Warwick Business School and the Design Council have launched the world's first Behavioural Design Lab. The lab aims to bring together the power of design with cutting edge scientific research that Warwick Business School's burgeoning Behavioural Science group is discovering.
Behavioural Design Lab will address issues ranging from binge drinking to the impact of the internet on teenagers to energy consumption, as well as boosting the UK's flagging economy.
"I believe that most people want to live a healthy, happy life within their means, doing what's best for family, friends and Mother Nature," commented Warwick Business School's Ed Gardiner, Behavioural Design Lead.
"But in reality - consciously or not - the decisions people make regularly knock them off course. A tough day at work justifies driving in, ordering takeaway keeps the children happy, or financial stress makes saving unfeasible. We've all been there.
Other things get in the way and awareness campaigns gloss over the practical issues. Organisations need a new approach. That is where the Behavioural Design Lab comes in.
We can combine the latest research in behavioural science with design to physically change the way people think, feel and behave for the better. Only when organisations adopt both experimentation and design-thinking will they uncover game-changing ideas."