Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark

#BehavioralDesign and #DigitalPsychology for technology by @cugelman.

[Brian Cugelman @cugelman]

Choosing the right color wheel is not just an aesthetic design option. It shapes how we communicate with color and how people understand our message. Use the wrong wheel, and you may miss some important psychological benefits.

https://t.co/ZuglaRtwcP

[Brian Cugelman @cugelman]

AI Conversational Design & the CxD of Emotional Harm: https://t.co/VbtSxNPFKu

#uxd #cxd #behavioraldesign

[Brian Cugelman @cugelman]

This article covers the 12 emotional journeys and how we color to strike the right tone:
https://t.co/bnlLCllrp8

#colorpsychology #uxd #behavioraldesign

[Brian Cugelman @cugelman]

Here’s a quick breakdown of my approach to emotional design.

https://t.co/Gib19YRsZe

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

Master Digital Psychology in just 9 weeks with our LIVE Applied Behavioral Design tutorials, running from 9 Oct - 4 Dec 2025.

Save 25% with: SAVE25_BY_9OCT.

Learn more:
https://t.co/PDCPmco25Z

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

Seeing your life as a Hero’s Journey can boost happiness, resilience, and a sense of purpose.

But these same storytelling principles can also transform digital experiences—making them more motivating, meaningful, and emotionally engaging.

https://t.co/mDZaYYb8ej

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

https://t.co/oL1CN4Cgmt

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

In savings interventions, automatic enrollment drives far higher participation. Defaults shape futures more than active choices ever do.

[Brian Cugelman @cugelman]

1/ Seeing your life as a Hero’s Journey can make you far more resilient, happier, and fulfilled. ⚔️🌟

That’s the finding of new research showing that reframing your life as a hero’s narrative delivers measurable psychological benefits.

📖 Full article: https://t.co/CiOn27jkWm
🧵👇

[Brian Cugelman @cugelman]

Sharing the best paper I’ve read recently—it’s about how those of us who view our lives as a classic Hero’s Journey tend to show greater psychological well-being.

For those unfamiliar, the Hero’s Journey is a narrative structure developed by Joseph Campbell. He identified common plot stages in myths and epic tales that have endured for thousands of years.

The authors developed a psychometric Hero’s Journey instrument to measure this mindset, and they reduced it to a smaller number of stages:

1. Shift: A disruption forces them to step up to a challenge.
2. Quest: The hero pursues a meaningful goal or purpose.
3. Allies: Supportive friends, mentors, or guides help along the way.
4. Challenge: Villains and obstacles test the hero’s resolve.
5. Transformation: The hero grows and gains deeper self-understanding.
6. Legacy: The hero gives back, leaving a lasting impact.

People who see their lives similar to the Hero’s Journey report a stronger sense of meaning and purpose, along with higher scores across a broad range of psychological well-being metrics.

Even more fascinating: the researchers created a form of therapy based on this idea. When people were encouraged to reframe their life story as a hero’s journey, their psychological well-being improved across the board.

This totally fits other research on our narrative self, where kids who grow up with a richer understanding of their family history tend to have better resilience and mental health than those without a strong family narrative. Basically, the better you know family gossip, the stronger you are—psychologically.

More and more, I’ve come to see us as a narrative species. Our sense of self, our connection to family and culture, and even our experience of meaning—or lack of it—are all shaped by the stories we tell and inherit.

Shoutout to Dr. Linda Pagani, who first introduced me to this form of therapy—it’s become a minor obsession.

Definitely worth a read. Hit Google Scholar for the PDF if you don’t have a subscription:

Seeing Your Life Story as a Hero’s Journey Increases Meaning in Life
https://t.co/iuDf7duoJb

#Psychology #herostory #Wellbeing #BehavioralDesign #BehavioralScience

[Brian Cugelman @cugelman]

This is Part 2 of my Design Psychology series, exploring how ballot design can backfire—with research showing why long ballots drive unfair elections. #longestballot #BattleRiverCrowfoot
https://t.co/ZFrCWOnyYB

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

We just fixed a problem with PDF exports in our credential registry. A scripting library update caused the problem, but we found the needle in the haystack. You can now export PDFs.
https://t.co/B4Gxx1V274

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

Having problems joining our free color psychology class? We just relaxed a Zoom security setting, so try again if you were blocked. https://t.co/3LzP3ZBMib

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

Is color an important part of behavioral design? Learn more about the psychology of color in my article, with Kameleoon! #UXDesign #BehavioralDesign
https://t.co/NBVZzycZot

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

If you're joining today's Color Psychology class, make sure you also join the Zoom sessions. https://t.co/r2NqgfmGeS

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

Master Applied Behavioral Design over 9-Weeks of LIVE online tutorials. Running 6 Oct - 1 Dec 2022. Learn More https://t.co/jjcTtraSkl

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

Master Applied Behavioral Design over 9-Weeks of LIVE online tutorials. Running 6 Oct - 1 Dec 2022. Learn More https://t.co/jjcTtraSkl

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

Emotional Design Psychology Class. Online with 3-Weeks of LIVE tutorials on 6 Oct - 1 Dec 2022: https://t.co/55xDKKaMPy

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

9-Weeks LIVE online training in Applied Behavioral Design for technology. 6 Oct - 1 Dec 2022. Learn More https://t.co/jjcTtqTgVL

[Behavioral Design Academy of AlterSpark @AlterSpark]

Announcing my upcoming Digital Psychology & Emotional Design training. LIVE Applied Behavioral tutorials and on-demand lessons from 6 Oct - 1 Dec 2022 https://t.co/jjcTtraSkl