Activating behaviour change through strategic design

Collaboration from the get-go

Informing alone is not enough for behavioral change. You have to touch, convince, and activate your target group. To achieve that, you need a behavioral approach, with a creative strategy as a foundation. Yet in practice, communication and design are all too often the final piece of such a strategy. A pity, we think. Because making something beautiful is fun, but we’d rather make something that really works. Only by getting around the table with content experts (and preferably also the target group) from the start, sparring and thinking along with them from our wide range of expertise, can we dig deep enough. Not only into the subject matter, but also into the barriers that keep people from changing. Only in this way can we make social issues visible, understandable, and manageable. That is our strength and our motivation. We like to work shoulder to shoulder to achieve our common goal. Because together you make more impact.

Be positive and make it simple

In addition to what you communicate, it is especially important how you address and activate people. Research has shown for decades that communication that evokes fear or guilt is often counterproductive. People close themselves off, ignore the message, or freeze. Think of the well-known shock campaigns against smoking: confrontational, but rarely sustainably effective. Behavioral psychology teaches us that positive, concrete, and approachable communication does work. People are (proven) more likely to take action if they believe they can, the first step is small, and the message appeals to them in a hopeful way. A combination of smart strategic choices and accessible short copy that touches. This requires expertise, as the age-old quote by mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal also shows: ‘I am writing you a long letter, because I have no time for a short one’.

Add value with design

Next, visual interpretation plays a crucial role. Design is more than aesthetics to beautifully present the core message. Good design contributes to positive communication and helps to simplify and convey the message. Especially in themes such as health or prevention, where content is often layered and abstract. For decision-makers, policymakers, and marcom departments, this means that prevention campaigns not only reach more people but also achieve behavior change. Something crucial when budgets are tight. We peel back all layers of information to its essence. Using the right colors, typography, visual elements, and layout, we make sure that a gravel train of (often scientific) information becomes human, tangible, and motivating. That clarity is crucial for behavior change.

Case study: dementia prevention

Every hour, five people in the Netherlands develop dementia. And the increasing ageing of the population means that more than half a million people will be affected by 2050. Something that not only has a great impact on the people it affects and their loved ones, but also on society. Unfortunately, dementia cannot be prevented or cured. However, making certain lifestyle choices can reduce the chances of developing some forms of dementia. Something many people do not know. The urgency to inform and activate people to work on their brain health is greater than ever. This is why we have been working for years with Alzheimer Center Limburg and in close collaboration with Maastricht University researchers on campaigns that contribute to dementia prevention.

“We are the medicine ourselves” – Alzheimer Center Limburg

Background

One of the most impactful campaigns we developed together is ‘We are the medicine ourselves’, which was rolled out by several GGDs and municipalities in the Netherlands. Research shows that the campaign evoked widespread recognition and influenced behavior. For example, 30% of those surveyed started living healthier to improve brain health, and 80% now knew that curiosity is protective. Not for nothing was We are the medicine ourselves identified by World Health Organization as a best practice for public health campaigns.

Be positive and make it simple

We developed the concept and gave direction to the campaign. By bundling separate lifestyle advice under one clear message, you are the medicine; we made prevention understandable and activating. We brought the scientific advice to life by presenting examples of ‘good behavior’. Like ‘eat fruit, play soccer, go out with a friend’. Something that everyone can put to work immediately.

Add value with design

We developed clear imagery and designed recognizable symbols to make the message accessible. But running a successful campaign also means making adjustments based on feedback. It turned out that part of the target group – people with a migration background, low socioeconomic status, and young people – was more difficult to reach. Therefore, we opted for a different visual strategy in the follow-up campaign: no proprietary icons, but globally recognizable emojis. In this way, we broke through language barriers and managed to engage these groups as well in a light, approachable way.