In the digital age, our thinking model has been He Tuber  reshaped to a great extent. In this context, user experience designers also need to make some strategic changes. For example, in this article, the author proposes a new approach, adding a pre-action stage to the HOOK model, emphasizing the importance of introducing a layer of friction before users take action. Let’s take a look at the interpretation of this article.

1. The Art of Balancing Attention and Intention

As a UX designer deeply involved in the world of applications and UX, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the fascinating interplay between anticipatory, persuasive, and emotional design in UX design.

It is undeniable that our brains have been significantly reshaped as a result of our exposure to new information through interfaces. The results of it? We find ourselves becoming less mindful and thoughtful, leading to problems like addiction and social polarization. Paul Graham, a famous Silicon Valley investor, pointed out a crucial practical problem: "We have not had enough time to develop social 'antibodies' to resist the effects of addictive technologies."

As designers, one of our main goals is to retain users, which can inadvertently encourage some form of addiction. As users, we are the creators of cognitive misconceptions, and we are motivated by minimizing cognitive effort and saving our critical thinking until it is needed most.

My conscience has been pondering a question: where does persuasive UX end and manipulative UX begin? So, how do we achieve long-term user engagement without being exploited?

2. What makes persuasive techniques so effective?

“The fundamental problem with humanity is that we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.”

EO Wilson, known as the "Father of Biodiversity," pointed out that this interesting integration poses fundamental challenges to mankind. Although we share Stone Age emotions, advancing technology has had a profound impact on the limits of our cognition.

Tech giants often believe that their role is simply to give users what they want, taking a seemingly neutral stance on the impact of technology on society. This perspective permeates the field of user experience design, influencing designers’ decisions. But maybe it’s time for a change of perspective—one that goes beyond meeting user needs and takes into account inherent human fragility.

the concept of persuasive technology comes into play here, representing a powerful force designed to tap into our brains and subtly guide us into specific behaviors. Maèva Flayelle and colleagues studied the classification of addictive strategies such as:

Personalized triggers: Notifications designed with elements like vibration, buzz, red dot, or flash to mimic naturally occurring signs of danger, subtly luring us back into the app for more interaction.

Strengthen your plan: Design features like infinite scroll keep us focused. Additionally, the lure of a new comment or “like” creates a compulsive need to constantly monitor updates for pleasure and reward.

3. Why should you care?

How our brains work as a result.

As a UX designer, we may not be able to influence how and when new technologies are deployed to the public, but by understanding how the brain works, we can influence the speed with which new applications and ideas are adopted. This allows us to craft experiences that can be simple or complex.

According to Timothy Wilson, our five senses are bombarded with approximately 11,000,000 pieces of information at any given moment. However, our consciousness can only process 40 of these pieces of information. To manage such an influx of information, it's up to "bouncers in the brain" to decide what is allowed to enter our consciousness. Activity in this area is negatively correlated with unnecessary storage, filtering out information deemed less important.

In this attention economy, a series of invisible nudges manage to bypass our conscious thought and go straight to our limbic system—often referred to as the “lizard brain.” This phenomenon is called limbic system hijacking, where our emotions and instincts take precedence over rational decision-making.

When we learn something new, our brains form synaptic connections, creating neural pathways that promote more efficient processing. This adaptive mechanism is powerful in conserving energy and mental capacity once a behavior becomes routine. While advantageous in some situations, this "unconscious ability" also manifests itself in our digital behavior, leading to mindless scrolling and inefficient habits.

4. Upgrade UX hooks

Nir Eyal's acclaimed Hook model is a game changer and provides a framework for connecting user problems to designer solutions, promoting long-term engagement. While this model has proven its effectiveness, I believe there is a critical stage missing, the “pre-action” stage.

Before we get into the pre-action phase, let's briefly review the key elements of the Hook model:

What do users really want? What pain does your product relieve? (Internal trigger)

What attracts users to your service? (external trigger)

How to structure the critical path so that users notice it? (before action)

What is the simplest action a user can take in anticipation of a reward? How can you simplify your product to make this easier? (action)

Are users satisfied with their rewards, but want more? (variable reward)

What “work” do users put into your product? Does it load the next trigger and store the value so the product can be improved upon use? (invest)

5. Before action: what, why, how

1. What?

The pre-action phase is important because it addresses potential vulnerabilities that users may face while using the product. By adding a layer of friction before users proceed, designers can create intentional spaces that promote critical thinking and careful decision-making.

2. Why?

In the initial stage of the Hook model, triggers play a key role. Triggers such as external cues (notifications) or intrinsic motivations (feeling bored) motivate users to interact with the product. Through repetition, users associate these triggers with desired behaviors, forming a habit over time.

The digital culture we live in has changed the way we use our brains, creating “different brains.” Every time we learn a new skill, develop or lose an ability, our brains undergo large-scale physical and functional changes. This is scientifically known as neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.

3. How?

Here are a few examples of how we put pre-action into action and deliver meaningful user experiences:

Content customization : Allowing users to shape the content they see based on their interactions feels like we are giving power back to the user, but the question is how to interpret this mechanism and potential ways away from this algorithmic power. People are trying to escape the influence of algorithms, a point highlighted by Eli Pariser's Ted Talk on the Internet's "filter bubbles."

This is an example of custom content for an application called Gawq. The interface shows how users can use a slider to switch between red (right-leaning) and blue (left-leaning) viewpoints for balanced insights.

Apple's goal is to build trust and foster a sense of control over the user experience. Not only did they provide the option to opt out of personalized ads, but they also introduced nutrition labels to let users understand not only the usage of the apps, but how to use them.

Absorb information : The purpose of decision hygiene is to manage information effectively, focusing on identifying and processing "noise" rather than suppressing it. Just like invisible germs can still harm you, making unwise decisions can lead to negative consequences in the future.

Progressive disclosure improves 3 of the 5 components of usability: learnability, efficiency of use, and error rate. The main goal is to enable users to understand and utilize data to make informed decisions. This includes presenting a high-level overview before delving into detailed specific data points, maintaining a balance between data density and absorption. While compressing content onto fewer pages is intended to reduce clicks, it can overwhelm users and hinder conversions.

Our goal is simplicity – making information easily accessible and manageable across multiple pages while ensuring gradual, seamless transitions to deeper content.

Here are two ways to visualize data:

Vertical data density: This approach starts with high-level data and gradually reveals deeper details. Dashboards provide insights, highlighting areas that need attention and providing additional information as needed.

Layered data density: Leveraging design elements like mega menus and hover controls, this approach presents high-level information first, then gradually reveals more data through interactions like mouseover or click. This guides users through easy-to-understand steps that gradually increase in complexity and effort.

Duolingo uses interactive steps to help users get started as a step-by-step way to onboard. They encourage users to take a quick language test to see how the app works.

Challenges with the Friction Fallacy: In situations where users need to process a lot of detail or make thoughtful decisions, the belief that fewer clicks or less effort on the part of the user is always better may not hold true. This belief breaks down when applied to complex user journeys. When it comes to what makes a good cue, it’s one that reinforces better, purposeful choices. It needs to enhance happiness, not force it.

"One Sec" is an app designed to encourage careful use of social media. Whenever a user opens a social media app, it prompts the user to take a deep breath, allowing the user to pause for a moment and reduce the immediate reward of instant gratification. According to peer-reviewed research findings, the app's intervention resulted in a significant decrease in social media usage, by 57%.

Twitter(X)

The gap between people’s beliefs and the information they share on social media is largely caused by inattention rather than deliberate misinformation. The echo chamber of Twitter (sadly known as X) is an example of how speech can shape reality. This is an attempt to promote informed discussion through interventions such as “Read before tweeting.” It achieves:

6. Summarize

Many digital products have proven that the way we interact with screens can change the way we behave, think and see the world. They are designed as a drug, filled with reward pathways based on potency, quantity, and variety.

In today's attention-driven economy, the average person has 40 mobile apps installed, and about 18 of them are used 80% of the time. To compete effectively and keep users engaged for the long term, UX designers find Nir Eyal's HOOK approach extremely valuable.

Incorporating a pre-action phase is important because it addresses potential weaknesses in the user’s interaction with the product. By introducing some resistance before users take action, designers can create intentional environments that promote critical thinking, thoughtful decision-making, autonomy, and foster trust in the product.

Main points

Adding pre-actions to the HOOK model will provide an intentional user experience in which users can form opinions and make decisions while also improving their metacognitive skills and Internet literacy.

User behavior is affected by situational factors such as group norms, social identity, and social pressure. Through the user interface, pulling the same lever can produce the same effect.

From analysis to action, the decision-making process should not unfold in a linear fashion, and barriers should be considered as users may make life-impacting decisions as DAUs (Daily Active Users).