Behavioral science, applied
The leading applied research & innovation consultancy
We use behavioral science to bring the next iteration of design thinking & human centred design.
Let's chat
De-risk innovation with design thinking & behavioral science.
De-risk innovation
Innovation always carries some risk but that doesn’t mean you should be shooting in the dark. Behavioral design thinking drastically reduces risk & waste in innovation with tools such as deep literature reviews and pilot experiments, which allow behavioral designers to quickly narrow the solution space to what is likely to have a deep and sustained impact.
Sustain behavior change
The crux of most innovation efforts is some behavior change goal. The issue is that most times these changes are temporary - they might create an initial uptick but see people eventually returning to some status quo. By leaning on decades of behavior change literature, innovation consulting backed by behavioral science focuses on solutions that get stronger, not weaker, with time.
Human centred design, but with science
Incorporating behavioral science into human centred design uncovers deep psychological drivers and barriers to user engagement and satisfaction. Behavioral designers can then use that information to create more intuitive and engaging solutions that are even more centred on how humans actually think & feel. This approach has been shown to lead to increased satisfaction, loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth.
“
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
$0M
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.
0%
Increase in Monthly Users
By redesigning North America's first national digital platform for mental health, we achieved a 52% lift in monthly users and an 83% improvement on clinical assessment.
0%
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%.
0%
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%
Our secret sauce - lean rigor
Evidence-Based Design
Design decisions based on an iterative testing approach with over 10,000 diverse research participants.
Cutting Edge Science
Cutting edge stepped care approach to mental healthcare based on collaboration with Berkeley researchers.
Behavioral Feature Set
Feature roadmap grounded in a machine-learning aided literature review of thousands of papers & case studies.
Data Driven Reward System
Custom behavior change framework & reward system that enhance motivation and long-term adherence.
Make it
your secret sauce
Merging heart and science to build innovation that captivate users, empowers change and moves markets.
Behavioral science: Supercharging design thinking
We live in a world that is largely designed for us - i.e. designed to help us achieve certain goals. Unfortunately, many of the products, services and systems we interact with do the exact opposite. They may be designed with good intentions to help us regain a sense of agency over some aspect of our lives, but without a strong foundation on behavioral science, they’re unlikely to work.
We believe that that the biggest rate-limiter for innovation, growth and impact is poor alignment with how people think, feel and make decisions. This is why we turn to tools like behavior change, choice architecture and nudging.
Countless third-party studies have shown that interventions based on behavioral science provide a clear, low-cost benefit relative to those that do not:
As we continue to blend insights from behavioral science with decades of design thinking and human centred design acumen, the potential for innovation grows. Whether we’re talking about intervention design, research or implementation, behaviorally informed design is lower risk, higher ROI and more empowering. This is a big leap and we’re excited to be at the forefront of it.
Ready to infuse behavioral science into your design thinking project?
Let's collaborate. Tell us the challenge you’re facing and we’ll show you a clear path to impact with our unique, evidence-based approach to de-risking human centred design.
We’ll never share your info with anyone.
OUR CLIENT SUCCESS
Redesigning access to mental healthcare for millions of people
TDL spearheaded research and product design for the first-of-its-kind digital platform offering free mental healthcare services across the country. By basing our work on an innovative stepped care clinical approach, we were able to offer various levels of care, drastically improving efficiency and effectiveness over traditional approaches.
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.
Managing director
Hector AlvaradoHector is an expert in bringing a behavioral science approach to large-scale transformation, growth strategy and integration projects across a large number of industries. He is particularly interested in generating impact for vulnerable populations around the globe. He holds a Masters in Applied Statistics from Oxford, and MBA from INSEAD and previously worked at the Boston Consulting Group.
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.
