Gamification is a technique which designers use to insert gameplay elements in non-gaming settings, so they enhance user engagement with a product or service. By weaving suitably fun features such as leaderboards and badges into an existing system, designers tap users’ intrinsic motivations so they enjoy using it more.
Learn more about how Gamification fits into user experience design:
“Games give us unnecessary obstacles that we volunteer to tackle.”
— Jane McGonigal, American designer and author
Gamification is a powerful tool to drive user engagement for several reasons. It’s not about transforming user interfaces into games. Instead, you use it to inject fun elements into applications and systems that might otherwise lack immediacy or relevance for users. When you do this right, you incentivize users to achieve goals and help them overcome negative associations they may have with the system and the tasks it requires them to complete. The dynamics designers incorporate in successful gamification themselves serve as effective intrinsic motivation. This means that users engage with the system because they want to. For instance, Foursquare/Swarm promotes users to “Mayors” of establishments after so many visits, enabling them to compete for top place while enjoying meals, shopping, movies, etc.
To inspire users by introducing gamification into an existing system, you should apply gameplay and the structure of rules and goals to “serious” or mundane tasks. You can gamify systems in many ways, from countdowns to encouragement for completing x percent of a task. People enjoy interactivity and satisfying their curiosity. Sometimes, you can use a suitable social element to increase their engagement.
Gamification is notoriously difficult. You should strike a cautious balance between the “fun factor” and the tone of the subject matter. Moreover, you must tailor the gameplay and the rewards precisely to the users. The degree of apparent gamification and the nature of trophy-like awards that are suitable for an app where friends compete won’t suit a corporate environment that prefers more subtle approaches. Simultaneously, you must fulfill certain user needs if “players” are to use the system without forcing themselves to. Such needs include:
Autonomy – Users’ actions must be voluntary; you shouldn’t push them to adopt desired behaviors but instead insert subtle elements/prompts which they can find on their own and therefore feel in control of their experience.
Relatedness – Users need to feel that your brand cares about what matters to them. Customizing your design’s content and tone to them are especially useful for fostering their loyalty.
Competence – Related to autonomy, this need is about keeping users comfortable as they discover your design by never feeling overwhelmed or confused. For example, as users typically don’t like reading lots of text, you can use icons (e.g., a heart for “Save to Favorites”) or progressive disclosure.
Remember – you can’t force anyone to have fun! Question-and-answer service Quora, which awards credits while linking like-minded people, is an example of how to fulfill relatedness.
Here at the Interaction Design Foundation, we also use gamification to increase our course-takers’ intrinsic motivation for putting their best effort into their courses.
Major Gamification Pitfalls:
Manipulation – Gamification is about motivating users by enabling them to have fun, not tricking them into doing things.
Building a Game – If you overdo the game features, you’ll defeat the purpose of incentivizing users to complete real-world tasks.
Magic Paint – The system you’re gamifying must be good per se. If it’s subpar, gamification cannot make it a success.
To get gamification right, it’s vital to know both the users and exactly how they should fulfill the goal or purpose of your gamified design, every step of the way. You also should understand that motivations will vary according to the task, objective and player. Likewise, the gamification mechanics must suit the users. So, when you choose to implement a leaderboard, points system, relationship-based approach, badges, etc., you should:
Enhance the experience from the users’/players’ viewpoints by inserting the right gamification mechanics – First, do UX research to pinpoint who those “players” are and understand how they see their world. For instance, does their work environment suit a challenge-oriented experience with points, awards and competition? Or how about time constraints to complete the boring tasks and compulsory e-learning? Or might these seem adversarial and demotivate some users? Would a more discreet approach with elements of a journey of discovery and private personal achievement markers work best? From your research, you can create personas to help understand likely player types. From there, you can tailor a system that’s right for all stakeholders involved.
Evaluate your design to monitor its effectiveness in bolstering user engagement – usability testing is invaluable here.
A successful project is one that covers both aspects—namely, to increase engagement through pleasurable activity and satisfy the bigger picture, the original purpose for the design. Overall, gamification is an experience you should “weave” carefully into an existing system, not a feature you insert.
You can learn much more about gamification and its uses in the Interaction Design Foundation’s online course.
Web interface designer Peter Steen Høgenhaug captures gamification with a variety of examples and insights.
Find examples of gamification done right – here.
Explore some mechanics of gamification at a glance – here.
The concept of gamification brings elements from games into everyday life. These tools motivate you to reach your goals or do better in what you are doing. A good gamification experience connects with feelings of love, hate, fear, etc. Some common game mechanics examples in gamification are:
Goals: Complete a task and get a reward, like a badge or points.
Status: Users move up levels or ranks by doing activities. Leaderboards show who is doing the best. This encourages users to work harder.
Rewards: Getting points or badges is common. Other rewards could be discounts or gift cards.
The book "Gamification at Work: Designing Engaging Business Software" delves into gamification in the business realm. It addresses questions about its relevance, best practices, and potential pitfalls.
Gamification in AI refers to adding game-like elements, like points, levels, and streaks, into Artificial Intelligence systems. This approach uses game design components to make AI interactions more interactive. It improves the experience of what people want and the appeal of AI computer programs.
Gamification could be put into use in customer support AI. You can reward regular users with points or badges for providing feedback. Combining gamification and AI can improve user experiences, encourage desired behaviors, and increase user engagement.
Gamification in education involves including gaming themes throughout the classroom to improve student engagement. Students are called players; assignments become searches, grades are quest points, and fun class activities are believed to be game rewards. It seeks to make the learning process more enjoyable and interesting.
A common strategy that can help incorporate gamification in education is understanding player types. Careful research on player types and preferences will help create a better gamification environment.
Gamification in an app means adding game-like features, such as reward points, achievements, and badges. This makes it more interesting and keeps users engaged in achieving their goals.
For instance, in a shopping app with gamification, users might earn points when they buy things. These points could be used to get special discounts or access sales earlier than others. It makes the app more fun. It also keeps users interested and enhances their overall experience.
It is like turning regular tasks into a game to make everything more exciting and enjoyable.
Gamification in learning involves adding game-like elements into educational processes to enhance engagement and motivation. Features like quizzes, badges, and progress tracking encourage students to actively participate and progress through the material.
Take Duolingo, for instance. It is a well-known example of gamification in learning. Duolingo turns language learning into a game where users earn points, level up, and can even compete with others. Thus, it makes the whole process of learning a new language more fun and engaging.
Game-based learning and gamification are both strategies used in education. However, they differ in their approaches. Here are the notable differences:
Game-Based Learning - It uses real games as part of learning. Students directly interact with games designed for educational purposes.
Gamification - It adds game elements to non-game situations to make them more engaging. It transforms the learning experience without using a full-fledged game.
Game-Based Learning - It creates immersive experiences within a complete game environment, often including stories, characters, and specific challenges.
Gamification - It does not create a complete game environment. Rather, it integrates game features into existing content or activities.
There is no universal answer to whether gamification is positive or negative. Its impact depends on how much people genuinely like and agree with it.
For example, in a fitness app, gamification can be super motivating for folks who are really into it. They willingly take on challenges, earn badges, and compete on leaderboards to boost their fitness journey.
However, being pushed into these challenges might make the experience less enjoyable for someone not interested in the gamified side of fitness.
You must follow the given steps to use gamification effectively:
Know Your Users: Research and understand the people using your system.
Set Clear Goals: Define specific things you want users to achieve.
Choose Fun Elements: Add features like leaderboards or badges.
Use Storytelling and Emotions: The article "The Use of Story and Emotions in Gamification" shows how integrating storytelling and emotions in gamification enhances the experience and the overall appeal of gamified features.
Encourage Collaboration: Let users work together and build a community.
Provide Meaningful Rewards: Give customized rewards, like points or badges, that matter to users.
Avoid Overdoing it: Balance the fun parts with the serious side of what you are doing.
Monitor and Adjust: Keep an eye on things and change your gamification strategy based on what users tell you.
Multiple courses can help you discover how gamification can boost your professional ability. You can enroll in Gamification - How to Create Engaging User Experiences to gain valuable skills and build your knowledge. The course will prepare you to understand and gain deep insights; for instance,
Boost user engagement with gamification
Understand the difference between gamification and game design.
Learn to create player experiences that match up with business missions.
Develop skills for effective management, watching, and measurement of gamification.
Secure legal and right practices in gamification projects.
Here’s the entire UX literature on Gamification by the Interaction Design Foundation, collated in one place:
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