A common thing in my world of behavior change and design is a focus on building empathy by talking to people, sharing their perspectives, and […]
When Words Disrupt Relationships: Library Jargon and the Collegiate Patron
Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the EBSCO User Group, which was such a treat. In addition to the fact that I […]
The Words We Use Affect the Foods We Choose
Marketing in some ways is applying the most appealing words to the truth, with an ultimate goal to sell, not to communicate the literal truth. […]
How to Describe What I Know: The Appeal (and Frustration) of Psychology
I took my first psychology class in college without really knowing what psychology was or what psychologists did. When I was a first-year student at […]
Flipping the Cultural Lens: A European Take on Americans
I recently found myself flying from Stockholm to London on British Airways. Looking to pass a few minutes before landing, I flipped open one of […]
Politeness Without a Please: Denmark’s Missing Word
When I travel to a new place, I usually try to equip myself with a few basic vocabulary words: Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, English. […]
Case Study: Duolingo’s Seductive New Look
As far as online experiences that embed motivational design principles, Duolingo is the best I’ve seen. This free gamified language learning tool incorporates all three […]
Culture, Language, Chicken, Egg: Finnish Reticence
It’s fascinating to me how language both shapes and is shaped by culture. I recently came across another example, this time about the people of […]
Dictionaries for Understanding
When we talk about using the patient’s own language to communicate about health goals, we necessarily don’t mean English vs. Mandarin (although of course that […]
Doing the Needful
When I was learning Spanish in high school, a phrase that caught my ear and has remained a favorite of mine is “lo necesario.” It […]