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Hook Model

Animated whiteboard explainer: Hook Model

Nir Eyal, 2014 0:39 Whiteboard video

Overview

What if you could predict exactly how customers will react to your product before you even launch it? The Hook Model is a powerful framework that helps you design products that keep users coming back. Used by the most successful companies, it’s especially useful when building digital products or services that require repeated engagement.

Key Components

At its core, the model has four key stages: trigger, action, variable reward, and investment. Visualizing these steps as a loop shows how each part reinforces the next, creating a cycle of engagement.

How to Apply

To apply it, start by identifying what triggers your user’s initial action, then design experiences that deliver unpredictable rewards. As users invest time or effort, they become more hooked.

Key Insight

Understanding this model can transform how you build and refine your product.