MEET THE Designers:
Maria Beatriz Kuehnrich Rodrigues
linkedin.com/in/mariabeatrizkrodrigues
@mariabrodrigues
SUMMARY
Designed to Buy began with a deep dive into how persuasive systems shape young consumers’ behavior - especially on fast-fashion, fast-food, and everyday online shopping platforms built around urgency and constant deals. I realized the real issue wasn’t just what people were buying, but how fast these systems push them to decide, leaving almost no time to think. My project explores how design can reshape that moment through a browser plug-in that adds small, non-judgmental pauses inside the buying flow, helping users notice persuasion without blocking the purchase - just creating a bit more space to decide with intention.
challenge
My research showed a clear gap: young consumers often recognize they’re being influenced, but persuasive platforms give them no time to think. Stakeholders, especially brands, depend on speed, urgency, and rewards, while users want convenience without feeling manipulated. Current ethical or awareness campaigns rely on guilt or education, but real behavior change has to be designed inside the system, not against it. Young consumers ignore anything preachy or moralizing, so the challenge was creating an intervention that appears at the exact moment of buying and fits naturally into the flow without adding friction or blocking the purchase.
Outcome
The project became a browser plug-in that creates micro-moments of reflection at the exact point where impulse buying happens. It reveals persuasive tactics, uses browsing memory to surface gentle reminders, and offers slower alternatives without blocking the purchase. By working directly inside existing shopping platforms, it addresses the gap between speed and awareness throughout the buying flow, giving users time to think while preserving the convenience they expect.
