You’re ready to bring behavioural science into your team.

Smart move.

Done right, it’s a game-changer. Transforming how people interact with your products, services, and campaigns.

But here’s the catch: behavioural science isn’t one-size-fits-all. Getting it right means hiring the right expertise for the right challenge. Whether you’re solving a behaviour problem, driving growth, or creating change, the role you choose will define your success.

Let’s break it down into three essential roles:

1. Behavioural Scientist: The insight hunter.

2. Behavioural Designer: The action taker.

3. Behavioural Strategist: The big-picture thinker.

1. Behavioural Scientist

The Insight Hunter

What They Do

Behavioural Scientists are the detectives of the human mind and actions. They uncover the why behind user behaviour—what drives actions, decisions, and preferences. Using tools like surveys, experiments, and observation, they turn raw data into actionable insights.

When to Hire Them

Bring in a Behavioural Scientist when you need to:

• Understand your audience on a deeper level.

• Answer critical questions about user needs and motivations.

• Validate assumptions with hard data during discovery or early development phases.

Perfect for when you’re figuring out the big questions—like what your users actually want and why they act the way they do.

Why They’re Essential

• Sharper Insights: They turn guesses into clarity, uncovering what really drives your users.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Their insights mean every move you make is backed by evidence.

• Reduced Risk: Know what works before you build, avoiding costly mistakes.

A Behavioural Scientist lays the foundation for success. Without them, you’re building blind.

2. Behavioural Designer

The Action Taker

What They Do

Behavioural Designers take insights and turn them into action. Their mission? To design interventions, features, and strategies that shape user behaviour in positive ways.

From creating features that increase engagement to crafting campaigns that drive real-world change, they turn the whyinto the how.

When to Hire Them

You need a Behavioural Designer when you want to:

• Solve specific behavioural challenges.

• Improve usability and impact.

• Move from research to implementation. At each stage shaping behaviours through design.

They’re ideal for projects where you need to nudge, influence, or drive user actions. Think health, finance, sustainability, or social impact.

Why They’re Essential

• Targeted Solutions: They craft strategies laser-focused on your behavioural goals.

• Improved UX: Their designs make products easier and more enjoyable to use.

• Ethical Influence: They nudge responsibly, building trust while driving outcomes.

A Behavioural Designer bridges the gap between understanding users and creating solutions that actually work.

3. Behavioural Strategist

The Big-Picture Thinker

What They Do

Behavioural Strategists are the architects of change. They combine insights from research, design, and behavioural science to create strategies that align user behaviour with business goals.

They don’t just focus on one touchpoint—they design roadmaps that connect the dots across teams, projects, and campaigns.

When to Hire Them

Hire a Behavioural Strategist when you need to:

• Align teams around a unified behavioural strategy.

• Create a roadmap for driving long-term behaviour change.

• Scale behavioural principles across multiple projects.
  

They’re invaluable for organisations that need cohesion, focus, and a big-picture approach.

Why They’re Essential

• Cohesive Strategies: They ensure every piece of the puzzle fits.

• Smarter Decisions: Their oversight helps prioritise what matters most.

• Strategic Roadmaps: They map out clear, actionable plans for behaviour change.
  

A Behavioural Strategist doesn’t just drive projects—they shape how your entire organisation approaches behaviour.

Who Do You Need?

Here’s the quick guide:

• Need insights? Hire a Behavioural Scientist.

• Need action? Hire a Behavioural Designer.

• Need alignment? Hire a Behavioural Strategist.

Each role brings something unique to the table.

Together, they’re unstoppable.

Author

Catch-up

Lauren Alys Kelly

Founder

Lauren makes behaviour behave. As the founder of BehaviourKit and Alterkind, she’s helped teams like Meta and Microsoft tackle behaviour challenges with clarity and impact.