Everything I know about behavioral design I learned at Orange Julius

"As I took a sip of my frosty beverage, the cold sweetness hitting just right after an afternoon of pretending to shop at Spencer's and avoiding the kiosk people, I remarked to no one in particular: "Man, I love Orange Julius. If I knew the recipe for Orange Julius, I would make Orange Julius all the time." The cashier, a guy who looked about seventeen and clearly had better things to do than be at work on a Saturday, overheard this."

"He leaned over the counter and reeled off the recipe in one breath: "Sugar water, crushed ice, powdered milk, orange juice." "Oh," I said. Number of Orange Juliuses made since that day: Zero. Not one. Not even close. I have never even considered making an Orange Julius at home, despite claiming with complete sincerity that I would make them "all the time" if I only knew how."

A child visited an Orange Julius at a mall in 1999 and enjoyed a cold, sweet beverage after an afternoon of window-shopping and avoiding kiosk vendors. The child claimed willingness to make Orange Julius constantly if the recipe were known. A teenage cashier recited the ingredients in one breath: sugar water, crushed ice, powdered milk, and orange juice. Despite hearing the full recipe, the child never attempted to replicate the drink at home. Years later, the count of homemade Orange Juliuses remains zero, and the earlier claim was never acted upon.

Read at Medium