Where behavioral science meets enterprise complexity. Behave & Design decodes why organizations struggle with consistency, governance, and transformation - despite having smart people and good intentions. Host Daniel Irala, Senior UX Researcher and Service Designer at Nestlé, reveals the hidden system forces that drive real behavior in complex organizations. Through frameworks like journey management, service blueprinting, and systems thinking, each episode transforms organizational friction into design opportunities. For practitioners, consultants, and leaders who know that 'just follow the p
3.2 What Happens Next: Why Communication Is Part of the Service
Twenty minutes after we landed in Copenhagen, I got a notification: our next flight was cancelled. That was all it said.
The airline, SAS, found us a new flight and looked after us for the night. What we could not get was the answer to one question: what happens next?
I use that trip as a case to look at the day a service breaks. I go through three moments (a notification, a customer service window and a suitcase) and put them next to an idea from Jan Carlzon, who ran SAS in the 1980s. He called every short contact between an employee and a customer a moment of truth, and he said the employee in it needs two things: to know what is true, and to be allowed to act on it.
In this episode:
• Why information that already exists inside an organization often does not reach the person it is about
• Three things to try: draw the broken day as its own service, check each moment for "know" and "act", and count the questions people ask after something breaks
• What an AI agent at the service desk would and would not have changed
• Why sharing what you know is how a service earns trust
Mentioned: Jan Carlzon, Moments of Truth (1987). John Seddon on failure demand.
Behave & Design explores behavioral science, service design and systems thinking.
21 Sept 2026
3.1 Why Nobody's Talking About How Agents Behave
Everyone's talking about what AI agents can do. Almost nobody's talking about how they should behave once they're actually inside an organization, and Gartner predicts 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by 2027.
In this episode, I open Season 3 of Behave & Design by naming a gap I couldn't find anyone else covering: the space between agent capability and agent behavior. Most organizations rolling out AI agents have a capability roadmap and no behavioral one, no answer for how the agent should act, handle data, or earn trust from the people working alongside it.
This is the flagship thread for the season: not what agents can do, but how they land with the humans around them.
23 Feb 2026
2.3 Designing for HandOffs
In Part 1, we explored how context dies at organizational handoffs. Now we ask: why does this keep happening?
This episode examines the root causes behind handoff failures: the design assumptions that create invisible barriers, the structural choices that determine what information survives, and why making integration work visible is critical to system coherence.
You'll walk away with diagnostic questions to identify handoff problems in your own organization and design principles for creating systems that preserve context across boundaries.
Part 2 of 2 | Season 2: Designing for Consistency in Complex Systems
16 Feb 2026
2.2 Where Context Dies
Why do organizations struggle with consistency even when everyone knows what to do? The answer often lies in the handoffs—those critical moments where context disappears between systems, teams, and people.
In this episode, we explore the handoff problem across three scales: system-level design assumptions, organizational structure, and interpersonal transitions. You'll discover why information loss at boundaries isn't a communication failure—it's a design problem.
Perfect for service designers, UX researchers, and anyone working to create coherent experiences in complex organizations.
Part 1 of 2 | Season 2: Designing for Consistency in Complex Systems
9 Feb 2026
2.1 Consistency Is a System Outcome, Not a People Problem
Inconsistent behavior in organizations isn't a discipline problem—it's a design problem. When employees create workarounds, bypass official processes, or behave "non-compliantly," they're often responding rationally to systems that make the wrong path easier than the right one.
In this foundational episode of Season 2, Senior UX Researcher Daniel explores why consistency emerges from system design, not willpower. Drawing from real enterprise systems mapping work, he breaks down a case where business teams consistently bypassed internal IT experiences—not due to lack of training, but because the system structure made external vendors the only viable path to meet deadlines.
You'll discover:
The "Replace the People" test: A diagnostic framework to identify true system problems
Three critical questions to ask when analyzing inconsistent organizational behavior
Why layered governance can accidentally create shadow IT and security blind spots
How to shift accountability from frontline teams to the designers and leaders who create system conditions
Perfect for service designers, UX researchers, organizational designers, and anyone responsible for employee experience in complex systems.
Season 2, Episode 1: Foundation Arc
6 Oct 2025
7. Systems Over Willpower: When Movement Creates Motivation
Why do some people consistently create, while others wait for motivation to strike? In this episode, we flip the script on willpower and uncover why action sparks motivation—not the other way around. Drawing from behavioral science, systems thinking, and real-world examples—from Olympic athletes to public transit and grocery store design—we explore how structure beats self-control every time.
You’ll learn:
Why “motivation waves” always crash—and how to stop relying on them.
How the Zeigarnik Effect makes starting the hardest step.
What Olympic routines, supermarket layouts, and tech apps teach us about consistency.
Practical ways to design your starting line so showing up becomes inevitable.
If billion-dollar companies use behavioral design to shape your habits, why not apply the same principles to your creative life? Stop waiting to feel ready—start building systems that carry you forward.
🔗 Research & books mentioned: BJ Fogg, Amy Cuddy, B.F. Skinner, Daniel Kahneman, Charles Duhigg, James Clear, Richard Thaler, Carol Dweck, Paco Underhill.
👉 Actionable challenge inside: Design the tiniest first step for a creative project you’ve been postponing.
2 Oct 2025
Episode 6: Hidden Forces Behind Decision-Making
Why do we pick the “popular” option, stick with sunk costs, or feel swayed by the first number we hear? In this episode, we uncover the hidden forces, social proof, anchoring, the decoy effect, and loss aversion that shape our choices more than we realize. From pricing tricks to team decisions, these biases are everywhere. Spotting them doesn’t make us immune, but it does give us a pause, and in that pause lies the power to choose differently.
So here’s the question: if you could see the invisible strings behind your decisions, which ones would you cut, and which would you let guide you?
Curious to dig deeper? Check out Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky’s classic work on loss aversion link, or Solomon Asch’s conformity experiments link.
29 Sept 2025
Episode 5: Feedback Loops & Course-Correction
What if the real secret to growth isn’t more effort, but smarter feedback loops? In this episode, we unpack how timing shapes learning, why “too much” or “too little” feedback can backfire, and how to build flexible systems that keep you improving even when life gets messy. From neuroscience insights to the After-Action Review method, you’ll discover practical ways to turn surprises into data, not failures.
So here’s the question: what would change if every unexpected outcome became a signal to redesign your system instead of a reason to give up?
25 Sept 2025
Episode 4: Leverage Points: Why Most Change Efforts Fail
Have you ever noticed how some tiny changes create massive ripple effects while enormous efforts barely move the needle?
In this episode, I explore Donella Meadows' framework of leverage points - those hidden places in systems where small shifts create massive change. As a Senior UX Researcher and service designer, I keep seeing this pattern: we pour resources into visible improvements (new processes, dashboards, tools) while the real drivers of change - paradigms and mental models - remain untouched.
I'll share real examples of transformations that worked (and failed), from startups that changed their culture with one simple shift to Barcelona's superblocks that are redefining what streets are for. We'll explore why we instinctively intervene at the least effective points in systems and how to find those invisible levers that everyone else is missing.
22 Sept 2025
Episode 3: The Journey Mapping Framework - The Missing Layer
Why do we struggle with routines even when we know what to do? In this episode, Daniel shares a personal discovery that transformed his approach to journey mapping. While mapping his chaotic morning routine, he uncovered a third, invisible layer that most journey maps miss: cognitive load.
Learn how 50+ micro-decisions before 7 AM were sabotaging his mornings, why companies miss this crucial layer in employee experiences, and how to map what's actually happening in your brain. This isn't about perfect morning routines - it's about understanding the hidden architecture of your daily experiences.
18 Sept 2025
Episode 2: Why We're Design Geniuses at Work But Chaos at Home
Ever notice how you can solve complex problems at work with frameworks and strategic thinking, then go home and have the same recurring argument with your partner for the fifteenth time? We will investigate this weird split personality we all have - and what happens when you start applying the same curiosity and systematic thinking to your personal life that makes you brilliant professionally. Spoiler: it changes everything.
15 Sept 2025
Episode 1: Finding Your Emotional Compass
What if your emotions aren't random chaos, but actually sophisticated navigation data you haven't learned to read yet? We will explore how to build an emotional compass that actually works - moving beyond "just think positive" to understand what your feelings are really telling you about your life's direction. Perfect for anyone who's tired of being told to "manage" their emotions and ready to start using them as design intelligence instead.
5 Sept 2025
Introducing Behave and Design: Where Psychology Meets Design | Trailer
What if design could transform more than just products, what if it could transform people life? Starting September 2025, Behave and Design explores this question twice weekly. Host Daniel Irala blends behavioral design, service thinking, and co-creation methodologies to help you see challenges differently, find clarity in confusion, and unlock new possibilities. Mondays start your week with fresh energy; Thursdays maintain your momentum.
Join our community and discover how design can be your pathway to personal and professional growth. Subscribe and get ready for September!
3 Mar 2025
5. La Importancia de la Acción Sobre la Motivación
En este episodio de Behave and Design, exploramos por qué la motivación no es suficiente para alcanzar nuestras metas y cómo la acción sostenida marca la diferencia. A través de ejemplos prácticos y estrategias basadas en el diseño conductual, descubrirás cómo evitar la trampa de la dependencia motivacional y construir sistemas que te impulsen a avanzar día tras día.
⏳ 00:00 - 00:40 | Introduccion
🎙️ 00:41 - 01:20 | Presentación del Episodio
🔍 01:21 - 03:15 | The Setup: Creando el Escenario
⚡ 03:16 - 05:45 | The Struggle: Por qué Nos Cuesta Mantener el Impulso
📊 05:46 - 07:50 | Explicación: El Porqué Científico
🛠️ 07:51 - 09:30 | The Solution: Diseñando Estrategias que Funcionan
🚀 09:31 - 10:45 | Conclusión y Reflexión Final
📣 10:46 - 11:17 | Sección de Engagement
Sigue la cuenta de instagram@BehaveAndDesign (https://www.instagram.com/behaveanddesign/)
¡No te lo pierdas!
Cuestionario de feedback (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeGh-hFxw8xKFOaHqC3M2W72SAxLJEgS0nIBhPktNq18IFVg/viewform?usp=preview)
13 Feb 2025
4. Metas en Acción
En este cuarto episodio de “Behave and Design” descubrirás cómo transformar tus metas en acciones concretas que impulsen tu éxito profesional. A lo largo de la conversación, te guiaré paso a paso para convertir tus objetivos en micro-hábitos diarios, utilizando la metodología SMART y estrategias diseñadas para crear un entorno laboral que potencie tu productividad.
Aprenderás a medir tu progreso, ajustar tu plan de acción y mantener la motivación a través de pequeños incentivos y un seguimiento constante. Además, exploraremos cómo enfrentar y superar los obstáculos que a menudo frenan nuestros avances, convirtiendo cada reto en una oportunidad para crecer y acercarte aún más a tus aspiraciones.
Este episodio te brindará herramientas prácticas y comprobadas para que, con constancia y compromiso, transformes tus sueños en resultados reales.
Sigue la cuenta de Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/behaveanddesign/https://www.instagram.com/behaveanddesign/ (https://www.instagram.com/behaveanddesign/)
10 Feb 2025
3. Diseñando Metas para Impulsar tu Visión
En este tercer episodio de “Behave and Design”, descubrirás cómo convertir una simple intención de “ser mejor en el trabajo” en un plan de acción concreto, claro y estructurado. A lo largo de la conversación,aprenderás sobre la ciencia detrás de las metas, incluyendo cómo funciona nuestro cerebro cuando nos fijamos objetivos y por qué la motivación inicial suele desvanecerse con tanta facilidad. También exploraremospor qué solemos fallar al proponernos nuevas metas —entre la falacia de la motivación, la parálisis por análisis y la falta de seguimiento— y cómo esas barreras pueden superarse con estrategias efectivas.
Además, profundizaremos enla importancia de conectar emocionalmente con tus metas, alineándolas con tus valores personales y tu visión de largo plazo. Este enfoque transforma objetivos aparentemente inalcanzables en propósitos que te inspiran cada día y te ayudan a mantener la constancia necesaria para ver resultados reales.
Sigue la cuenta de instagram@BehaveAndDesign (https://www.instagram.com/behaveanddesign/)
6 Feb 2025
2. Define tu visión: un enfoque práctico
En este episodio transformamos la idea abstracta de tu futuro en un plan concreto. Acompáñanos en ejercicios prácticos como la Visualización Activa, el Vision Statement Canvas y la construcción de tu Declaración de Visión para definir y estructurar tu visión personal y profesional. Concluimos con una reflexión para afinar tu camino y te invitamos a compartir tus impresiones.
¡No te lo pierdas!
Cuestionario de feedback (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeGh-hFxw8xKFOaHqC3M2W72SAxLJEgS0nIBhPktNq18IFVg/viewform?usp=preview)
3 Feb 2025
1. Diseña tu futuro
En este primer episodio de Behave and Design Podcast, damos inicio a un viaje hacia el diseño de una vida con propósito y claridad. ¿Te sientes perdido o con una dirección poco definida? Aquí encontrarás las herramientas para cambiar eso.
Exploramos la importancia de tener un “porqué” claro, esa fuerza interna que te impulsa a avanzar con determinación en medio de la incertidumbre. Inspirándonos en autores como Simon Sinek y James Clear, y respaldados por investigaciones científicas, desglosamos cómo un propósito definido mejora tu bienestar, tu enfoque y tus decisiones.
Además, comparto mi experiencia personal con las inseguridades y el perfeccionismo al crear este podcast, y cómo establecer sistemas de apoyo puede ayudarte a superar obstáculos y mantener tu motivación alineada con tus valores.
Por último, te propongo un ejercicio práctico para identificar tus valores y prioridades, y empezar a vivir de manera más auténtica.
Este episodio es el punto de partida para diseñar una vida y un trabajo que resuenen contigo. ¡Acompáñame y descubre el poder de una visión clara para transformar tu futuro!
Disponible en Spotify, Apple Podcasts e Instagram.
7 Jan 2025
Trailer
¡Bienvenidos a Behave and Design! En este tráiler, te adelanto todo lo que podrás descubrir en este espacio dedicado al crecimiento personal y profesional a través del diseño. Aquí, el enfoque eres tú: exploraremos metodologías como el diseño de servicios, la co-creación y el diseño del comportamiento para potenciar tu confianza y ayudarte a superar retos.
Cada episodio te brindará herramientas prácticas y consejos aplicables, desde estrategias de diseño hasta principios de systems thinking que ampliarán tu perspectiva. A partir de febrero de 2025, acompáñame todos los lunes y jueves para comenzar la semana con energía y mantener el impulso.
¡Suscríbete y únete a una comunidad que transforma vidas con creatividad y propósito!
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