Our latest article in Impact magazine ‘Auditing Sludge', explores how to think about constructing what’s known as a ‘Sludge audit’, from what to measure to what the implications are.
Sludge is when consumers face high levels of friction that obstructs their efforts to achieve something that is in their best interest or are deliberately misled to take action that is not in their best interest. While a sludge audit is where behavioural science practitioners and user experience designers analyse the consumer journey to detect and remove sludge and improve consumer outcomes.
We discuss the rise in companies conducting their own sludge audits to check for unnecessary friction that causes either suboptimal decision making or feelings of frustration. And how this puts companies in a better position to take action to ensure their product or service are consumer-friendly.
Finally, we explore how companies can implement a sludge audit. For example, Dilip Soman at the University of Toronto has drafted a simple framework based on three components:
- process
- communication
- inclusivity
There is currently a huge opportunity to invest in sludge audits to help both you and your consumers save time, energy and money.
To learn more, read our article here.