Behavioral science and AI, applied
Leaders in human-AI workflow design
Helping organizations build structured AI-human partnerships by mapping decision environments to reveal the psychological, social, and incentive dynamics that drive high-ROI outcomes.
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Design AI that fits into complex human systems
Built to integrate in existing decision environments
Automation efforts stall when they optimize isolated tasks instead of entire decision systems. We combine a deep understanding of AI capabilities with a map of how choices are actually made —who decides, under what constraints, and with which incentives, norms, and informal workarounds. This tells us where AI can be leveraged... not just theoretically, but in real teams.
Creating durable & scalable human–AI skill partnerships
The most valuable gains rarely come from full automation. They come from reallocating cognitive effort toward the tasks that reward both the organization and the people doing them. We design structured collaborations between employees and AI, resulting in a division of labor that makes sense and also 'feels' right.
Launch hybrid systems that scale
Many agentic pilots fail to move past simple chat interfaces. We design sophisticated, multi-step workflows that handle end-to-end processes while keeping "humans in the loop" at critical friction points. Importantly, we understand that any successful system needs to be adaptable to the rapid development of AI technology. The process is the product.
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I was blown away with their application and translation of behavioral science into practice. They took a very complex ecosystem and created a series of interventions using an innovative mix of the latest research and creative client co-creation. I was so impressed at the final product they created, which was hugely comprehensive despite the large scope of the client being of the world's most far-reaching and best known consumer brands. I'm excited to see what we can create together in the future.
Heather McKee
BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST
GLOBAL COFFEEHOUSE CHAIN
OUR CLIENT SUCCESS
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Annual Revenue Increase
By launching a behavioral science practice at the core of the organization, we helped one of the largest insurers in North America realize $30M increase in annual revenue.
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Increase in AI Adoption
By diagnosing key barriers and scaling low-touch, gamified interventions, we achieved a 35% increase in AI Adoption and a 17% increase in Job-Integrated Usability with a leading SaaS company
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Reduction In Design Time
By designing a new process and getting buy-in from the C-Suite team, we helped one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world reduce software design time by 75%.
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Reduction in Client Drop-Off
By implementing targeted nudges based on proactive interventions, we reduced drop-off rates for 450,000 clients belonging to USA's oldest debt consolidation organizations by 46%
What goes into agentic workflow design?
Decision system diagnostics
We conduct structured audits of decision flows, information bottlenecks, and informal influence networks to identify where augmentation creates value.
AI capability mapping
We break down complex tasks into modular components, clarifying which elements should remain human, which can be delegated based on current stable AI capabilities, and which require hybrid oversight.
Experimental redesign
We prototype revised workflows, test them in contained environments, and measure downstream effects on speed, quality, and behavioral spillovers.
Institutional embedding
We formalize governance structures, escalation protocols, and learning loops to ensure human–AI partnerships remain adaptive over time.
Merging behavior, systems, and strategy to turn AI adoption into everyday action.
Applied decision science for scalable human–AI collaboration
The conversation around AI often centers on capability. The constraint, however, is almost always implementation. Productivity gains depend on model accuracy and deliberately redesigning how systems redistribute responsibility, authority, and expertise across the organization.
Most agentic workflow challenges are misalignments within complex decision environments. When incentives reward risk avoidance, employees will bypass AI. When workflows ignore informal norms, shadow processes emerge. These second-order effects determine whether augmentation compounds performance or hinders it.
A growing body of research on skill complementarity and task reallocation suggests that organizations see the largest productivity gains when they intentionally redesign work around hybrid systems, rather than layering tools onto legacy structures:
As agentic workflows become the norm, the question shifts from “What can the human or model do?” to “What can this hybrid system do?". The ceiling is set by how work is recomposed: value shows up when you redesign workflows end-to-end rather than automating individual tasks.
Ready to unlock the value of AI at your organization?
We’ll diagnose key adoption barriers and drivers to develop a plug-and-play behavior change program that drives lasting adoption at scale.
We’ll never share your info with anyone.
OUR CLIENT SUCCESS
Fueling AI adoption by creating a culture of experimentation
We partnered with a global HR leader to create better aligned agentic workflows throughout their organization. By mapping their decision environment across functions and teams, we identified critical "partnership points" where AI agents could best support human work.
Our mission is to translate cutting-edge science into powerful tools, enabling passionate leaders to place intentional bets on innovation.
Dan Pilat
Co-Founder & Managing Director
MEET OUR EXPERTS
Managing director
Marielle MontenegroMarielle has led a number of large product mandates for multinational clients, focusing on the intersection of human centered design and behavioral science. Her work within highly complex team structures and organizations has made her a world expert of the integration of behavioral science into product - and expertise which she speaks about at conferences around the world.
Director
Turney McKeeTurney is a Director at The Decision Lab, where he brings a multidisciplinary lens to solving complex public health challenges. With a background in cellular biology and pharmacology, he explores how behavioral science can support healthcare systems and policies around the world. Before joining TDL, Turney worked at the intersection of healthcare and technology as a competitive and business intelligence analyst, helping organizations navigate emerging trends and strategic decisions.
Managing director
Sekoul Krastev, PhDSekoul is a decision scientist focused on using scientific rigor to create innovation within digital environments. His work, which has been featured in peer review journals, conferences and publications focuses on next-generation products that are not only innovative but also deeply integrated with an understanding of user psychology to drive desired behaviors and outcomes.
OUR CLIENT SUCCESS
Improving safety for millions of ride-sharing users around the world
We worked with one of the largest ride-sharing services in the world to understand safety issues across multiple markets. Using a combination of qualitative work, machine learning and behavior change research, we were able to create global safety framework as well as a series of on-the-ground trainings aimed at reducing incidents.
Everything we do is based on five core principles (SPICE): Socially Conscious, Pragmatic, Inventive, Catalytic, Evidence-Based.
Dr. Sekoul Krastev
Co-Founder & Managing Director
AS FEATURED IN
Insights that address the toughest product design challenges
faq
Common Questions We Receive
What are the next steps if I'd like to work with you?
Get in touch with us with a quick description of the problem you're looking to tackle and, if we think we can help, we'll connect you with the right person to chat about our past experiences. Whether we end up working together or not, our goal is to add value in issue areas we care about.
What's your approach to making sure the work you do has high ROI?
Our work focuses on using a unique mix of rigor & pragmatism to solve very hard problems. To do this well, we're very careful to look for the right fit each time we receive a collaboration request - we want to make sure we can make a significant dent in the issue you're working on. Because of this, our past collaborations have consistently delivered substantial results - something we'll walk you through during our first chats.
What makes The Decision Lab's approach unique compared to other consulting firms?
We blend scientific rigor with pragmatic insight, using a no-nonsense multidisciplinary approach that doesn't discriminate against any field, be it psychology, UX, marketing or machine learning. This approach, which is supported by a team with diverse experience, allows us to solve very hard problems in an entirely new way.
How do I convince the rest of my team that behavioral design is a helpful tool?
Internal stakeholder buy-in is often the most important part of any behavior change project we do, and we like to believe we're experts in it. The first step is, of course, to make sure that behavioral science really is the right approach - to what extent is the problem you're looking to solve related to a decision made by a person and why can't more traditional approaches be used instead? We work closely with potential clients to answer questions like these and, if there is a fit, build a strong internal case.
