--- title: "Nudging" url: "https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/nudging" language: "en" description: "What is nudging? A plain-language explanation with examples, how it differs from dark patterns and practical tips. Learn to guide users fairly." published: "2026-10-14T15:19:24+02:00" updated: "2026-10-14T15:19:24+02:00" --- # Nudging Nudging means gently steering people in one direction by how a choice is designed, without forbidding options or noticeably changing their incentives. - **Buchstabe:** N - **Englischer Begriff:** Nudging UX glossary · engl. Nudging # Nudging Nudging means gently steering people in one direction by how a choice is designed, without forbidding options or noticeably changing their incentives. Imagine you’re setting up a new notes app. On the last screen, “Automatic cloud backup” is already switched on. You could turn it off with one tap, but you just leave it. Nobody forced you. Still, the design shaped your decision. That’s a nudge: a small push in a particular direction. ## Explained simply The term comes from the 2008 book “Nudge” by economist Richard Thaler and legal scholar Cass Sunstein. In essence, a nudge is any aspect of how a choice is designed that predictably changes behavior without forbidding options or significantly changing financial incentives. Thaler and Sunstein call the way options are arranged and presented **choice architecture**. Think of a cafeteria where fruit sits at eye level right by the checkout and the pudding is further back. Nothing is banned, yet more people reach for the apple. The authors describe this stance as “libertarian paternalism”: freedom of choice stays intact, and the design offers a direction. ## Common nudges in interfaces Digital products are full of nudges. The most important forms: - **Defaults:** Whatever is preselected tends to stick. In 2003, Eric Johnson and Daniel Goldstein showed with organ donation that consent was much higher in countries with an opt-out system than in countries where people have to opt in. - **Order and emphasis:** The first or visually highlighted option gets chosen more often. - **Reminders and feedback:** A well-timed hint or a progress bar helps people finish what they started. - **Social cues:** A line like “Most teams turn this on” offers orientation, as long as it’s true. You’ll find more examples in [Nudging in UX Design: How to Guide User Behavior](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/blog/nudging-in-ux-design-how-to-guide-user-behavior). ## Nudge or dark pattern? Technically, nudges and [dark patterns](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/dark-patterns) use the same tools. The difference is the direction. A nudge should help people make choices they would judge as good themselves. When the same mechanism works against their interests, Thaler calls it **sludge**: friction that makes the right thing harder. His example is a subscription you can start with one click but can only cancel by letter or phone call. Why such tricks become expensive, legally and for your brand, is covered in [Spotting and Avoiding Dark Patterns: Why Interface Tricks Cost You](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/blog/spotting-and-avoiding-dark-patterns). ## An example Here’s an example: a banking app offers a “round up and save” feature. Right now it’s buried deep in the settings and hardly anyone uses it. After the redesign, it shows up as its own step during setup: briefly explained, with a realistic estimate of how much adds up per month, and a clearly visible “Decide later.” A single toggle turns it off at any time. That’s a nudge. If turning it off required calling the hotline, it would be sludge. ## In practice - **Check the direction.** Ask whether people would be happy with the decision in hindsight. If not, don’t do it. - **Make leaving as easy as joining.** Every default should be visible, understandable and changeable in one click. Clear [microcopy](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/microcopy) explains what happens. - **Use a few targeted nudges.** Too many prompts at once increase [cognitive load](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/cognitive-load) and quickly feel like pressure. ## Related terms [Dark Patterns](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/dark-patterns), [Priming Effect](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/priming-effect), [Cognitive Load](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/cognitive-load), [Microcopy](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/microcopy) ## Sources - [Wikipedia: Nudge (book). Overview of Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein: Nudge, 2008](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_(book)) - [Eric J. Johnson, Daniel G. Goldstein: Do Defaults Save Lives? Science 302 (5649), 2003](https://www.london.edu/faculty-and-research/academic-research/d/do-defaults-save-lives) - [Richard H. Thaler: Nudge, not sludge. Science 361 (6401), 2018 (excerpt on deceptive.design)](https://www.deceptive.design/articles/nudge-not-sludge) - [Erin Hale: Nudging for Good, Sludging for Evil. Chicago Booth, 2019](https://www.chicagobooth.edu/research/rustandy/blog/2019/nudging-for-good) ## More terms [ ### A/B Testing An A/B test is an experiment that shows two versions of a page or element at the same time to randomly split groups of visitors. It lets you decide with real data which version works better. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/a-b-testing) [ ### ARIA ARIA is a W3C standard that adds roles, states and properties to HTML. It tells screen readers what an element is and how it currently behaves. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/aria) [ ### Accessibility Accessibility means designing websites, apps and digital documents so that everyone can use them, including people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disabilities. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/accessibility) [ ### Affordance An affordance describes what action an object makes possible and whether people can recognize it: a button invites you to press it, a handle invites you to pull. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/affordance) [ ### Alt Text Alt text is a short text version of an image, stored in the HTML alt attribute. Screen readers read it aloud so people who can’t see the image get the same information. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/alt-text) [ ### Atomic Design Atomic Design is a method for building user interfaces from small, reusable building blocks, from single elements like buttons all the way up to complete pages. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/atomic-design) [ ### BFSG The BFSG, Germany’s Accessibility Strengthening Act, has required many companies since 28 June 2025 to make certain products and digital services, such as online shops, accessible. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/bfsg) [ ### Card Sorting Card sorting is a research method in which people sort terms written on cards into groups. It shows you how they mentally organize content, so you can plan navigation that makes sense to them. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/card-sorting) [ ### Cognitive Load Cognitive load is the mental effort it takes to understand and use an interface. The less unnecessary thinking a design demands, the easier the actual task becomes. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/cognitive-load) [ ### Color Vision Deficiency A color vision deficiency means someone has a harder time telling certain colors apart than most people. The most common type is red-green deficiency. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/color-vision-deficiency) [ ### Contextual Inquiry Contextual inquiry is a research method where you observe and interview people in their real work environment. It shows you how they actually get tasks done, not just how they describe it. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/contextual-inquiry) [ ### Contrast Ratio The contrast ratio describes how much two colors differ in brightness, such as text and background. WCAG requires at least 4.5:1 for normal text. ](https://insideuxdesign.com/en/glossar/contrast-ratio)