Made to Stick

I have also finished reading the book "Made to Stick" written by two brothers Chip and Dan Heath. This book takes you through a journey helping you to discover what makes ideas "Sticky".
It covers at great length the  6 principles of stickiness (SUCCES):

1. Simplicity
2. Unexpectedness
3. Concreteness
4. Credibility
5. Emotions
6. Stories

Once you achieve as many of these principles as you can, your idea might become sticky or stickier than it would of been if you did not apply them.
It comes across very clear in the book that simplicity to an idea is important you need to "find the core" as they say, strip the idea down completely.

"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add but when there is nothing left to take away."

Also every designer has found that in some point or another it is hard to get people to jump on your idea bandwagon:

"If we're trying to persuade a sceptical audience to believe a new message to believe a new message, the reality is we are fighting an uphill battle against a lifetime of personal learning and social relationships."

So how do we change this well...

"A reliable way of making people care is by invoking self interest."

I feel this statement speaks the truth in bucket loads given that most people only care about something if it is going to benefit them in some form or another, else they may think what's the point?

In order to do so, you will have to empower peoples desires (Maslows Pyramid):

• Transcendence
• Self Actualization
• Aesthetic
• Learning
• Esteem
• Belonging
• Security
• Physical

As many people will ask themselves in life, What's in it for me? (WIIFY) Basically it helps to fight your case if you are able to tick one or more of these boxes.
You may recognise this list from Maslows Pyramid however, research suggest:

"the hierarchial aspect of Maslow's theory is bogus-people pursue all of these needs simultaneously."

Many people try to bamboozle us with facts and stats to get us onside but does that really get through to us? Are we not going to forget all about that within a short time frame?

"Statistics are rarely meaningful, and of themselves statistics will and should almost always be used to illustrate a relationship. Its more important for people to remember the relationship rather than the number."

An interesting point is that once an idea has become "sticky" you cannot make it "unsticky" apart from trying to come up with another idea that is stickier than the last.
For example McDonald's fought off rumours about them putting earthworms into their burgers.
In 1978 they tried to put an end to the rumour by saying that this idea was "completely unfounded and unsubstantiated." Ask yourself, what idea would still stick in the minds of the public more? Of course it was still about the earthworms.
"By 1992, Ray Kroc, McDonald's most famous CEO, had come up with a better approach. He said, "We couldn't afford to grind worms into meat. Hamburgers cost a dollar and a half a pound and night time crawlers cost six dollars!"
Such a good example of fighting an already "sticky" concept with an even "stickier" one!

There are many insights in this book and examples of what they are talking about working when put into practise. Which makes what they are saying all the more credible advice, worth following.

I feel I have gained a lot out of reading this book a thoroughly and would recommend it to others who wish there concepts would stick.