Applied Behavioral Science Thought Leader & Researcher
I help companies design services and experiences that work with human nature, not against it.
Nick Naumof is an applied behavioral science thought leader and researcher. He studied people from different scientific perspectives — economics, consumer behavior, behavioral economics, and evolutionary psychology — and helps companies bridge design and psychology to create better experiences for customers and employees.
Originally from Romania, Nick lived in The Netherlands for five years and has been based in the Washington D.C. Metro area since 2015. He has been married to Cornelia since 2011.
With over ten years of experience designing and delivering public presentations and training programs, Nick has led workshops, masterclasses, and conference talks on four continents. His project experience spans financial product design, fast-moving consumer goods, health and wellness, and human resources.
Masterclasses include Designing Decisions (choice architecture), Thinking Money (financial services), Nudge Design, and Behavioral Design for Incentives and Rewards. In February 2017, he delivered a talk on behavioral design for incentives and rewards at Action Design Washington DC.
Nick is the author of It Makes (No) Sense, a book that explores how behavioral science applies to real-world scenarios. The book is part of a broader resource library available on the site, complementing the blog and learning programs.
Nick's approach integrates behavioral science into service design, creating experiences that align with how people actually think and decide. This work applies across industries — from finance and retail to health and employee engagement — always with the goal of designing services that respect human nature.
Understanding emotional drivers in professional settings is central to improving employee satisfaction and engagement. Nick's work on emotions at work connects emotional design principles with measurable service outcomes, offering strategies for leveraging emotions constructively in the workplace.
Understanding human behavior is at the core of designing services that truly resonate. People do not always act rationally, and their decisions are influenced by context, emotions, and cognitive shortcuts. By studying these patterns, companies can create experiences that align with how customers and employees naturally think and feel, rather than fighting against deeply ingrained tendencies.
Applied behavioral science bridges the gap between academic research and everyday business challenges. Drawing on perspectives ranging from evolutionary psychology to consumer economics, this field offers practical insights into why people make certain choices. When these insights are embedded into service design, the result is a more intuitive and engaging experience for everyone involved.
Designing for real human behavior means acknowledging that context shapes every decision. The environment in which a person encounters a service, the timing of an interaction, and the framing of available options all play a significant role. Small adjustments in how choices are presented can lead to meaningful improvements in customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty.
Services that work with human nature, rather than against it, tend to be more profitable and sustainable. When businesses invest in understanding the psychological underpinnings of behavior, they reduce friction, increase engagement, and build trust. This approach transforms service design from a purely functional exercise into a deeply human-centered practice.
Learning is a central component of applying behavioral science effectively. Through workshops, training programs, and seminars, teams gain the tools to recognize behavioral patterns and apply evidence-based strategies. These educational experiences are designed to be informative yet accessible, helping professionals across industries make better design decisions every day.
Public speaking and conference presentations offer an opportunity to share behavioral insights with broader audiences. Delivering talks that are both intriguing and easygoing, a skilled speaker can make complex scientific concepts feel relevant and actionable. The goal is always to leave the audience with fresh perspectives they can immediately put to use.
Writing and commentary provide another avenue for exploring the intersection of behavior and service design. Through articles, essays, and thoughtful analysis, it becomes possible to examine how people interact with products and services in a fast-moving world. These written pieces aim to inform, provoke reflection, and highlight the often-overlooked role of human nature in business outcomes.
The financial services sector, along with health and wellness industries, stands to benefit greatly from behavioral design. In these fields, decisions carry significant consequences, yet people frequently act on impulse or incomplete information. By structuring services to support better choices, companies can help customers achieve more favorable outcomes while strengthening their own market position.
Working across continents has shown that while cultural contexts vary, fundamental aspects of human behavior remain remarkably consistent. Projects in different countries reveal that emotions, social influences, and cognitive biases shape experiences everywhere. This global perspective enriches the practice of behavioral service design, making it adaptable and universally relevant.
At its heart, the mission is to help organizations create services that feel natural and effortless. By combining scientific rigor with a genuine curiosity about people, it is possible to design experiences that customers and employees actually enjoy. The result is a world where services are not just functional, but genuinely supportive of human well-being.
Nick's blog covers topics including pricing strategies, loss aversion, the peak-end rule, and customer experience design. Notable posts include How to sell a 5¢ product for 1$ (December 2015), How to Reduce the Pain of Payment for Customers (July 2016), The Future of Applied Behavioral Science Will NOT Be About Behavioral Science (July 2014), When Designing Experiences, Think About What Happens After the Interaction Ends (March 2018), and The Email that Plays an Important Role in Customer Experience Without It Being Opened (March 2018).
Nick's work has been featured on platforms including mycustomer.com and behavioraleconomics.com. His media appearances and conference talks showcase applied behavioral science in action, reinforcing his role as a trusted voice in the field.