Gamification Analysis of Snapchat: How Camera and Storytelling Captured Attention
This article is written by Contributing Writer Erik van Mechelen. Editor’s Note (2026): This analysis was originally published…
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The Blog
Ideas on motivation, behavior & design.
Deep dives on the psychology behind why people do what they do — from Yu-kai Chou, creator of the Octalysis Framework. Pick the topic that matters to you.
Motivation: Why It’s Dumb To Pay Your Contractors Late
This article was co-written by Yu-kai Chou and Erik van Mechelen. Table of Contents About Yu-kai Chou Paying…
50 Persuasion Techniques from Cialdini’s “Yes!” — Mapped to Octalysis Core Drives
Editor’s note: This essay is the companion piece to the pillar guide Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Persuasion: S-Tier…
Yu-kai Chou comments on 1st Trump-Clinton Presidential Debate (Abridged)
Author Credibility: Yu-kai Chou Yu-kai Chou created the Octalysis Framework after studying gamification since 2003 — years before…
Creating Habit-Forming and Habit-Defeating Products: Pavlok and Moti
This article was written by Erik van Mechelen with input from Yu-kai Chou and Jun Loayza. Attention and…
Why Social Podcast Players Are Next: True Discovery in Overcast and Tung
How do you actually discover your next favorite podcast? Not through an algorithm — through people you trust.…
Persuasive Tactics in the 2016 Clinton-Trump Debate (A Behavioral-Design Lens)
The first 2016 US presidential debate pulled an audience of roughly 84 million live viewers, the largest in…