By Filippo Vanucci (January 26, 2009) (Reading 1)

The first readings for the class Persuasive Technology: Designing the Human provide an effective introduction to the theory and practice behind this discipline, through a series of definitions and taxonomies. Some concepts, though, are not extremely straightforward to me, in particular:

1. I can’t really grasp the idea that computing products can be persuasive as tools. In the first chapters of the book Persuasive Technology, B.J. Fogg introduces a sort of taxonomy for persuasive computing products, called ”functional triad”. Computing products can be persuasive in three different ways: as tools, as social actors, or as media. I don’t believe, though, that you can convince anyone to change their attitude or behavior by simply providing them the tools to do something. The “tool function” regards the quality of the product, its usability (as Fogg points out: ), not its ability to be persuasive.

2. Another idea that is a little confusing to me is the dichotomy between transparency and persuasion. In my opinion they are not in conflict, but instead they refer to different aspects of the technological artifacts: on one side invisibility is what makes a product easy to use (the user is not required to focus on the technical aspects of the interaction); on the other side persuasive products help users to find solutions for their expressed or potential needs, providing motivation, suggestions or rewards.