Food for Thought 1 🍦: What do Harvard courses, product design, and BerryLine froyo have in common?

While revisiting Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism (Ertmer & Newby, 2013) to explore ways of redesigning the program for working professionals, I was struck by how these classic learning theories map directly onto how we design products:

🍓Behaviorism: “Behaviorism focuses on the importance of the consequences of those performances”. In other words, reinforcement matters. Clear signals, feedback loops, and measurable outcomes drive adoption and habits. Think of onboarding flows as a series of small rewards that guide intentional user actions.

🍓Cognitivism: In 1950, psychologists began to de-emphasize behavioral models and shifted toward understanding learners’ conceptualizations of how learned information is organized. In other words, structure matters. People need information organized in ways that make sense. That’s why we invest in clarity in the user experience so users can focus on truly rationalizing how the product works and building lasting mental connections with the product.

🍓Constructivism: Different from behavioral and cognitive theory’s objectivistic point of view, constructivism argues that learners actively construct knowledge through experience, reflection, and interaction. Context matters. True understanding comes from hands-on experience. Real value is created when users experience and explore the product. Features should enable exploration and personalization not just scripted paths. That’s where deeper learning, and long-term loyalty, happen.

For a lighter take, as a BerryLine fan in Boston (their original frozen yogurt with mochi is the best!!), I like to think froyo captures these three theories in one cup!

🍓Behaviorism is that instant reward when the first spoonful of BerryLine makes you want more.

🍓Cognitivism is knowing which toppings and flavors fit together because you’ve learned the patterns.

🍓Constructivism is experimenting until you find your own perfect mix. 

Combining these theories, products, or even something as simple as froyo, don’t just deliver functionality. They teach. They reinforce behaviors and empower discovery. As product designers, we don’t just create products; we’re creating learning experiences for our users.