Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal

There are few books out there that offer as much guidance when it comes to developing products that can form lasting and beneficial habits. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal is one such book, offering insights into how companies can create products that fit into our routine and become ingrained parts of our lives.

The book is organized into four central tenets, which include a ‘hook model’ which guides companies through the design and development of a product. The four main tenets of the book are: triggering cues, actionable engagement, variable reinforcement, and an invested user. With these tenants, Eyal claims that companies can better understand how to craft products that motivate and engage users to keep coming back and forming lasting habits.

When it comes to approaching product design and development, Eyal explains that the first step is to understand user motivation. He recommends using a method called the ‘Hook Model’ to map out the product creation process and identify how it will entice users to engage with the product. The model consists of four parts – trigger, action, variable reward, and investment. The trigger describes the cue or prompt that prompts a user to interact with a product. The action is what the user needs to do in order to derive value from the product. The variable reward is the prize the user receives in return for engaging with the product. Finally, the investment is the effort that the user puts in to reaping the reward each time, creating an incentive to return.

The second tenet of Hooked is actionable engagement. This involves designing interactions that prompt users to engage with your product using a variety of techniques such as visual cues and reward systems. The design should encourage users to take actions that benefit your product, while at the same time, also incentivizing them to come back repeatedly.

The third and fourth tenets outline the importance of variable reinforcement and invested users. Variable reinforcement is a psychological approach that utilizes rewards to encourage users to repeatedly engage with the product. It is important for companies to consider the content and rewards they provide in order to maximize user engagement. Invested users, on the other hand, refer to a group of users who grow to trust the product and its parent company. Invested users are also more likely to return and engage with the product and form habits over time.

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal is an incredibly insightful and actionable guide to designing and creating products that form lasting habits. It provides invaluable advice on how to motivate users, design interactions that increase user engagement, and structure rewards arguments to ensure loyal users remain invested. For any company looking to become more successful, this book offers a wealth of knowledge to get them well on their way.