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Design: Examples
Design: Examples
This section looks at the four example intervention projects discussed in these modules, and provides examples for how the interventions were designed.
Design Alignment
Below is a list of the intervention projects, their behavioral objective, the selected intervention technique, and how that technique specifically addresses the obstacles to effectively changing the behavior of the consumers. Reviewing these examples can help to see how they have created alignment between the design of their intervention and the behaviors that they are trying to change.
This poster (see right) was designed by the group promoting the use of reusable cups to address one of the key barriers that consumers stated they facing to bring a reusable cup to campus: forgetfulness. The examples below highlight why this problem was chosen and how the specific intervention design aimed to address it.
Reducing food waste in the union dining hall
Reducing food waste in the union dining hall
Behavioral Objective: To prompt dining hall visitors to be conscious of amount of food they take in order to reduce food waste
Intervention Technique: Place signs near plates and serving stations with targeted messages that encourage mindfulness of meal selection and highlight the negative consequences of food waste in order to promote conscious selection of food and reduction of potential food waste
Problems Addressed: It was found that diners were not particularly conscience of the food waste they were producing. Diners did not necessarily take food waste into consideration when gathering food to be consumed. This signage helps diners think about this issue at the point of food retrieval. This way, if the diner is open to a behavior change, they will be reminded to only take what they plan on consuming.
Increasing plant-based meal choices in the residence halls
Increasing plant-based meal choices in the residence halls
Behavioral Objective: To encourage dining hall visitors to select options from a plant-based meal station
Intervention Technique: Active tabling intervention outside of the dining hall in which the intervention team uses dynamic social norms (supported by information pamphlets) to help dining hall visitors realize the discrepancies between their goals (eating, healthy, nutritious food) and their existing behaviors (eating non-plant-based foods that are not as healthy or nutritious) and nudge them to commit to selecting a plant-based meal option
Problems Addressed: Through field observations, this group found that diners were not educated on all of the benefits of a plant-based diet. The intervention addresses this by providing face-to-face education through tabling. The material at the table addresses information that previous diners had shown interest in, or a lack of knowledge in.
Promoting the use of reusable cups at the union convenience store
Promoting the use of reusable cups at the union convenience store
Behavioral Objective: To support customers at a convenience market to purchase and consistently use reusable cups for beverage purchases
Intervention Technique: Strategically place signage that uses positive reinforcement to encourage reusable cup usage, specifically through using a coupon to receive a free cup and scanning a QR code to receive regular reminders to bring their cup when heading to campus
Problems Addressed: Consumers in the POD were interviewed ahead of time to better understand why they choose to bring, or not bring, a reusable cup. The results from these interviews were used to design the intervention. The signage serves as education to consumers that reusable cups are an option, and the benefits to bring them. One obstacle consumers faced was remembering their cups, which is what the QR codes were addressing. The final technique, giving away reusable cups, was meant to address individuals who have not yet built a habit out of bringing reusable cups.
Encouraging composting in the union dining hall
Encouraging composting in the union dining hall
Behavioral Objective: To increase the awareness of customers of campus restaurants of compost sorting bins in dining areas and support them to use these bins
Intervention Technique: Table tents will be placed on tables in the dining area with messages that alert customers of composting options, use dynamic social norms to encourage the behavior, and provide a map to the nearest composting stations
Problems Addressed: Through interviews, it was determined that lack of knowledge about existing composting was the biggest obstacle to actually composting. Because of this, the intervention focuses on awareness right before the point of food disposal. Had the biggest obstacle been, "I don't think composting is important", than the strategy may have been focused more on the benefits of composting.
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