The Hero, the Customer, and the Habit

How Behavioural Design can shape Empowering Journeys and Transformations

Figure 1: The Hero, The Customer, and the Habit a blog by Rachel A.Wood 2nd June 2025

Understanding the customer journey is paramount in service design. Just as Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey maps out a hero's transformation, customers undergo their own transformative journeys as they interact with products and services. This blog explores the fascinating parallels between the Hero’s Journey and Customer Journey frameworks, emphasizing how behavioural design can shape these experiences in a way that is both transformative and empowering. By delving into the emotional and psychological drivers behind customer decisions, we can create more empathetic and effective designs. This approach not only enhances customer (or beneficiary) satisfaction but also fosters loyalty, leading to sustainable growth and social innovation. This blog attempts to explore how this can be applied in practice terms, and it certainly did not end in the way that I expected, when I started out down this path.

Firstly, to develop this blog I looked at the timeline and origins of these methods and techniques, and was able to find out the following:

Early Influence: Mythology & Storytelling in Marketing (1980s–1990s)

• Joseph Campbell (1949): First introduced The Hero with a Thousand Faces, describing a universal storytelling structure that resonates across cultures.

• Christopher Vogler (1992): A Disney story consultant, Vogler simplified Campbell’s Hero’s Journey in The Writer’s Journey, making it more accessible for screenwriters and marketers. His work laid the foundation for brands to use storytelling in advertising.

• Seth Godin (1999–2005): Godin’s work in permission marketing and brand storytelling helped shift marketing toward customer-centric narratives, aligning with the Hero’s Journey model.

Adoption in Branding & Customer Journeys (2000s–2010s)

• Donald Miller (2017): His book Building a Storebrand explicitly applied the Hero’s Journey to branding, positioning the customer as the hero and the brand as the guide (like a mentor in the hero’s arc).

• Chip Heath & Dan Heath (2007): Made to Stick explored why some ideas resonate deeply with customers, using storytelling principles like the Hero’s Journey.

• Joseph Pine & James Gilmore (1999): The Experience Economy pushed businesses to design experiences rather than just transactions, making customer journey storytelling essential.

Integration into UX, CX, and Service Design (2010s–Present)

• Customer Journey Mapping (Mid-2010s): As UX, CX, and service design matured, the Hero’s Journey started influencing customer personas, user stories, and experience design.

• Stanford d.school & Design Thinking: Borrowed narrative structures (including the Hero’s Journey) to map user ‘pain points’ and create transformative experiences.

• Behavioural Science & Customer (Consumer) Psychology: The habit loop ( Duhigg, 2012) and jobs-to-be-done (e.g. Clayton Christensen, 2016) reinforced storytelling to map user motivations and barriers.

I then wondered as a comparison how much they had been written about in books, and found out the following:

Figure 2: A Google NGram comparing hero's journey, customer journey and behavioural design

From the above I could see that customer journeys have been written about the most when compared to the hero’s journey. There is currently far less still in terms of behavioural design (up to 2022), but this lately has much more recently gained traction.

I next looked at comparing what the differences might be between the two types of journeys and matched them with some examples to help illustrate what I found. I then explored this through my own research into the design of parenting education and services:

Hero’s Journey vs. Customer Journey

Hero’s Journey	Customer Journey	Parenting Education Focus
1. The Call to Adventure	Awareness	Recognizing parenting challenges or new needs.
2. Refusal of the Call	Consideration / Hesitation	Weighing pros/cons; fear or stigma about seeking help.
3. Meeting the Mentor	Decision & Onboarding	Discovering a supportive program, coach, or platform.
4. Crossing the Threshold	Initial Engagement	First steps: enrolling, attending sessions, starting modules.
5. Tests, Allies, Enemies	Active Participation	Facing daily parenting trials; support from peers/facilitators.
6. Approach to the Inmost Cave	Deep Learning & Skill-Building	Confronting root issues (trauma, stressors); building resilience.
7. Ordeal / Transformation	Breakthrough Experience	Major mindset shifts; adopting new parenting strategies.
8. Reward (Seizing the Sword)	Validation & Early Outcomes	Seeing initial successes; feeling more confident.
9. The Road Back	Continued Engagement & Retention	Maintaining consistency; refining skills through practice.
10. Resurrection	Sustained Behaviour Change	Integrating new habits; setting up a stronger family dynamic.
11. Return with the Elixir	Advocacy & Community Impact	Sharing learnings, supporting other parents, ongoing growth.

This seemed to show:

Both the Hero’s Journey and the Customer Journey share a structured, narrative-driven approach to understanding transformation. The hero starts in an ordinary world, unaware of upcoming challenges, while the customer begins with an unmet need. As the hero faces challenges and meets mentors, the customer explores options and receives guidance from reviews and social proof. The hero’s commitment to the journey mirrors a customer’s purchase decision, and both face significant challenges that test their satisfaction. The hero gains a reward, whilst the customer realizes the value of their choice, potentially leading to loyalty and advocacy.

Psychological Connection: Emotional and Behavioural Drivers: The journeys of both the hero and the customer are emotional, not just functional. They highlight struggles, decisions, and breakthroughs. Both involve transformation, with the hero growing and the customer moving from problem to resolution. Guides, such as mentors for the hero and design, and customer support for the customer, play a crucial role in these journeys.

Practical Applications use storytelling techniques from the Hero’s Journey to create marketing narratives. Customer journeys are mapped to find key moments where customers face barriers and ensure they have guidance. Understanding customer ‘pain points and triumphs (‘gain points’) creates more empathetic service design, making the story especially compelling.

Having looked at this I then thought about what methods from the many tools and techniques in service design might be the most useful. This led me to look at:

Story Framing

This design technique was something I only discovered recently, and I really liked it because it seemed so aligned to storyboarding (which I love). From what I have been able to find out it comes from a range of disciplines including narrative theory and psychology (such as Jerome Bruner in the 1960s who argued that humans naturally think in stories).

They are often used to create personas, journey maps and scenarios.

The following is my first go using my research as a backstory using this technique.

1. Setting the Stage

In a busy household, Alex a caring but overwhelmed parent struggles each morning with a mix of love and frustration as his young daughter, Lily, has frequent tantrums that leave him feeling helpless.

2. The Inciting Incident

One particularly chaotic morning, after a disruptive tantrum at the breakfast table, Alex pauses and reflects, “There must be a better way to connect with Lily than just reacting to these moments.” This thought marks the spark that propels them toward change.

3. The Discovery

At a local community school fair, Alex overhears other parents discussing a new parenting education program focused on empathetic communication and gentle discipline. Intrigued by the promise of practical, real-world strategies, they decide to explore this educational opportunity further.

4. Embracing the Learning Journey

Alex enrols in the program and begins attending interactive workshops. Here, he learns key concepts such as:

• Active Listening: Techniques to truly hear and understand Lily’s emotions.

• Emotion Coaching: Strategies for guiding her through big feelings without escalating conflicts.

• ·Positive Reinforcement: Methods to celebrate small wins and build mutual trust.

These sessions not only provide practical tips but also create a space for Alex to share challenges and learn from the experiences of fellow parents.

5. The Transformative Moment

One evening, faced with another stressful outburst, Alex consciously applies the new techniques. Instead of reacting with frustration, they listen empathetically and confirms Lily’s feelings. Gradually, the tension eases and the conflict transform into a calm discussion, a clear turning point that reinforces his newfound approach.

6. The Resolution and New Beginning

Over time, Alex notices significant changes:

• Lily becomes more communicative and cooperative.

• Their daily interactions grow more positive, building a stronger bond.

• Alex gains confidence in his parenting, evolving from feeling overwhelmed to becoming an initiative-taking guide in his daughter’s emotional development.

Inspired by his progress, Alex starts sharing their story and the techniques that had been learned with other parents in the community, sparking a ripple effect of empowered, empathetic parenting.

Figure 3: An example journey of transformation (parenting education)

To look to see how story framing and storyboarding might then be moved into practical guidance to help someone move forward with new and positive habits I then returned to one of my favourite techniques:

Behavioural Design

Behavioural design complements the journeys and story techniques explored earlier. Its strengths include:

• enabling visual or dashboard alignment

• hypothesis-driven framing for rapid testing and learning

• direct linking of behavioural interventions to business metrics

• integrating behavioural science from the start

• Finding actionable opportunities through pains, gains, comforts, and anxieties, ensuring accountability

• and providing flexibility and personalization.

This technique appeared from the intersection of design thinking, psychology, and economics in Herbert Simon’s (1969) definition of “devising courses of action to change existing situations into preferred ones.” Being able to integrate story structures into this type of design can help with producing meaningful journeys. Designers using this technique to help with prototyping, and to ensure that the timing of activities and support is at the right stage. In terms of journey techniques by embedding ‘nudges’ at critical moments to help ensure successful and desired outcomes.

There are two version of the canvas:

Behavioural Design Canvas (BDC) – strengthens precision.

This was originated by a behavioural design consultancy in Holland. It is based on the theories of B.J. Fogg (2002), Cialdini (1945, 2000, 2021), nudge theory (a gently encouragement making it easier for people to do the right thing (Thaler and Sunstein, 2018) and COM-B . Capability + Opportunity + Motivation = Behaviour (Michie and West, 2011). As the first two were less familiar to me I put these two explainers together:

B.J. Fogg’s behavioural model:  This theory proposes that behaviour change will happen when three things take place:

Motivation – you want to do it.

Ability – you can do it (it’s easy enough)

Prompt – something reminds or nudges you to do it right now.

Formula: B = M + A + P

(Behaviour = Motivation + Ability + Prompt)

In terms of design this means:

(1) Making it matter emotionally (2) simplifying it and (3) adding a prompt

Robert Cialdini’s 7 influence principles: were proposed to influence and encourage without manipulating.

Figure 4: Robert Cialdini's 7 Influence Principles of (1) Reciprocity (2) Commitment and Consistency (3) Social Proof (4) Authority (5) Liking (6) Scarcity (7) Unity

The sorts of things that need to be considered in this kind of canvas:

• Target Behaviour

• Current Behaviour

• User Segments

• Barriers

• Facilitators (Motivation/Ability/Trigger)

• Psychological Biases 

• Trigger Moments

• Desired Outcome

Behavioural Design Thinking Canvas (BDTC) – strengthens process.

There is no single originator of this canvas which appeared in about 2018. It has been developed to dovetail with the Double Diamond of Design (Discovery, Define, Develop and Deliver). It also aligns behavioural science approaches with ‘end to end’ innovation.

For simplicity I included the first canvas in my attempt at a merged framework of the five techniques for this blog. Although I decided not to do a new behavioural design canvas for this the following is an extract from an earlier one that I completed as an illustration:

Figure 5: An illustrative behavioural design canvas adapted from one I produced in 2023

Behavioural Systems Mapping

Behavioural systems mapping (BSM) is an integrated approach that combines the principles of systems mapping with insights from behavioural science. In practice, BSM creates visual diagrams that show how different behaviours interact within a complex system, including the feedback loops, causal relationships, and interdependencies between various actors and influences. By doing so, it:

• Reveals Hidden Interactions: Instead of looking at individual behaviours in isolation, BSM exposes how small changes in one part of the system can ripple through to create wider effects.

• Finds Leverage Points: By understanding which behaviours or nodes in the system are most influential, decision-makers can prioritize interventions that have the highest potential for system‐wide change.

• Guides Systemic Intervention: It supports the design and implementation of strategies that are both targeted and scalable, ensuring that interventions are aligned with the dynamics of the entire system.

Figure 6: An example behavioural systems map using a parenting education example

So, in summary behavioural systems mapping is the intersection of:

• Behavioural science – what drives behaviour.

• Systems thinking – how behaviours are nested within feedback loops, structured and context.

• Design and Innovation Practices – how to intervene ethically and effectively.

 Next, I tried to merge all five techniques into a empowering and transformational framework as follows:

Figure 7 - The Journey of Empowering Transformation (Introduction and Act1)

Figure 8: The Journey of Empowering Transformation (Act 2 and 3)

Figure 9: The Journey of Empowering Transformation (Act 4 and Conclusion

In conclusion, the integration of the Hero’s Journey and Customer Journey frameworks, along with behavioural design principles, offers a powerful approach to understanding and shaping customer experiences. By recognizing the emotional and psychological drivers behind customer decisions, businesses can create more empathetic and effective service designs. This holistic approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also fosters loyalty and advocacy, leading to sustainable growth and innovation. Whilst in design we continue to explore these connections, we can unlock new opportunities for meaningful, empowering and transformative customer journeys.

References:

Campbell, J., 2008. The hero with a thousand faces (Vol. 17). New World Library.

Christensen, C.M., Hall, T., Dillon, K. and Duncan, D.S., 2016. Know your customers’ jobs to be done. Harvard business review, 94(9), pp.54-62.

Cialdini, R. (2021), Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion (new and expanded, Harper Business

Duhigg, C., 2012. The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business (Vol. 34, No. 10). Random House.

Fogg, B.J., 2002. Persuasive technology: using computers to change what we think and do. Ubiquity, 2002(December), p.2.

Gibbons, S. (2018), Journey Mapping 101, NNGroup, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/journey-mapping-101/ [accessed 2nd June 2025]

Godin, S., 1999. Permission marketing: Turning strangers into friends and friends into customers. Simon and Schuster.

Heath, C. and Heath, D., 2008. Made to stick: Why some ideas take hold and others come unstuck. Random House.

Simon, H.A. and Barenfeld, M., 1969. Information-processing analysis of perceptual processes in problem solving. Psychological review, 76(5), p.473.

Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions.Implementation Science, 6(1), 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-6-42

Miller, D. (2017), Building a StoryBrand: Clarify your message so customers will listen, Harper Collins Leadership

Joseph, P. and Gilmore, J.H., 1999. The experience economy. Boston: Harvard Business School, 7.

Thaler, R. and Sunstein, C., 2008. Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth and happiness. In Amsterdam Law Forum; HeinOnline: Online (p. 89).

Vogler, C., 2007. The Writer's journey (p. 114). Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions.