First Steps into Behavioural Design

Written by Lauren Kelly

Behavioural Design is about understanding what people do, why they do it, and how we can make better choices easier.
This course was made for anyone curious about how design can create change. Whether you’re a designer, strategist, policymaker, or simply someone who wants to make things work better for people.

You don’t need a background in psychology or behavioural science.
You just need an interest in people and a willingness to learn by doing.

Everything here has been designed to help you start, not to overwhelm you.
You’ll learn the basic principles, practise the methods, and use real examples to understand how to turn behavioural insight into practical design.

It’s not about “fixing” people.
It’s about designing systems, products, and services that fit real human behaviour, not the ideal version of it.

Who wrote this

Hello, I’m Lauren Kelly, the creator of BehaviourKit.
I’ve spent the last 15 years helping organisations use behavioural design to create change that lasts. Across in health, sustainability, AI adoption, product innovation and organisational culture. I've worked with two governments, Meta, Microsoft, Accenture and more.

I wrote First Steps into Behavioural Design in 2020 to give more people access to this way of thinking. It was published as apart of a course I made for Manchester Met University on Behavioural Design.
You can now sign up for that course here for free. And use all the resources from it for free too.
You don’t need a consultancy, a big budget, or a background in science to start designing for behaviour.
You just need the right tools and a bit of curiosity.

How to get in touch

If you’d like to:

  • Share feedback about the course

  • Collaborate or invite me to teach a session

  • Ask about learning or project opportunities

You can reach me here:
lauren@behaviourkit.com
www.behaviourkit.com

I read every message personally and try to reply within a few days.

You can also check out more of my work and case studies at www.laurenkelly.me


A note before you go

Behavioural Design isn’t a single method or model.
It’s a practice, one that gets better each time you notice, test, and learn.

This resource is your first step.
Where it takes you next is up to you.