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Behavioural design harnesses the power of behavioural science and applies it to design challenges. So what does this mean? People like to think they are entirely rational, reliable and consistent in their decision-making. However, this is not always the case, the complexity of the world that surrounds us creates a maze of unseen influences. Cues in the built environment, the products we use or our social interactions with others can all sway and affect our decision-making.

Behavioural design provides a framework for understanding human behaviour and the complex web of internal and external influences. At Mima, we strive to apply this knowledge to create spaces, places, and services that lead to more reliable and better outcomes for the user, for businesses and for society.

Our behavioural design approach consists of 3 key project phases:

Discovery

    • We unpick the brief and re-frame the challenge using a behavioural lens
    • We perform research to dig in and uncover a deep understanding of why people are behaving the way they do. What is driving their behaviours in the surrounding context
    • We map the behaviours and Identify behavioural drivers and barriers to change


    Design

    • We craft interventions targeted to change behaviours - leveraging evidence back behavioural science principles and focused on unlocking barriers to achieve the desired outcomes
    • We workshop and co-create with clients to ensure intervention design strategies are actionable and aligned to their business
    • We deploy pilot studies and tests to review effectiveness and rapidly iterate


    Deploy

    • We deliver targeted behavioural recommendations, intervention strategies and solutions
    • We work with clients to implement, measure behaviour change and adapt


    At Mima we believe collaboration amplifies the effect, we find there is often a sweet spot applying our behavioural design process and insights blended with skill sets from across our multidisciplinary team, including; Service design, Customer Experience and Information/Graphic design, Wayfinding and Product design.

    So what does this look like: We worked with Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) to remove bottlenecks and improve the security check point experience. We observed the process, mapped customer behaviours and patterns as they collected their bags. We identified key behavioural friction points, barriers, environmental cues and opportunities for change. We then ideated and developed a new re-pack station as a behaviour change intervention, along with a consistent recognisable colour pop messaging campaign all with a focused aim to drive the desired behaviour.

    The result - LJLA Director of Airport Operations reported back to us that they received - a 15% increase in throughput - resulting in shorter queues, happier customers and increased opportunity for retail spend. A win for passengers and a Win for the LJLA as a business.

    Highlight Case Study – Behavioural Design

    West Suffolk Hospital

    Mima worked with West Suffolk Hospital on a Behaviour Change project to take on the challenge of shifting smoking behaviours across the hospital site.

    The hospital in Bury St Edmunds enjoys a campus setting, neighboured by a large leafy heath, managed by the local council. The site deploys the NHS “Smokefree” policy with no smoking or vaping allowed anywhere within the boundary. However, there is widespread confusion and 'bending' of the rules with smoking occuring across the site - particularly outside the hospital main entrance, with the negative consequence of second hand smoke for non-smokers. The hospital also raised the problematic issue of smoking-related litter across the sites at the sides of the boundary to the Heath, despite signage indicating the policy.

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    Highlight Case Study – Behavioural Design

    Liverpool John Lennon Airport

    The Airport security screening process is an essential and important guard to safe travel. However, it is recognised that this mandatory checkpoint often creates a low point in customer satisfaction at airports. Liverpool John Lennon Airport saw this as an opportunity to review their existing arrangement and inject some design thinking in a bid to improve the passenger experience. LJLA invited Mima to tackle the design challenge.

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    People – Behavioural Design

    People icon
    Photo of Adam Parkes

    Adam Parkes
    Principal Human Factors Consultant

    Adam has extensive experience providing user centered design insight to complex and challenging design programmes in airports, transport hubs and public buildings. Adam gets to the heart of the user experience and understands how the design can meet their needs to be effective, efficient and inherently intuitive.

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