What makes Instagram a hit
(psychologically speaking)
Design & Human behavior: Motivational Theory
Project frame + case study:
Instagram’s user behavioral analysis based on the psychological Motivational Theory
Any interface or activity can fulfill Steven Reiss' 16 basic desires. To facilitate this analysis, I've created a template to map which motivations are met by which features.
Interfaces, whether they are physical or digital, are composed by features that influence the human being’s mental state.
An interface has a purpose, and when it's well-designed, it fulfills its potential with mastery - ensuring that the right things happen. It doesn't control individual emotions but guides them.
It should engage the individual up to a certain point: if the challenge is too weak or idle, the human potential remains unfulfilled, leading to frustration and disengagement.
If the challenge is excessive, human attempts to collaborate with it may result in failure and decline, leading to feelings of helplessness. When the challenge is appropriate, humans are stimulated to new levels of creativity and are encouraged by their own brains to remain engaged, constantly seeking the physiological and psychological rewards of success.
Psychology is the scientific study of observable behavior. With that in mind, the American psychologist Steven Reiss developed the Motivation Theory, which identifies 16 fundamental needs and values that motivate and empower individuals, objectives that are common to everyone.
The ways in which an individual can respond to an artifact vary, and although we all perceive our surroundings slightly differently, we tend to respond to them in consistent ways. That’s why and how we are able to mobilize diferent people, personas and publics - by basing our choices on the human being, which is the common factor among all of us.
In this case study, I am going to evaluate Instagram under these precepts. It is a globally popular platform where people often feel compelled to spend many hours per day.
How is it capable of addressing so many different people and regions while still establishing a strong bond among them all?
I encourage you to explore the analysis provided below ↓
By following this template, it is possible to plan on delivering values that will be embraced by all sorts of expectations.
