On my product teams we often like to follow atomic design. (Brad Frost has the greatest explanation)
Here are some of the atoms of trust:
- Button Titles in products. On my WordPress menu right now I can see about 25 buttons to click. Does “Insights” actually reveal insights in the same way that “Forms” lets me build a form? (No! It really doesn’t)
- Paralanguage (tone, pacing). How you inflect a word or phrase, and your mannerisms while speaking, drive trust more than what you’re saying.
- Eye contact. Your eyes are how you establish connection, which is another word for a “trust container” that is directly proportional to the strength of the connection.
- First Reaction/Automatic disposition. When someone brings up a problem, like a customer service issue, a product problem, or a disagreement, how open is the initial response? Is there a fortress, or an immediate shift to try and see from your perspective?
- Followups. How quickly a problem is solved, or a followup is made, builds trust.
