Designing, fast and slow: cognitive bias in UCD
Associate designer, Michael Devlin, takes a look at the book 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' by Cognitive Psychologist, Daniel Kanheman, and considers what this could mean for roles in user centred design.
I recently read a book that’s considered a modern classic for research on human bias. The book is titled 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' and is written by Nobel prize winner and Cognitive Psychologist Daniel Kanhneman. As reducing bias is crucial to user-centred design, much of the research is applicable to designers.
The main themes of the book are biases and errors in human judgement. Some of the core arguments explain how:
Our thinking and behaviour are determined by two 'systems' in our minds – one conscious and the other automatic
Our brains are 'lazy' and act 'automatically', making us perceive problems as simpler than they are
This 'automatic' thinking can be useful, but it can also lead to making errors or bad decisions, which could be avoided by engaging more careful, 'analytical' thinking
System 1 and System 2
The book revolves around these two types of thinking. According to Kahneman, these two types of thinking can be characterised by two 'systems': one that is fast, automatic and effortless, and one that is slow, analytical, and effortful. He names these 'system 1' (fast and effortless) and 'system 2' (slow and analytical). As most of us underestimate how much system 1 influences our decision-making, most of the book focuses on system 1.
Kahneman writes that we mistakenly believe we are more rational than we are and form most of our decisions and judgements from a rational perspective. But, this is often not the case.
Kahneman tells us that the 'automatic' system 1 plays a large role in human reasoning, which is apparent by our many cognitive biases. One of the examples Kahneman uses to demonstrate this is through the infamous ‘bat-and-ball problem’:
‘A bat and ball cost $1.10.
The bat costs one dollar more than the ball.
How much does the ball cost?’
Most people’s intuition will tell them that the answer is 10 cents. But this would be wrong – the correct answer is 5 cents. In this example, the incorrect response is not challenged by system 2. Kahneman tells us this is because system 1 is ‘overconfident’, whereas system 2 is ‘lazy’ and won’t use more energy than is required to solve a problem.
'When faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution.'
Daniel Kahneman – Thinking, Fast and Slow
What does this mean for our role in UCD?
Design is typically understood as a process more closely related to system 2 thinking, e.g. slow, carefully reasoned, and analytical. Many design processes can take weeks, months, or, in some cases, several years. Even design exercises such as workshops can take hours – a timescale that jars with the 'automatic', intuitive thinking associated with system 1.
Nevertheless, our intuition or 'gut feelings' can, and do, play a pivotal role in design. Designers need to rely on intuition in certain situations, i.e. when under time constraints. However, this 'fast', intuitive thinking can, in many cases, be wrong, and there may be instances where designers feel they understand a problem due to the story they have created about it without understanding its complexity.
'The confidence that individuals have in their beliefs depends mostly on the quality of the story they can tell about what they see, even if they see little.'
Daniel Kahneman – Thinking, Fast and Slow
Designers constantly need to challenge their own stories and assumptions. Kahenman’s work illustrates the importance of a user-centred design process built upon reducing bias and testing these assumptions.
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, I strongly recommend ordering a copy of Kahneman’s 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' on Learnerbly (or another platform) to find out more.