Mechanics of Gamification
Gamification is employing game mechanics into elements of websites to boost user engagement with the product. Gamification works by serving users with active commands and feedback through game mechanics. These dynamics must be able to lead to the capability of business targets and goals.
When a user involves with gamification inventiveness, they learn ways to interact with product efficiently.
Secret Behind Gamification
The motive is to build an experience to engage users at an emotional level and help them attain their goals. With increasing engagement, it is also a great opportunity to drive a substantial increase in revenue. Multiple objectives like employee satisfaction, learning skills, changing behaviors, an increase in innovation, skills development can be achieved by gamifying the product.
Understanding the User and Goal
Gamification is not about granting the user badges, medals, points and leaderboard display. There is a requirement of deep understanding about the product’s user, their motivation points, and creating an experience to walk through towards their goal. The sequence is followed for a wider purpose of organization by inspiring users at every path.
Exclusive Coinages of the Gaming Sector
One of the drawbacks highlighted in gamification is the negative impact on user watching the leaderboard comparison. Past experiences analytical study shows that some users were hesitant to start more forward due to the fear of failures.
The new way is to learn techniques to embrace failures and make the user recognize win and fail is part of the game. It works by changing the mindset of the user towards failure and innovation. The business has to think in a progressive way to appreciate the user for sharing their loss happened in the past. Eventually, these insights can better understand the risks associated and implement ways to mitigate those risks in the product.
Gamify the User Journey
Game essence shadows us in every scope of our life, skimping its facets such as trials, accomplishments, or rewards from period to bounce.
Displays rewards and achievements
The goal is to create a sense of achievement and accomplishment by displaying a trophy or coins. These rewards push users to offset the difficult tasks. Progress bars in the learning app can be a great technique for increasing engagement and encouraging to complete the goals. During the onboarding phase of your users’ product journey, the progress bar will help the user to move the trip with the product providing rewards to arbitrary actions. The user rewarded for their efforts is eventually more likely to dedicate more determination and time, increasing their engagement with the product.
Micro-interactions
Some tasks are laborious to complete. At that time, instant gratification removes the frustration feeling while functioning on the application. These gratifications in the form of animations provide instant feedback on their activities but also helps the user to distract from any odd feelings.
Healthy competition
A leaderboard to monitor other users rankings representing performance, task completion, and success can make users aware of how they are performing in relation to others. These can be applied in many situations to produce better output by driving up the product frequency.
Meaningful Gamification
Gamifying a product can create a more fulfilling and personal. Building an effect beyond the rewarding elements can keep users stick to it in the long run. Like how video games guide and train you to continually perform favorable actions, one product must similarly formulate the right habit in users to solidify the success. This concept is called habit loop; it is the direct translation of an engaging user design.
Phases in the Habit Loop
Prompts: The visually information and Call to Action button that triggers any user to act.
Sequences: The system that provokes them to stay active within the product example can shoot a monster or solve a puzzle.
Rewards: The advanced graphics can be a piece of cake on visual delights. Levelling up a user or ability to unlock the next level can be more fun and gratifying.
Gamification in the product is about knowing how to integrate a habit loop in a user. To understand the influence of sustainable and rewardable development, many users maintain the loyalty tag.
Avoidable Techniques
The techniques can help to distil the mistakes done in gamification.
Taking the game seriously — Many companies have failed miserably by concentrating on the erroneous notion of gaming and creating a product that behaves like a video game.
Reward points on anything and everything — You can say sometimes these rewarding can be the most annoying thing in the product. Suppose you offer something to the user at every click of the mouse. This offering is going to turn the user away forever. The virtual currencies and badges are good at certain achievable level or milestones. Otherwise, these leaderboards are just a part of cognitive noise and an array of unwanted distortion.
Patronizing treatment — User friendly should not be misconceived with kids friendly tone, where every step receives a congratulating style for users’ motivation. This product behavior could make the user feel disabled, and this is not something everyone enjoys.
Lesson to Grab
I have listed some of the best practices to be followed in gamification.
Guide only at the initial stages: Allow the user to achieve milestones independently by enhancing the tasks with feasibility. Self-accomplishment is a feeling that allows the user to keep going in the user journey.
Provide a sense of exclusivity
Removing the obstacles and barriers at a certain level to disclose the advanced feature can give users more power. This power can entrench a habit loop addicting the user to come back on the same page. Ensure the rewards are not overwhelming and are given at a minimum level to make the user more productive and engaged.
Polished UI
A well-planned User interface lets the user execute the tasks smartly. Smooth transaction between UI, great performance, and consistent tone can enrich the user experience.
Immersing experience
Allow users to submerge themselves completely in a task without any bug, errors and interruptions. It is vital to provide discrete feedbacks on the statuses.
Do not force the user to play
Imposing a mandator to proceed will make everyone feel awkward. Games should only be an option if they are opting for them.
Conclusion
An open-minded narrative, an intuitive environment, empowering activity to be either competitive or collaborative should be the nature of gaming. The concept of UX design is driving the user to remain emotionally invested. This emotional investment can form a habit in user to interact with your product frequently. It is all about making it habitually pleasurable.
