Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

The second step of the “Hook Model” is “action.” This refers to the action the user must take to engage with a product. To entice a user to take action “doing must be easier than thinking” (61). Eyal credits American scientist and professor BJ Fogg with identifying three necessary “ingredients” to prompt user action: “sufficient motivation,” “ability to complete the desired action,” and a “trigger” to prompt the behavior in the first place (61). Motivation may consist of basic human desires, such as seeking pleasure and avoiding fear and rejection; advertisements can exploit people’s basic motivation by designing ads that are hopeful, fun, or sexy. Negative emotions can also be used as motivators, particularly in public awareness campaigns which warn viewers about a threat to their health.

Eyal claims that many companies perfect their “triggers” and prompt feelings of “motivation,” but still lack customer engagement because of their overly complex systems. He explains that by simplifying steps users must take to engage with the product, companies will coax more action from their users. Companies such as Instagram and Pinterest are so successful because they offer easy access to their services. Eyal explains Fogg’s six “elements of simplicity” that simplify access to a product.