Designing and Evaluating Carrot, a Persuasive System for Improving Good-to-Bad Behavior Ratios

Abstract

This paper details the design process and evolution of a mobile app called Carrot, designed to help people improve their good-to-bad behavior ratios. The app draws on theory on persuasive systems, decision fatigue, gamification, open loops, and reinforcement. The design process is based around the elaborated action design research framework, and comprises cycles for diagnosis, design, implementation, and evolution. We also outline a plan for the future evaluation of the artifact. The contributions of this paper include the novel construct of the good-to-bad behavior ratio, the design of a system to improve good-to-bad behavior ratios, and the implementation of a prototype app which implements said design.