Applied Behavioral Design (ABD)
Master behavioral design
with 25 hours of lessons and
9 weeks of LIVE training.
Join our students from beginners to pros in top companies:
Learn applied psychology, step-by-step
ABD is our LIVE tutorial class, where over 9 weeks, we’ll guide you through the behavioral design process.
We’ve structured ABD for both beginners and experienced professionals alike.
We only teach ABD LIVE to provide a proper learning experience.
By the end of ABD, you’ll understand the behavioral design process and feel confident in your ability to build psychology-inspired technology.
You’ll also get practice applying everything you’ve learned in DBC and EDP.
LIVE ABD Schedule (2022):
LIVE tutorials run Thursdays from 13:00-14:15 EST. After, there's free time for discussions and feedback on prototypes. We record all tutorials.
Join our next LIVE ABD term
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New self-paced ABD edition
(Summer 2022)
We're launching a self-paced edition of ABD in the summer of 2022.
Students who now enroll in any training package with ABD gain access to any LIVE ABD term, the new self-paced edition, and to recordings of prior LIVE terms.
We're starting consultations with students on the best format to provide open instructor time, feedback on students' projects, host interactive exercises, and cover new topics. We're also aiming to offer in-person support across ALL time zones.
There will also be new pricing. Self-paced classes will decrease in price, while LIVE in-person training will increase. HOWEVER, if you enroll now, you'll get all educational modes at our best tuition fee.
Have any questions? Reach out: team@alterspark.com.
Your 9 Week Learning Schedule
To keep you focused, our LIVE classes follow a fixed 9 week schedule.
Each lesson covers another step in the behavioral design process.
To help you internalize the lessons, you’ll enjoy a blend of lessons, interactive exercises, discussions, and more.
We only offer this class LIVE so you can ask questions, get feedback on your work, and participate in a proper learning environment.
Typically we run our tutorials on Thursday at 13:00 EST. But check the schedule to be sure.
We also record all tutorials, so if you have a scheduling conflict, there’s no problem.
Here’s what we cover in each tutorial:
1. Define your product & research plan (DBC)
We’ll kick-off the term by meeting everyone, getting our project documents sorted, and enjoying a tour of the entire process. Then we’ll start the first lesson on how to plan a behavioral design project.
2. Outline your audiences, impacts & behavioral insights (DBC)
We’ll quickly cover the behavioral design process, then take a deep dive into segmentation and persona design from a behavioral science and psychometric perspective.
3. Build psychometric segments and personas (DBC)
This critical tutorial teaches you how to select the best psychological principles and theories for your particular project. You’ll learn this advanced topic by using our cloud tools that simulate the process of psychological research.
4. Select a theory of change & brand personality (DBC)
This lesson will deepen your skills in selecting behavior change theories, and using psychological models to inspire creative strategies and interactive content.
5. Build behavioral prototypes & adaptive brand guidelines (DBC)
This tutorial shows you how to translate behavioral insights into standard prototyping tools. You’ll gain a new perspective on building psychology-inspired branding guidelines, product specifications, color palettes, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
6. Target emotions that motivate & reinforce user behavior (EDP)
For this tutorial, we’ll revisit our audience research based on the neurobiology of emotion and motivation. This class rethinks digital strategies, UX, and content based on the emotions that drive and reinforce online behavior.
7. Experience the emotions that drive user behavior (EDP)
Through group exercises and psychometric polls, we’ll dive deep into the emotions that shape online behavior. This class will get you to re-examine your entire approach from an emotional design perspective. You’ll start to rethink everything at this point.
8. Prototype behavioral user journeys (EDP)
Building on the prior lesson, we’ll examine stage-based design and look at long-term processes of change. We’ll apply this to marketing funnels, long-term customer lifecycles, and detailed user flows. At this point, you’ll update your prototypes with deep insight into your users, aiming for that smooth polish.
9. Behavioral research for digital products & campaigns
In our final tutorial, we’ll show you the ropes of tech-focused behavioral pilot testing. If you want to put your prototype to the test, send it in. We’ll use your mocks in the class to gather feedback and help drive your project forward.
A 7-Step Behavioral Design Process
Our process blends classic behavioral science with tech-industry design approaches.
A perfect complement to Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Design Sprints, Agile, or most other project approaches.
Best of all, our behavioral design templates are similar to standard industry prototyping tools—incorporate everything we cover in your daily work.
By the end of the LIVE tutorial series, you’ll understand how to translate psychology to digital products.
And you’ll get a suite of psychological design templates, tools, and models ready to guide your next creative project.
Here’s our behavioral design process:
1. Planning
2. Researching
3. Innovating
4. Prototyping
5. Piloting
6. Launching & optimizing
7. Evaluating & learning
Training Materials
ABD includes additional training materials for the behavioral design process:
Step-by-step templates
You’ll get a suite of step-by-step behavioral design templates. Each template includes instructions, a case study and follows a clear progression from start to finish.
Design publications
Behavioral software
Private support group
How We Run Our LIVE Tutorials
We’ve spent over a decade teaching in small classrooms before moving online.
That’s why our online tutorials might not be what you’re used to.
Here’s how we run our tutorials:
Fun and engaging
Interactive learning
Student directed
Coaching approach
A real LIVE class
“After class” support
Plain language & down to earth
Behavioral design sprint
Learn Street-Smart Strategies
The moment you start using psychology in tech projects … expect a crazy ride.
Theory rarely goes according to plan.
Politics matter.
And you’re usually struggling with legacy software, small budgets, and big egos.
We want you to succeed.
So we teach street-smart digital psychology.
You’ll learn:
how to win over skeptics;
how to make better, psychology-informed decisions;
and how to use psychology to make your entire design process more engaging.
Here’s how we keep our training street-smart:
We avoid common traps
We’re sensitive to politics and big egos
We employ organizational psychology
We focus on practical decisions
Certification
All participants receive a certificate of participation after completing this course. Those who submit all templates and a final prototype receive a certificate of completion.
Those who want to prove their mastery get three attempts to take the test to earn an Applied Behavioral Design Certificate (ABDC).
Enroll Now (Online Training)
After enrolling in our online training, you’ll get instant access to the video lessons.
Each training bundle includes 9 weeks of ABD tutorials.
Once enrolled, you’ll see the sign-up sheet to join the ABD tutorials.
Psychology for Digital Behavior Change (DBC)
15 hours of on-demand DBC lessons
9 weeks of LIVE ABD tutorials
3 psychological design guides
12 behavioral design templates
Private support group
DBC & ABD Completion Certificates
DBCC & ABDC Mastery Certificates
2 years unlimited LIVE tutorials
2 years access to all updates
2 years behavioral science software
Emotional Design Psychology (EDP)
10 hours of on-demand EDP lessons
9 weeks of LIVE ABD tutorials
2 emotional design guides
12 behavioral design templates
Private support group
EDP & ABD Completion Certificates
EDPC & ABDC Mastery Certificates
2 years unlimited LIVE tutorials
2 years access to all updates
2 years behavioral science software
Complete Package (DBC & EDP)
25 hours of on-demand DBC & EDP lessons
9 weeks of LIVE ABD tutorials
5 design guides
12 behavioral design templates
Private support group
DBC, EDP & ABD Completion Certificates
DBCC, EDPC & ABDC Mastery Certificates
3 years unlimited LIVE tutorials
3 years access to all updates
3 years behavioral science software
Need a hand?
If you need a hand with our payment system or require any formal documents, contact us at +1 (888) 977-2055 or team(at)alterspark.com.
Satisfaction guarantee
We know you’ll gain a lot from our training, but we offer a 48-hour window to receive a 100% refund if our online training does not meet your expectations. See the details.
Next steps
The next step takes you to our secure enrollment page. After enrolling, you’ll receive a confirmation message and full access.
FAQs
How do I sign-up for a specific ABD term?
To get access to ABD tutorials, first you need to enroll in DBC, EDP, or the complete bundle. Next, complete the ABD sign-up form, where you can join any upcoming tutorial term. Once you’re enrolled, this is straight forward.
What if I can’t attend the time of day for the LIVE tutorials?
We do our best to accommodate students with scheduling conflicts. Whether it’s a tight agenda, time zone misfit, or other timing issues, we have a handful of solutions. We post a recording of each tutorial right after, and you can submit any questions or homework ahead of time. Naturally, Dr. Cugelman prioritizes giving feedback to students who attend. But if you have a scheduling conflict, email Dr. Cugelman and he will do his best to provide feedback to you in the tutorial.
What if I can’t make the next LIVE ABD term?
If you have a scheduling conflict, you can move to any future LIVE tutorial at no cost, anytime over a 2 year period. You can even take ABD multiple times, although we recommend you pick one term and give it your full focus to get the best learning experience.
How does ABD fit with your other classes, DBC and EDP?
We teach through a blended learning approach that combines video lessons with LIVE tutorials. Our course Psychology Digital Behavior Change (DBC) includes 15 hours of video lessons, while Emotional Design Psychology and Neuroscience (EDP) includes 10 hours of video lessons. Both classes give you a foundation in psychology, behavioral science, and neuroscience for tech. Then when you join ABD, we’ll show you how to translate all those lessons into practice through project-based learning in an interactive online classroom.
Can I follow ABD if I only enrolled in DBC or EDP, but not both?
We structured ABD as a step-by-step design process that integrates the lessons from DBC and EDP. You’ll have a deeper learning experience if you take both courses. But if you’re only enrolled in one, there’s no problem following along. We summarize the main concepts so that it’s accessible to students in all learning streams.
ABD Helps You Learn Our Entire System
We take a blended training approach to our online education by combining 25 hours of video lessons with 9 weeks of LIVE tutorials.
You’ll build your foundation over two on-demand courses. The first, Psychology for Digital Behavior Change (DBC), covers digital psychology and behavioral science, teaching you how to translate psychology into digital products. Online, there are 15 hours of video lessons, which we teach over 3 days in the classroom.
Our second course is Emotional Design Psychology & Neuroscience (EDP), which explains the neuroscience of how emotions drive user behavior and teaches you how to design for specific emotions. Online, there are 10 hours of video lessons, which we teach over 2 days in the classroom.
Then, ABD helps you internalize the lessons and build new skills. In an interactive classroom, you’ll learn how to apply everything you’ve learned in our video lessons. You could say ABD is where it all comes together.
When we teach in classrooms, we weave the behavioral design process into our lessons, guiding you through the process during our lessons, scenario-based learning exercises, design challenges, and lots of hands-on exercises.
Thinking of Taking ABD with Just One Other Class?
Here’s what you need to know
Since ABD shows you how to implement the principles taught in DBC and EDP, you might wonder how it works for students enrolled in just one class.
You’ll certainly have a deeper learning experience if you take both DBC and EDP, but
if you’re just taking one course, you can still follow the ABD tutorials.
Our ABD tutorials are for all students in all educational streams.
That’s why we summarize the key lessons for each tutorial—to ensure all students can follow them.
Here’s how the ABD tutorials cover lessons related to each course:
Weeks 1–5
The DBC-related tutorials cover the psychological design process from concept to prototype.
Weeks 6–8
The EDP-related tutorials cover user-centered design from an emotional-motivation perspective.
Week 9
The final tutorial covers product research and prototyping related to both classes.
How to Plan Your Learning Schedule
Our ABD tutorials cover the hands-on part of the lessons taught in DBC and EDP.
Complete our training system in different ways—according to your learning goals and schedule.
We know what works best for most students, so here’s what we recommend:
Schedule 1. Start the video lessons now, then join our next LIVE term
If you complete all the video lessons before the term starts, you’ll enjoy a more relaxed pace of 2–4 hours a week during the LIVE term. Students typically complete the video lessons anywhere from a few days to a few months.
Schedule 2. Complete everything in 9 weeks
Schedule 3. Jump into the LIVE tutorials first, then catch-up on the video lessons
Corporate Training With Deliverables
We also offer Corporate Training where we’ll train your team while building your digital products and campaigns.
Education, product design, and creative campaign content–that’s a sweet deal. Contact us to learn more.
Join thousands who’ve completed our training
From beginners to pros in top companies
Guarantees and Terms
All training come with our Guarantees and Terms. Please read these before enrolling.
