Ekman’s Basic Emotions: An S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
In 1967 a young psychologist flew to the highlands of Papua New Guinea carrying a stack of photographs…
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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.
Nationcraft Analysis: Kosovo Coalition Stalemate 2026
Kosovo's third snap election in 18 months reproduced the same coalition arithmetic. Nationcraft diagnoses the V10-V12-V13 Coalition Stalemate…
10,000 Hours of Play by OP Hero: Dolly Parton
She said no to Elvis, built Dollywood, and mailed 250 million books to kids. Dolly Parton's full build…
Appraisal Theories of Emotion: S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
Two people get the same email. The subject line is three words: “We need to talk.” One of…
10,000 Hours of Play by OP Hero: Wilma Rudolph
Doctors said Wilma Rudolph might never walk. Sixteen years later she was the fastest woman alive — her…
10,000 Hours of Play by OP Hero: Franklin D. Roosevelt
A man who could not stand without steel braces stopped a national bank run with his voice. FDR's…
ARCS Model of Motivation: S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
There is a moment every instructional designer, every teacher, and every product onboarding team quietly dreads. The content…
HEXACO Personality Model: S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
Picture two job candidates with matching résumés. Same degree, same years of experience, same warm and competent interview,…
Schema Theory: S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
In 1932, a Cambridge psychologist named Frederic Bartlett read a Native American folk tale called “The War of…