Nikola L.
Episode 2 · Oct 23, 2026
Duolingo's CEO said on a TED stage that his app is built to be as addictive as social media. Here are the three hooks it uses, the psychology behind each, and the test that decides when a hook turns evil.
Design psychology, explained in plain words
Good UX is invisible. Bad UX is everywhere. I take apart the apps you use every day and show the design, psychology & decisions behind them. Every episode is a short video and a written breakdown, so you can watch it or read it.
Duolingo's CEO said on a TED stage that his app is built to be as addictive as social media. Here are the three hooks it uses, the psychology behind each, and the test that decides when a hook turns evil.
Can you tell which of your Teams mentions are new? Most people can't. Here's why, the fix Teams already uses elsewhere, and the $460M it cost one company.
New episodes land every couple of weeks. Each one gets a video and a written version here.