GAMIFIED INTERACTIONS — LEADERBOARDS AND TROPHIES

Recently, I was checking my facebook memories and I came across an old post where I was using the Foursquare app (later known as Swarm). I wondered why I was using the app and what motivated me to share my movements with friends (or more) online.

The thing about Swarm and Foursquare is they offered a playful experience where there are a leaderboard and stickers. Both features motivate users to keep checking in and using the app.

Leaderboards were known in video games but started to be introduced in products such as Swarm as a common behavior change design pattern. Designers use leaderboards to motivate people to use their products more because people like to win, especially when the competition is within the user’s own network.

Another version of the stickers in the Swarm app are the trophies in Snapchat. Snapchat also uses the trophies to add a bit of gamification and keep the snapping going. The user is rewarded with a trophy for performing a certain activity. For example, when verifying the email address, the user will directly receive the email trophy. There are a total of 32 total trophies and there is a guide about them: The Complete Guide To Snpachat Stories.