SDP-009. Let Users Undo Their Mistakes

This episode, we delve into the ninth principle of service design, which focuses on the balance between reducing friction and adding necessary friction in user interactions. Daniele provides insightful examples, such as confirmation prompts when deleting items or LinkedIn’s content warning system, to illustrate when adding friction is beneficial. We explore the concept of “Confirmation Saturation,” where too many prompts can lead to user fatigue and the importance of contextualizing these interactions. The conversation also covers the idea of “Prevention is Better than Cure,” emphasizing proactive measures to prevent user errors. We discuss how digital services can implement features to recall actions or delay permanent changes, providing users with a safety net for their actions. Additionally, we touch on behavioral economics concepts like “nudges” and “rational overrides.” These concepts highlight the importance of designing for the real, sometimes irrational, human behavior, guiding users towards better decisions while allowing them the space to pause and reconsider actions that might lead to mistakes. This episode is a deep dive into the nuances of user experience design, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in creating more user-friendly and forgiving digital environments. 00:00 Intro 00:44 When should we add friction? 02:35 Confirmation Saturation 03:44 Prevention is Better than Cure 05:41 Nudges and Rational Overrides 07:54 Outro Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners. Support us with Value 4 Value Find out more about “Value 4 Value” here: https://value4value.info/ Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books. Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help. Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs. Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/ Traditional donation: https://ko-fi.com/neoluxpodcasts https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=KCP8BRUHP3HZS Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development. Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support. A production of Neolux Consulting