MotivationalDesign
A framework for designing products that last
Stop building on hope. Start building on human motivation.
Most products fail from weak foundations, not missing features. This book gives you the framework to evaluate whether what you're building will actually last—before you waste months shipping things nobody cares about.
What's Inside
Complete Framework
All 8 motivational principles explained with real examples, research foundations, and specific ways to strengthen each one in your product.
Real Product Teardowns
Deep analysis of how Strava, Notion, Monzo, TikTok, and others use motivational design. What makes their spines strong, where they're vulnerable, and what you can learn.
Workshop Tools
Everything you need to run 90-minute sessions with your team: evaluation scorecards, debate frameworks, and decision filters.
Behavioral Research
Built on Fogg's Behavior Model, Chou's Octalysis, Self-Determination Theory, and years of testing with real product teams.
What You'll Learn
Stop debating features, start designing motivations
Replace circular arguments with a shared language. Know which 2-3 motivations define your product's identity—your spine—and build everything around them.
Read competitors like never before
See beyond feature lists to understand motivational architecture. Spot white space others miss. Know where competitors are vulnerable.
Evaluate ideas before building them
Stress-test concepts in 90 minutes. Identify fatal gaps early. Know whether your idea has motivational foundations or just traction potential.
Make better strategic decisions
Every feature debate becomes a spine question: "Does this strengthen what defines us, or dilute our focus?" Clarity replaces guesswork.
Table of Contents
The Thing About Traction
Why Instaspacer's growth meant nothing without foundation
The Real Failure Pattern
The three missing pieces that kill 70-90% of products
The Baseline Principles
Prompt and Ability—the gates that let motivation convert to behavior
Goals vs Motivations
Why "people want to be healthy" doesn't tell you what to build
Purpose
Feeling part of something meaningful
Progress
The satisfaction of moving forward
Creativity
The joy of shaping and expressing
Ownership
Building what feels like yours
Connection
Belonging and being recognized
Exclusivity
Access others don't have
Curiosity
The spark of discovery
Security
The comfort of stability
Finding Your Spine
Identify your 2-3 core motivations in a 90-minute workshop
Reading Product Shapes
Analyze any product's motivational architecture
Competitive Analysis
Use motivations to spot opportunities competitors miss
Evaluating Product Ideas
Test concepts before building—catch fatal gaps early
From Analysis to Action
Turn insights into roadmap decisions
What You Build Next
Technology changes. Human motivation doesn't.
What People Say
"This framework ended our circular feature debates."
We finally have shared language for what actually drives retention. Game-changer for our product org.
"The case studies are worth the price alone."
Seeing how real products found their spine helped us identify ours in one afternoon.
"Finally. Behavioral research I can actually use."
Bridges the gap between academic psychology and Monday morning product decisions.
About the Author
Jason Thorarinsson runs Sidekick Digital, building products for startups and growing companies.
After watching the same failure patterns repeat across dozens of products, he synthesized behavioral research (Fogg, Chou, Deci & Ryan) into a framework teams can use in 90-minute workshops.
This book is that framework—tested, refined, and written for product teams who want to stop guessing and start building with intention.
More about Sidekick Digital →Sidekick Digital
Product design agency helping startups and growing companies build products that endure.
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