The Ayurvedic Doshas of Behaviour Design

In Ayurveda, doshas explain the imbalances that shape our bodies and minds. In behaviour design, we’ve observed something surprisingly similar: emotional “need states” that influence how people behave across different contexts.

Through years of research and experimentation, we’ve consistently encountered four emotional drivers that shape human behaviour:

●    Surety
●    Ease
●    Respect
●    Delight

These are the behavioural doshas we work with every day at TinkerLabs.

One Person. Four Different Behaviours.

Let’s take a simple habit of wearing a helmet while riding a bike.

Most days, I wear a helmet. Why?

●    My Need for Surety: I want to get home safe.
●    My Need for Ease: It’s become routine. No extra thinking.

But there are times when I don’t wear it. And the reason changes depending on the situation.

Scenario 1: Overconfidence

I skip the helmet because I’m riding on a familiar lane.
My mind tells me, “Nothing will go wrong here.”

My Need for Surety is overruled.

Scenario 2: Friction Costs

I’m riding a short distance and don’t want to carry it around.
It just feels like a hassle.

Need for Ease outweighs everything.

Scenario 3: Social Influence

I’m on a group ride. No one else is wearing a helmet.
I follow the crowd.

This is Behavioural Contagion in action.

Scenario 4: Present Bias

I just want to feel the wind on my face.

I choose pleasure in the moment over safety.

The Need for Delight takes over.

Same Person. Different Behaviour. Why?

The truth is: context shapes behaviour far more than personality.

You might think of yourself as safety-conscious, responsible, rational  and yet make a completely different choice based on the environment you're in.

That’s why, at TinkerLabs, we don’t design for static personas. We design for contextual need states.

The Four Need States in Behaviour Design

Let’s break them down:

●    Surety: The need to feel safe, certain, and in control.
●    Ease: The need for things to be effortless or frictionless.
●    Respect: The need to feel valued or acknowledged.
●    Delight: The need to feel joy, surprise, or pleasure.
In every behaviour we study whether it’s health insurance adoption, helmet usage, or digital payments these four forces are always in play.

And just like doshas, they can become imbalanced.

What This Means for Designers, Strategists, and Changemakers

Our job as behaviour designers is to balance these four needs within the environment we’re designing for.

Whether you’re nudging safer commutes, promoting sustainable habits, or improving customer experience, the key is not just to address rational arguments. It’s to craft journeys where users feel:

●    Safe
●    Respected
●    Unburdened
●    Joyful

And if you get that balance right, the behaviour doesn’t just happen it sticks.‍

Final Thought

So, the next time someone doesn’t follow a “good behaviour,” pause before blaming their personality.

It might just be that the situation failed to meet the needs that mattered most in that moment.

Behaviour design, like Ayurveda, is about restoring balance. And that begins with noticing what’s out of sync.

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