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Behavior Change Through Design: Increasing Survey Participation With A/B Testing

OVERVIEW

  • Context: Recruitment materials intended to increase survey participation in a real-world program setting.

  • Goal: Increase response rate by testing flyer designs that improve clarity, trust, and ease of action.

  • Challenge: Participation is a behavior-change problem; users are busy, so small design choices can shift outcomes.​

  • My Role: Experiment design, flyer design direction, measurement plan, and results synthesis.

  • Team: Research team and Program Staff

  • Tools: Canva, Survey Monkey

  • Outcome Snapshot: Designed an A/B test, compared performance, and produced a scalable flyer template strategy plus the next tests.

WHAT DID I DO?

METHODS

  • A/B test design, variant creation, rollout plan, and analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

  • Real-world distribution via posters (pre and post), tracked via survey completions.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Built two flyer variants (A: White space heavy; B: brand-led/clarity-led).

  • Set metrics and basic management (distribution timing/location where possible).

  • Reviewed results and identified which elements to standardize and iterate.

WHAT DID I FIND?

KEY INSIGHTS

  • A branded design increased action compared to dense informational text.

  • QR scannability (size, contrast, whitespace) mattered more than expected.

  • A clear headline allows the client to know exactly what they are completing.

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE

  • Variant B performed better on completions by 25%.

  • Users/staff feedback: This version highlights the survey's purpose more clearly, catches the eye, and aligns with the company's brand.

WHAT DID WE CHANGE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Adopt the winning flyer as the default recruitment template.

  • Standardize: company branding, clear incentive framing, time-to-complete, high-contrast design.

  • Clear headline design

PRIORITY

  • Now: deploy winning flyer + consistent distribution approach

  • Next: test 1 variable at a time (headline, incentive, QR placement)

  • Later: multi-channel funnel (flyer + text/email reminders)

ARTIFACTS

FLYER A VS FLYER B

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REFLECTION

  • What I’d improve next time: Diversify the platforms used to share flyers and run a longer campaign for stronger confidence.

  • Limitations: Field experiments include uncontrolled factors (staff timing, traffic, seasonality).

  • Next steps: Test headline and trust cue variations; pair flyers with a reminder touchpoint.

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