses?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can testhypotheses safely?

Instantiations: Action Probability, Betting, Hidden Information, Loot Drop.

Uncertainty CU/AR

magic the gathering: drive sales

neonmob: drive re-engagement, sales

neonmob: drive re-engagement, sales

neonmob: drive re-engagement, sales

neonmob: drive re-engagement, sales

Possibility Space

We are curious and feel autonomous in front of an untested possibility space, wondering: "What if …?" Possibility spaces arise from recombinable items or actions with no prescribed goals and emergent effects that feel unpredictable but over time, guessable and reliably learnable.

▪ What actions and/or items might you offer tocombine?

▪ Do they produce a combinatorial explosion ofeffects that are logical but not foreseeable by you?

▪ How might you give players space, time, andlicense to try their own combinations?

▪ How might you balance effects so that they areneither unpredictably chaotic nor predictable?

▪ How might you give openings that suggest newcombinations to try: constraints, traces of others,random suggestions, or half-begun things?

▪ How might you make testing an untried combinationrelevant – e.g. with novelty, competence, or self-expression?

▪ How might you help players feel that they cansafely test new combinations?

Instantiations: Building blocks, Editors.

CU/AU

lego: the original possibility space

spore: combinatorial explosion of possibility

spore: combinatorial explosion of possibility

spore: combinatorial explosion of possibility

spore: combinatorial explosion of possibility

people find possibility spaces everywhere

siri: drive engagement

toca hair salon: drive fun

supercook: drive engagement

possibility spaces need starting points

… like traces of others.

beats music: drive engagement, re-engagement

beats music: drive engagement, re-engagement

beats music: drive engagement, re-engagement

beats music: drive engagement, re-engagement

chapter 4

Summary

curiosity is a powerful motive...

AttentionPositive emotional experience, brandExploration, first use, signupOnboarding, learningEngagementReturn visits, re-engagementSocial sharing

… that can fuel user engagement.

unpredictabilityCan I not reliably anticipate

the future of this?

solvabilityAm I able to resolve

that inability?

relevanceIs the ability to anticipate this

relevant to me?

curiositynovel, comprehensible, positively relevant,

safe

safetyIs resolving this inability

dangerous?

fearnovel, (in)comprehensible, negatively

relevant, unsafe

stoke it by inviting to a relevant, safe, solvable unpredictability

invitation

… like novel experiences, ...

… surprises, ...

… hinting-and-hiding, ...

… unresolved complexity, ...

… uncertainty, ...

… or possibility spaces.

Surprise

We feel good when our expectations are

positively broken: something novel and good

happens that we did not foresee. Such

surprises stoke curiosity whether there might

be further surprises in store, wondering: "Is

there more like this?" A first surprise can thus

become the hint in a hide-and-hint.

▪What do players expect in this context (genre, level,

interaction, situation, plot, menu, ...)?

▪How might you positively break these expectations:

something vastly more, better, or different?

▪How might you first create or affirm the

expectations – and then positively break them?

▪How might you not reveal the existence of

something positive for the player in your game until

you surprise them with it? (Think level and interface

design, but also packaging, marketing).

Instantiations: Easter Eggs, Hidden Information,

Panoramic Opening, Plot Twist.

CU

We are curious and get aroused over how a

conflict of information or interests will resolve,

wondering: "How or what will out?"

▪ What pieces of information or parties may clash in

the given context?▪ How might you make the outcome positively

relevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you keep the end result maximally on the

edge?▪ How might you provide and retain equally plausible

scenarios supporting each information?

Instantiations: Balancing, Dramatic Conflict,

Whodunnits.

ConflictCU/ARWe are curious and get aroused over

potentially positive but uncertain outcomes.

Especially when we have a hypothesis, we

want to test our bet on "What will happen?"

and "When?"

▪ How might you make the outcomes positively

relevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you vary and randomise what positive

outcomes follow an action?

▪ How might you randomise when an outcome

follows an action?

▪ How might you help the player seek and

hypothesise patterns in that randomness?

▪ How might you invite players to test their

hypotheses?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can test

hypotheses safely?

Instantiations: Action Probability, Betting, Hidden

Information, Loot Drop.

Uncertainty CU/AR

Possibility Space

We are curious and feel autonomous in front

of an untested possibility space, wondering:

"What if …?" Possibility spaces arise from

recombinable items or actions with no

prescribed goals and emergent effects that

feel unpredictable but over time, guessable

and reliably learnable.

▪ What actions and/or items might you offer to

combine?

▪ Do they produce a combinatorial explosion of

effects that are logical but not foreseeable by you?

▪ How might you give players space, time, and

license to try their own combinations?

▪ How might you balance effects so that they are

neither unpredictably chaotic nor predictable?

▪ How might you give openings that suggest new

combinations to try: constraints, traces of others,

random suggestions, or half-begun things?

▪ How might you make testing an untried combination

relevant – e.g. with novelty, competence, or self-

expression?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can

safely test new combinations?

Instantiations:

Building blocks, Editors.

CU/AU

Curiosity

Curiosity drives us to explore actions with

potentially positively relevant outcomes we

can bring about (self-efficacy) but not fully

anticipate – if we get a promising invitation

to do so. Careful: If we feel the outcomes

might be negative or the actions unsafe, this

can stoke fear instead or in parallel.

▪ How might you make the outcome positively

relevant? How might you signal this to players

without giving it away?

▪ How might the outcome be somewhat

unanticipatable, inviting guesses to test?

▪ How might you give players confidence that they

can bring the outcome about?

▪ How might you reduce (the impression of)

potential negative consequences of taking the

action?

Instantiati

ons: Conflict, Hide-and-hint, Novelty,

Possibility Space, Surprise, Uncertainty,

Unresolved complexity.

CU

oh, and what’s with those cards?

Surprise

We feel good when our expectations are

positively broken: something novel and good

happens that we did not foresee. Such

surprises stoke curiosity whether there might

be further surprises in store, wondering: "Is

there more like this?" A first surprise can thus

become the hint in a hide-and-hint.

▪What do players expect in this context (genre, level,

interaction, situation, plot, menu, ...)?

▪How might you positively break these expectations:

something vastly more, better, or different?

▪How might you first create or affirm the

expectations – and then positively break them?

▪How might you not reveal the existence of

something positive for the player in your game until

you surprise them with it? (Think level and interface

design, but also packaging, marketing).

Instantiations: Easter Eggs, Hidden Information,

Panoramic Opening, Plot Twist.

CU

We are curious and get aroused over how a

conflict of information or interests will resolve,

wondering: "How or what will out?"

▪ What pieces of information or parties may clash in

the given context?▪ How might you make the outcome positively

relevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you keep the end result maximally on the

edge?▪ How might you provide and retain equally plausible

scenarios supporting each information?

Instantiations: Balancing, Dramatic Conflict,

Whodunnits.

ConflictCU/ARWe are curious and get aroused over

potentially positive but uncertain outcomes.

Especially when we have a hypothesis, we

want to test our bet on "What will happen?"

and "When?"

▪ How might you make the outcomes positively

relevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you vary and randomise what positive

outcomes follow an action?

▪ How might you randomise when an outcome

follows an action?

▪ How might you help the player seek and

hypothesise patterns in that randomness?

▪ How might you invite players to test their

hypotheses?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can test

hypotheses safely?

Instantiations: Action Probability, Betting, Hidden

Information, Loot Drop.

Uncertainty CU/AR

Possibility Space

We are curious and feel autonomous in front

of an untested possibility space, wondering:

"What if …?" Possibility spaces arise from

recombinable items or actions with no

prescribed goals and emergent effects that

feel unpredictable but over time, guessable

and reliably learnable.

▪ What actions and/or items might you offer to

combine?

▪ Do they produce a combinatorial explosion of

effects that are logical but not foreseeable by you?

▪ How might you give players space, time, and

license to try their own combinations?

▪ How might you balance effects so that they are

neither unpredictably chaotic nor predictable?

▪ How might you give openings that suggest new

combinations to try: constraints, traces of others,

random suggestions, or half-begun things?

▪ How might you make testing an untried combination

relevant – e.g. with novelty, competence, or self-

expression?

▪ How might you help players feel that they can

safely test new combinations?

Instantiations:

Building blocks, Editors.

CU/AU

Curiosity

Curiosity drives us to explore actions with

potentially positively relevant outcomes we

can bring about (self-efficacy) but not fully

anticipate – if we get a promising invitation

to do so. Careful: If we feel the outcomes

might be negative or the actions unsafe, this

can stoke fear instead or in parallel.

▪ How might you make the outcome positively

relevant? How might you signal this to players

without giving it away?

▪ How might the outcome be somewhat

unanticipatable, inviting guesses to test?

▪ How might you give players confidence that they

can bring the outcome about?

▪ How might you reduce (the impression of)

potential negative consequences of taking the

action?

Instantiati

ons: Conflict, Hide-and-hint, Novelty,

Possibility Space, Surprise, Uncertainty,

Unresolved complexity.

CU

oh, and what’s with those cards?

ask me about them after the talk ;-)

sebastian@codingconduct.cc

@dingstweets

codingconduct.cc

thank you.slides at

j.mp/uxicurious

We are curious and get aroused over how a conflict of information or interests will resolve, wondering: "How or what will out?"

▪ What pieces of information or parties may clash inthe given context?

▪ How might you make the outcome positivelyrelevant? How might you signal this to players?

▪ How might you keep the end result maximally on theedge?

▪ How might you provide and retain equally plausiblescenarios supporting each information?

Instantiations: Balancing, Dramatic Conflict, Whodunnits.

Conflict CU/AR