My Open Love Letter to Lumosity
I love you, now change
My handwritten love letter to Lumosity
Dear Lumosity,
Do you remember the first time we met? A couple years ago, I was just a Stanford junior writing an honors thesis on “Brain based computer cognitive training programs”—with you and some other new brain fitness bachelors. But out of the 4 programs I reviewed, you were my favorite…
-Enticing me with your sleek game design
-Attracting me as a young, active adult (instead of a senior citizen)
-Stroking my ego with my personal stats and how I compare to others
I know we didn’t get serious until 8 months ago when we started going steady with my paid subscription. And mostly, it’s been great seeing you almost everyday, with you surprising me with new games and making me feel special with my percentile rankings.
But…we need to talk. I need you to change.
1. I need more consistency from you.
Why are some games beautifully designed with a consistent look and feel, and others feel flat and clinical? The newest games like Tidal Treasures and Speed Pack give me that perfect combination of enticing graphic design with game like memory and speed challenges.
And then there’s the others. I groan when I’m served Memory Lane or Moneycomb. The robotic voice and high pitched pings make me wince. It feels like a test rather than playing a game. It’s hard not to imagine a man in a white coat recording (and silently judging) my scores over my shoulder.
2. Give me credit when I do my part.
Ok, I confess. I don’t always do my training everyday. And as much as I should build that into my daily routine, I don’t feel appreciated when the training I’ve done on my iPad isn’t reflected on the web app, or vice versa. Shouldn’t I get credit for the days when I can only squeeze in time on my tablet or phone as opposed to sitting down with my laptop? Where’s the love?
3. Care about my feelings.
Sure, I feel proud that I’m with Lumosity, and I talk about you to all my friends and coworkers. But your daily training email reminder just doesn’t do it for me.
Why don’t you inspire me or make me jealous? Mention that a similar user (maybe even someone I’m Facebook friends with) just beat my score on a game. Or that I am just so close to breaking into the 90th percentile ranking on the Brain Performance Index. Tap into my emotions, both positive and negative, to nudge me back into more consistent engagement.
You’re a really special product Lumosity, and even though I’m criticizing you, it’s only because I want our relationship to continue for a long time.
In a world where our attention spans can use a workout, and most popular games aren’t designed to improve cognition (Flappy Birds, anyone?), I’d love to see you expand the market on gaming and cognitive training. Plus, you’re inspiring other consumer tech products with similar scientific backgrounds, like Happify.
But you should know, you’re the only game for me, Lumosity.
I ❤ you.
XOXO,
Vivian Chau
