Blog - Yu-kai Chou

How to Design Effective Leaderboards: Boosting Motivation and Engagement

Leaderboard Design (Game Technique #3)

Leaderboards have long been one of the most popular and widely used game design techniques in gamification. As a powerful tool for encouraging competition, showcasing achievement, and driving user engagement, leaderboards can add significant value to an experience when designed and implemented effectively.

However, despite their potential to motivate and inspire, leaderboards are often misused or poorly designed, leading to a negative impact on user experience and even demoralizing those who find themselves at the bottom of the rankings.

In my book, “Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards,” I emphasize the importance of looking beyond these common game design elements to create more meaningful and engaging experiences. While the book explores a variety of techniques for effective gamification, it’s essential to recognize that leaderboards still have a vital role to play when designed correctly.

By learning how to create leaderboards that motivate the most significant number of users, we can enhance the overall experience and harness the full potential of this powerful gamification tool. In this blog post, we will delve into the art of designing effective leaderboards, ensuring that they contribute positively to user motivation, engagement, and satisfaction, ultimately elevating the entire gamified experience.

Understanding the Pitfalls of Traditional Leaderboards

Traditional leaderboards, ranking users from first to last, can motivate the top 5-10% of users but often demoralize the rest. This is because users in the middle or bottom tiers may feel like they have no chance of catching up or making significant progress. To create a more inclusive and motivating experience, we need to rethink how leaderboards are designed and focus on fostering urgent optimism.

Fostering Urgent Optimism

Coined by Jane McGonigal, “urgent optimism” refers to users’ belief that they can succeed if they act quickly. This concept is crucial for creating a sense of motivation and drive in users.

Instead of showing users their rank as a meaningless number, display their position as a percentile. For example, showing a user that they are in the top 24% rather than telling them they are rank 42,372 gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride in their achievements.

Utilizing Micro Leaderboards

Instead of one massive leaderboard, create micro leaderboards that group users by region or other relevant criteria. This approach makes the competition more manageable and relevant to users’ experiences.

For instance, a user may be more motivated to improve their standing within their city or neighborhood than trying to climb a global leaderboard. By breaking the competition into smaller, more relevant groups, users can feel a stronger sense of connection and investment in their progress.

Implementing Social Leaderboards

Social leaderboards compare users’ performance to their friends and family members. This type of competition can be more motivating, as users may not want to lose to someone they know personally. By allowing users to compete with their social circles, they may feel a stronger drive to improve their performance and enjoy the experience more.

Keeping Leaderboards Refreshing

Long-running leaderboards can discourage new users who feel they can’t catch up to the top performers. To combat this issue, regularly refresh leaderboards to keep users engaged and motivated. Consider implementing weekly or monthly leaderboards, which give users a fresh start and the opportunity to compete on a level playing field with others.

In addition to time-based refreshes, consider incorporating event-based leaderboards. These leaderboards could focus on specific challenges or achievements, giving users more opportunities to excel in different areas and keep their experience fresh and engaging.

Showing Meaningful Information

When designing a leaderboard, it’s essential to strike a balance between providing enough information to motivate users and not overwhelming them with too much data. Display the top 10 users by name for status recognition but not their stats. Instead, show the user’s own stats and those of five users above and below them. This keeps the focus on achievable goals and promotes urgent optimism.

By limiting the information displayed on the leaderboard, users can concentrate on their immediate competition rather than feeling overwhelmed by the performance of top-ranked players. This approach encourages users to focus on improving their own performance and competing with those closest to them on the leaderboard.

Focusing on Reachable Goals

Ensure users can see that they have a realistic chance of reaching the next milestone or improving their rank. Avoid showing the gap between a user’s performance and the leaderboard’s top performers, as this can be demoralizing. Instead, highlight the progress users have made and the steps they can take to continue improving.

Encourage users to set personal goals, such as beating their previous best or surpass

ing a friend’s score. These smaller, more attainable goals can help maintain motivation and engagement, even if the user is not in the top tier of the leaderboard.

Incentivizing Participation and Improvement

Beyond leaderboards, consider implementing other reward systems to incentivize users to participate and improve. For example, offer badges, achievements, or other virtual rewards for reaching specific milestones or completing challenges.

These rewards can complement leaderboards by providing additional motivation and recognition for users at all skill levels.

Encouraging Collaboration and Community

While competition can be a strong motivator, collaboration and community can also inspire users to improve and engage with your platform.

Consider incorporating features that allow users to collaborate, share strategies, and offer support to one another. By fostering a sense of community, users may feel more motivated to participate and contribute positively to the overall experience.

Conclusion

Designing effective leaderboards is a nuanced process that requires careful consideration of user motivation and engagement. By fostering urgent optimism, creating micro and social leaderboards, keeping the experience fresh, showing meaningful information, focusing on reachable goals, incentivizing participation, and encouraging collaboration and community, you can create a leaderboard that motivates and engages users of all skill levels.

With these strategies in mind, you can transform your leaderboard from a potentially demoralizing feature into a powerful tool that drives user motivation and engagement, leading to a more enjoyable and rewarding experience for all.

The 10 Best Productivity Apps that use Gamification in 2024

This post was recently updated to reflect the 10 best productivity apps that use Gamification for 2024

Click here to view our full list of Gamification examples.

We all strive to be more productive: to have more energy, to accomplish more in a day, to hit our goals, to be the best possible versions of ourselves that we can be. But of course, we all face challenges that keep us from achieving our peak selves: we watch TV, we watch Youtube, we sleep in, we do everything possible to avoid the work that we need to be doing.

If life is a game, then we can hack our lives using Gamification to motivate, drive, or trick ourselves into being more productive.

The following are the 10 best productivity apps that use Gamification to improve your productivity, health, and financial habits.

Gamified Productivity App #10: Trackabi

Website: https://www.trackabi.com/

Trackabi is a productivity app that effectively combines time-tracking with gamification, helping users stay engaged while keeping track of their work. The app awards achievements and karma points for reaching specific goals, while also allowing negative karma points for less productive behaviors, like working less than a certain amount of hours.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Trackabi allows users to earn achievements and accumulate karma points by reaching set goals. This not only provides a sense of accomplishment but also motivates users to improve their productivity and time management. The possibility of negative achievements also pushes users to avoid less productive behaviors.

Core Drive 3: Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback: The platform’s customizable achievements system empowers users to tailor their own productivity goals. This gives users control over their targets, further driving their motivation to perform and engage

Core Drive 8: Loss & Avoidance: The concept of negative achievements and losing karma points for not meeting certain goals ties in with this core drive. Users are motivated to avoid underperformance to prevent loss of their accrued karma points.

Gamified Productivity App #9: Any.do

Website: https://www.any.do/

Any.do is a comprehensive task management and organization app with a sleek design. The app incorporates gamification by awarding users for completing tasks and maintaining streaks, fostering a sense of accomplishment and motivation.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Any.do encourages users to complete tasks through its “streak” feature, which rewards users for maintaining a consistent streak of completed tasks.

Core Drive 5: Social Influence & Relatedness: Users can share tasks and collaborate with others, fostering teamwork and accountability.

Gamified Productivity App #8: Toggl

Website: https://toggl.com/

Toggl is a time-tracking app that helps users stay focused and manage their time more effectively. Its gamified features, such as leaderboards and achievements, create a sense of competition and drive users to improve their time management skills.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Toggl allows users to see their progress over time, motivating them to improve their time management skills.

Core Drive 5: Social Influence & Relatedness: The app’s leaderboard feature fosters friendly competition among users, driving them to increase their productivity.

Gamified Productivity App #7: Do It Now

Website: https://doitnow.app/

Do It Now is an RPG-inspired task manager that turns your to-do list into an exciting game. Users can create and customize their characters, level up, and earn rewards as they complete tasks.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Users gain experience points and level up as they complete tasks, giving a sense of progress and achievement.

Core Drive 3: Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback: Do It Now allows users to customize their characters and tasks, giving them the freedom to create a personalized experience.

Gamified Productivity App #6: EpicWin

Website: http://www.rexbox.co.uk/epicwin/

EpicWin is a gamified to-do list app that transforms your daily tasks into an engaging adventure. As you complete tasks, your character gains experience points, levels up, and discovers new loot.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Users are motivated to complete tasks and level up their characters, fostering a sense of progress and achievement.

Core Drive 3: Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback: The app’s entertaining

narrative and design elements encourage users to engage with their tasks in a fun and imaginative way.

Gamified Productivity App #5: Level Up Life

Website: https://lvluplife.com/

Level Up Life is an app that uses gamification to help users improve various aspects of their lives. Users can earn points, level up, and unlock achievements as they complete real-life tasks and challenges.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Level Up Life offers a sense of progress and achievement through leveling up and unlocking new achievements.

Core Drive 5: Social Influence & Relatedness: Users can join a supportive community, share their progress, and view the accomplishments of others.

Gamified Productivity App #4: SuperBetter

Website: https://www.superbetter.com/

SuperBetter is a gamified app that helps users build resilience, achieve goals, and improve their mental well-being. Users can tackle challenges called “quests” and earn “power-ups” that help them develop skills and habits to improve their lives.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Users are motivated to complete quests and gain power-ups, fostering a sense of progress and achievement.

Core Drive 7: Unpredictability & Curiosity: SuperBetter offers a variety of quests, keeping users engaged and curious about what challenges they’ll face next.

Gamified Productivity App #3: Beeminder

Website: https://www.beeminder.com/

Beeminder is a unique productivity app that combines gamification with commitment devices. Users can set goals and track their progress, while also committing to a monetary penalty if they fail to meet their goals.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Beeminder allows users to visualize their progress and set specific goals, creating a sense of achievement as they work towards them.

Core Drive 8: Loss & Avoidance: Users are motivated to stay on track to avoid the monetary penalty, adding an extra layer of accountability.

Gamified Productivity App #2: Forest

Website: https://www.forestapp.cc/

Forest is a productivity app designed to help users stay focused and manage their time effectively. Users can plant virtual trees while they work, and the trees grow as they maintain focus. If they leave the app, the tree dies, creating a sense of accountability.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Users can grow a virtual forest as they stay focused, providing a visual representation of their progress.

Core Drive 8: Loss & Avoidance: The prospect of losing a tree encourages users to stay focused and avoid distractions.

Gamified Productivity App #1: Habitica

Website: https://habitica.com/

Habitica is a popular gamified productivity app that helps users build and maintain good habits. Users create and customize their own characters, complete tasks to earn experience points and rewards, and team up with friends for added accountability.

Why it works (according to the Octalysis Framework):

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment: Habitica encourages users to complete tasks and build habits by offering experience points, rewards, and character progression.

Core Drive 5: Social Influence & Relatedness: Users can join parties and guilds, participate in challenges, and collaborate with friends, creating a sense of camaraderie and accountability.

These gamified productivity apps can help make your daily tasks and goals more engaging and enjoyable. Give them a try and see which one works best for you!

Did we miss any Gamified Productivity Apps that should be on our list?

Let us know if you have created a gamified productivity app or use one that you believe should be on our list and we’ll review it. If it blows us out of the water, then it could make our top 10 list!

Applying Evil Egg Design to create urgent action

Today, I’d like to discuss an engaging game design technique called the Evil Egg Design (Game Technique #115), which can be quite effective when implemented thoughtfully.

The concept of an Evil Egg is simple: it’s a component that, if left unattended, will become progressively worse and worse.

Eventually, it reaches a critical point, hatching into something undesirable or even disastrous. This design comes in two main variations, both of which create a sense of urgency in players and encourage them to act quickly to avoid negative consequences.

The Time-Based Evil Egg: In this variation, the Evil Egg starts as a harmless element that doesn’t seem to pose any threat. However, once a specific time-based threshold is crossed, the Evil Egg event triggers, resulting in a heavy penalty or an increase in difficulty for the player.
The Escalating Evil Egg: In this version, the Evil Egg begins as an already challenging or punitive element, and it becomes increasingly difficult or penalizing over time (e.g., every second, minute, or day).

Examples of Evil Egg designs can be found in everyday life, such as late fees on bills or penalties for picking up children late from childcare centers. These real-world instances demonstrate how the Evil Egg concept can be applied beyond gaming to motivate individuals to take action before consequences escalate.

In the mobile game Candy Crush, Evil Eggs manifest as chocolates that expand and overtake the board if not dealt with promptly, or as bombs that cause a game over if not destroyed within a set number of moves. These elements create a sense of urgency for players, compelling them to strategize and prioritize their actions to avoid negative outcomes.

When implementing Evil Egg designs in a gamified environment, consider the following tips to maximize their effectiveness:

Create a strong context: Ensure that the Evil Egg design is relevant to your project and supports its overall theme or objectives. This may require incorporating elements such as Epic Meaning (Core Drive 1), Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback (Core Drive 3), Unpredictability & Curiosity (Core Drive 7).
Visually represent the Evil Egg: To drive engagement, it’s often helpful to have the Evil Egg represented by an icon or other visual elements. This could be a line item on a to-do list, a deadline with a penalty, or a playful representation of the concept.
Foster a playful mentality: Encourage users to approach the Evil Egg with a sense of fun and adventure. This can help them tackle the threat more readily and feel less overwhelmed by potential consequences.
Make sure the Evil Egg is always visible and prominent in the user’s experience. This constant reminder will help apply emotional pressure and motivate the user to address it before it grows into something much worse.
Consider the emotional impact: While the Evil Egg should create a sense of urgency, be careful not to push users too far into negative emotional territory. An unexpected penalty might leave them frustrated or angry, so ensure that the Evil Egg’s presence and potential consequences are clearly communicated from the outset.
Incorporate other gamification techniques: While the Evil Egg design can be a powerful motivator, it’s essential to remember that it’s just one tool in a game designer’s toolkit. Combine the Evil Egg with other gamification techniques, such as rewards, leveling systems, or social elements, to create a well-rounded and engaging user experience
Encourage collaboration and social interaction: While the Evil Egg design creates a sense of individual urgency, you can also incorporate elements that encourage collaboration and social interaction. Users may find it more enjoyable and effective to work together to address Evil Eggs, fostering teamwork and shared success.
Customize the experience: Different users may have varying levels of tolerance for challenge and urgency. To cater to a diverse audience, consider allowing users to adjust the difficulty or frequency of Evil Eggs in their experience. This customization can help users find the right balance of challenge and engagement for their preferences.

In conclusion, the Evil Egg design is a powerful game design technique that can drive motivation and urgency in users. By understanding its core principles and implementing it thoughtfully, you can create compelling experiences that encourage users to take action before negative consequences arise.

Whether it’s applied in gaming, productivity apps, or other real-life scenarios, the Evil Egg design can be a valuable tool to engage and motivate users.

The Spinning Wheel: A Comprehensive Guide to Boosting User Engagement

In the world of gamification, there’s an array of techniques and tools that can be employed to encourage user engagement and create memorable experiences. Today, we’ll be focusing on a variation of the Mystery Box game design called the spinning wheel. This captivating game technique has a lot to offer, but it’s essential to understand its unique features and limitations to maximize its effectiveness.

A Closer Look at the Spinning Wheel (Game Technique #91)

The spinning wheel is a circular wheel with a variety of rewards displayed around the edges. Users spin the wheel, and a needle at the top indicates the reward they will receive when the spinning stops. While the spinning wheel shares similarities with a traditional Mystery Box design, there are a few key differences that set it apart:

Scarcity and Desire: The spinning wheel showcases all potential rewards, allowing users to see what they might win. This creates a sense of scarcity and desire, as users can identify the rewards they want the most and hope to win them.
Joy of Anticipation: The spinning wheel builds excitement as it gradually slows down, almost landing on a desired reward before moving to another. This element of suspense adds an extra layer of engagement and motivation, making users eager to try their luck again.
Transparent probability: Unlike Mystery Boxes, the spinning wheel visibly shows users the likelihood of receiving each reward. This transparency can be an advantage or a limitation, depending on your goals and target audience.
Attention-grabbing: A spinning wheel is an eye-catching game element that naturally draws people in. Its mere presence can generate interest and curiosity, making users eager to participate.

However, the spinning wheel also has its limitations:

Fewer potential rewards: Unlike a treasure box design, a spinning wheel has limited space to display rewards, restricting the number of potential prizes you can offer.
Gambling associations: The spinning wheel can evoke feelings of gambling, which may not be suitable for all audiences or environments, such as targeting younger users or corporate settings that prefer a more conservative approach.
It takes much longer to reveal the reward from the Spinning Wheel compared to the normal Mystery Box because it takes time to spin, slow down, and land on a reward. If there is a lot of Spinning Wheels to run through before an important activity, this could eat up a lot of time.

Implementing the Spinning Wheel in Your Project

As you consider incorporating a spinning wheel into your project, think about the pros and cons I’ve shared and weigh them against your goals and target audience. Here are some guidelines for implementing the spinning wheel in your project:

Identify appropriate opportunities for Mystery Box designs: Consider where Mystery Box designs could be suitable within your project and evaluate whether the spinning wheel could be a more engaging alternative. For instance, if you already have a reward system in place, explore the possibility of incorporating the spinning wheel as a fresh and exciting way to distribute rewards.
Customize the spinning wheel for your audience: Adapt the spinning wheel to suit your target audience’s preferences, ensuring that it aligns with their values and expectations. This may involve selecting appropriate rewards, adjusting the design to match your brand identity, or incorporating elements that resonate with your audience’s interests.
Maintain authenticity and transparency: While it’s tempting to tweak the spinning wheel’s probabilities, remain transparent and authentic to create a positive user experience. Users appreciate honesty and fairness, so avoid manipulating the odds in a way that feels deceptive or unfair. Instead, focus on providing a fun and engaging experience that keeps users coming back for more.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the spinning wheel: Monitor user engagement with the spinning wheel and gather feedback to refine and optimize its implementation. Keep track of key metrics, such as user retention, frequency of spins, and overall satisfaction, to determine the spinning wheel’s impact on your project.
Balance the spinning wheel with other game techniques: While the spinning wheel can be a powerful tool for driving engagement, it’s essential to strike a balance with other game techniques to create a well-rounded user experience. Overreliance on any single game mechanic can lead to fatigue or diminished returns. By incorporating a diverse range of game techniques, you can ensure that your project remains engaging and appealing to a broad audience.

Consider the legal and ethical implications: Depending on your project’s nature and target audience, there may be legal and ethical considerations to take into account when implementing a spinning wheel. For instance, if your project targets children, it’s crucial to ensure that the spinning wheel doesn’t promote gambling or any other behavior that might be deemed inappropriate. Similarly, if your project is designed for a corporate environment, take care to avoid elements that might be considered too “frivolous” or “unprofessional.”
Leverage the power of scarcity: One of the spinning wheel’s most potent psychological drivers is the feeling of scarcity it creates. To capitalize on this, consider offering limited-time rewards or exclusive prizes that can only be won through the spinning wheel. By creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity, you can encourage users to engage with the spinning wheel more frequently and build anticipation for future spins.

In conclusion, the spinning wheel can be a powerful and engaging game design technique when implemented thoughtfully and strategically. By understanding its unique characteristics and limitations, you can tailor the spinning wheel to suit your project’s needs and create a captivating user experience that keeps your audience coming back for more.

Master the Art of Streak Design for Short-Term Engagement and Long-Term Success

Welcome to the world of Streak Design, a powerful motivational tool that can boost user engagement, create urgency, and enhance the overall experience.

Today, I’ll share some key insights on how to effectively implement streak design in your products or services and discuss its impact on user behavior.

Understanding Streak Design (Game Technique #78)

A streak is formed when users repeatedly perform a desired action without failing. Streak design focuses on creating a sense of Accomplishment (Core Drive 2 in the Octalysis Framework), urging users to keep their streaks alive.

However, it often ends up being driven by Loss and Avoidance (Core Drive 8), as users feel compelled to maintain their streak to avoid losing it.

Streak design is highly effective in driving short-term bursts of activity, but it’s not always suitable for long-term engagement as people burn out the moment they lose their streaks.

Implementing Reward Structures and Streak Ramp-Up

One way to enhance streak design is by tying it to your reward structure. Offer users rewards for maintaining their streak and create a sense of progression by gradually increasing the rewards as they continue.

For example, in a game, users could receive:

10 coins on Day 1
20 coins on Day 2
30 coins on Day 3
40 coins on Day 4
50 coins on Day 5 and subsequent days

If users fail to maintain their streak, they’d drop back to zero coins per day. This creates a sense of both Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment, Core Drive 4: Ownership & Possession, Core Drive 6: Scarcity & Impatience, as well as Core Drive 8: Loss and Avoidance, prompting users to continue their streak.

Introducing Gentle Loss and Avoidance with Streak Ramp-Down

A gentler approach to the above mechanic is the Streak Ramp-Down technique. Instead of resetting users’ rewards to zero when they break their streak, gradually reduce the rewards over time.

For instance, if a user stops performing the Desired Action, their rewards would decrease as follows:

50 coins to 40 coins
40 coins to 30 coins
30 coins to 20 coins
20 coins to 10 coins

This method creates scarcity and urgency without completely demoralizing users, as they don’t lose everything at once. The threat of losing rewards is often more powerful than the actual loss, making the steep ramp-down an effective motivational strategy.

Most importantly, users can gain back their Streak progress relatively easily if they just missed one day, so they are driven to come back instead of burning out immediately after.

Key Takeaways for Effective Streak Design

Streak design drives short-term bursts of activity but may not always be suitable for long-term engagement.
Tie streak design to your reward structure to encourage users to maintain their streaks.
Implement a streak ramp-up to create a sense of progression and increasing rewards.
Introduce gentle loss and avoidance with a streak ramp-down to create urgency without demoralizing users.

In a future discussion, we’ll explore another game design technique called the “Bootleg Quest,” (Game Technique #107) which is similar to streak design but leads to a permanent bonus that users cannot lose. This method offers an even more effective way to design engaging experiences.

Remember, the key to successful streak design is balancing the desire for Accomplishment (Core Drive 2) with the fear of Loss and Avoidance (Core Drive 8).

By carefully implementing these strategies, you can create a compelling and engaging experience for your users.

Supercharge Your Gamified System: Boosters for Greater Engagement and Success

Hello, fellow gamification enthusiasts! Today, I want to discuss an essential game design technique that can supercharge your gamified systems and drive user engagement to new heights: Boosters. In this blog post, we’ll explore what Boosters are, why they’re so effective, and how to apply them across various industries and platforms.

What are Boosters (Game Technique #31)?

A Booster is a reward that allows users to perform the Desired Actions in a gamified system more effectively, efficiently, or enjoyably. Examples of Boosters include power-ups in video games like Super Mario’s star or mushroom, which enhance the player’s abilities and make the gameplay more engaging.

Boosters differ from other rewards like status or external benefits (such as cash or discounts) because they directly facilitate and enhance the user’s experience. This makes them an ideal tool for driving long-term engagement and motivation in gamified systems.

Why are Boosters so effective?

Boosters are effective because they create a positive feedback loop in which users perform Desired Actions to earn rewards (like currency), use the rewards to obtain Boosters, and then use the Boosters to perform the Desired Actions more effectively or efficiently. This loop keeps users engaged and motivates them to continue taking Desired Actions.

Additionally, Boosters can help address some of the limitations of other reward types like status. For example, when people achieve high status, they may feel like they’ve proven their abilities and stop engaging with the gamified system. Boosters, on the other hand, encourage users to keep engaging by making the Desired Actions more enjoyable and efficient.

Examples of Boosters in various industries:

Example 1: Online Marketplaces

When working with eBay, we explored ways to enhance user engagement and encourage sellers to complete Desired Actions, such as uploading more than four photos, allowing print shipping labels, and communicating within 24 hours. Traditional rewards like discounts and free shipping seemed like an obvious choice, but we wanted to think outside the box and consider Boosters that could enhance the user experience even more.

After brainstorming, we came up with the idea of offering sellers a “seller’s kit” as a Booster. The kit could include a portable backdrop that would allow them to take better pictures of their products, making the process of uploading high-quality photos more enjoyable and efficient. Additionally, the kit could contain a portable scale, which would make it easier for sellers to weigh items for shipping and print accurate shipping labels. These Boosters not only improve the user experience but also encourage sellers to complete Desired Actions more efficiently.

By providing Boosters that help users perform the Desired Actions better, eBay can create a more engaging and rewarding experience for its sellers. This not only drives long-term engagement and loyalty but also increases the likelihood of sellers completing the Desired Actions, ultimately benefitting both the users and the platform itself.

Example 2: Online Learning Platforms

Online learning platforms can significantly benefit from incorporating Boosters into their reward structures. For instance, a platform might offer a Booster that temporarily increases the speed at which users earn points or badges for completing course activities. This could encourage users to engage more with the platform and complete activities more quickly, leading to accelerated learning and progress.

Another Booster idea for online learning platforms is to provide users with access to advanced note-taking tools or interactive mind maps. These tools can help users better understand and retain the information they’re learning, making the learning experience more enjoyable and efficient. As users see the positive impact of these Boosters on their learning, they’ll be more likely to continue engaging with the platform and taking the Desired Actions.

By offering Boosters that directly improve the learning experience, online learning platforms can increase user engagement, satisfaction, and overall success. This not only benefits the users but also helps the platforms achieve their Business Metrics, such as increased course completion rates and user referrals.

Example 3: Fitness Apps

Fitness apps can also greatly benefit from the use of Boosters to motivate users and improve their workout experiences. For example, a fitness app might offer a Booster that doubles the number of points users earn for every workout completed within a specific time frame. This encourages users to exercise more frequently and consistently, leading to better fitness results and increased engagement with the app.

Another potential Booster for fitness apps could involve offering users access to personalized workout plans or premium video content. These Boosters can make the workout experience more enjoyable and tailored to the user’s needs, encouraging them to stick with their fitness goals and continue using the app. Users who see positive results from their workouts and enjoy the process are more likely to recommend the app to others, driving new user acquisition.

Incorporating Boosters into a fitness app’s reward structure can lead to increased user engagement, motivation, and long-term success. By offering rewards that directly enhance the workout experience and help users achieve their fitness goals, fitness apps can create a loyal user base that consistently engages with the platform and recommends it to others.

Incorporating Boosters in your gamified system:

When designing your gamified system, always consider incorporating Boosters into your reward structure. Doing so can help create a feedback loop that keeps users coming back for more, driving long-term engagement and motivation.

To effectively use Boosters, ensure that they directly facilitate and enhance the Desired Actions you want your users to take. By understanding your users’ needs and preferences and offering them Boosters that improve their experience, you can create a more engaging, motivating, and successful system.

In conclusion, incorporating Boosters into the reward structure of your product, platform, or service can greatly enhance user engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty. By offering rewards that directly improve the user experience and facilitate the completion of Desired Actions, you create a more engaging and motivating environment for your users. This not only benefits the users themselves but also helps you achieve your Business Metrics and drive long-term success.

As we’ve seen with examples from eBay, online learning platforms, and fitness apps, the key to designing effective Boosters is to identify rewards that empower users, making their experience more enjoyable and efficient. By understanding the unique needs of your users and the Desired Actions you want them to take, you can create Boosters that resonate with your audience and drive meaningful results.

In a world where user engagement and satisfaction are critical to the success of any product or service, integrating Boosters into your reward strategy can give you a competitive edge. Start exploring how you can leverage Boosters in your own offerings, and watch as your users become more engaged, motivated, and loyal, propelling your business to new heights.

Game Design Techniques: the Onboarding Bundle

Hello, Octalysis Enthusiasts!

Today, we’re going to dive into a small bundle of game design techniques that can make a huge difference in your product’s user experience. These techniques are the Glowing Choice (GT #28), Desert Oasis designs (GT #38), and the Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial (GT #6).

By understanding and implementing these design strategies, you can create an engaging and enjoyable onboarding experience for your users.

Based on Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment, people want to feel smart and capable. They don’t want to feel lost or confused. If they don’t know what to do in an interface for maybe about four seconds, they start feeling stupid. So, when designing your user experience, keep in mind these two important principles:

You never want to let users accidentally stumble upon a bad experience. Everything they can possibly choose, or they will probably choose, should be a good experience.
You want to think about the First Major Win-State, which is the moment where the user first says, “Wow, this experience is so awesome!” Guide them towards that First Major Win-State as quickly as possible.

Now, let’s explore how you can guide people into a good experience using these game design techniques.

Glowing Choice (Game Technique #28)

The Glowing Choice is a game design technique where something on the interface stands out, like a pointy arrow, a light bulb, or even a jiggly, wiggly button. This eye-catching element attracts the user’s attention and encourages them to interact with it.

Imagine entering a vast virtual world with numerous directions to explore. The user knows what they should do because there’s a character with a big exclamation mark on their head, signaling that they should talk to this person to receive their first quest. This is the Glowing Choice in action.

Now, imagine a smaller software interface. It’s much less complex than a virtual world, but the Glowing Choice works wonders here as well. By highlighting a specific action or feature, you can guide users and make them feel smarter and more capable.

Desert Oasis (Game Technique #38)

The Desert Oasis design is an interface where the rest of the interface is relatively plain, but the desired action stands out with bold colors, making it impossible to miss. It’s like being in a desert and seeing a lush, green oasis in the distance; you’re naturally drawn towards it.

A good example of this design is the stop sign on the road. The red octagon is a strong visual cue that’s hard to miss, and it effectively communicates the desired action.

The key difference between the Glowing Choice and Desert Oasis is that the Glowing Choice is an overlay that disappears after interacting with the desired action, while the Desert Oasis is a permanent part of the interface.

Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial (Game Technique #6)

When users first join an app or game, they want to be guided through the process. They don’t want to feel lost or overwhelmed. The Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial is a collection of Glowing Choices that guide users through a tutorial, allowing them to learn a whole set of actions.

Sometimes, the tutorial takes place in a simulated situation, while other times, it’s within the actual application.

For instance, imagine a mobile app that helps you get gas delivered to your car. When users download the app, they might not need gas immediately. However, by providing a simulated tutorial that guides them through the process of scheduling a gas delivery, the app ensures that users understand how the system works.

The onboarding process shouldn’t end when users have set up their profiles. Instead, it should guide them through the desired actions at least once, so they feel confident in using the app or platform. By providing a Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial, you can create a smooth onboarding experience that effectively reduces cognitive load and fosters a sense of achievement.

By incorporating these techniques, you can guide users towards the Desired Action, create a sense of progress, and help them achieve their First Major Win-State.

Core Drive 1: Epic Meaning & Calling

By highlighting a mission, quest, or a cause that users can be a part of, you can evoke a sense of Epic Meaning & Calling. Use the Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs to draw users towards actions that contribute to a larger narrative, making them feel like they’re part of something greater than themselves.

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment

Help users experience a sense of progress and achievement by using the Glowing Choice to highlight milestones, levels, or other indicators of progress. The Desert Oasis designs can be used to make these achievements more visible and enticing. Additionally, the Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial can guide users through a series of tasks, leading them to experience their First Major Win-State, creating a sense of accomplishment and motivating them to continue using your product.

Core Drive 3: Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback

Encourage users to experiment and innovate by emphasizing tools, customization options, or creative features through the Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs. With a Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial, guide them through the creative process and showcase the possibilities of your platform, fostering a sense of empowerment.

Core Drive 4: Ownership & Possession

By using the Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs to emphasize rewards or virtual goods, you can tap into users’ desire to own and accumulate. Showcasing the value of these possessions can deepen their engagement with your product and encourage further investment.

Core Drive 5: Social Influence & Relatedness

Leverage the Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs to make social features prominent, such as connecting with friends, joining groups, or engaging in collaborative activities. The Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial can help users understand the social dynamics of your platform, making it easier for them to form connections and establish a sense of belonging.

Core Drive 6: Scarcity & Impatience

Highlight limited-time offers, exclusive items, or rare opportunities using the Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs. By making these scarce resources stand out, users will be more likely to feel the urgency to act on them, leading to increased engagement.

Core Drive 7: Unpredictability & Curiosity

Incorporate elements of surprise or mystery into your user experience by using the Glowing Choice to draw users’ attention to hidden features or content. A well-crafted tutorial can also introduce an element of unpredictability, teasing upcoming challenges or experiences that users will encounter as they progress.

Core Drive 8: Loss & Avoidance

Use the Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs to emphasize actions that help users avoid negative consequences, such as losing progress, missing out on rewards, or falling behind in a competition. A carefully crafted Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial can also teach users how to prevent setbacks and overcome obstacles.

By understanding and incorporating the Glowing Choice, Desert Oasis designs, and the Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial, you can create a user experience that appeals to all 8 Core Drives of the Octalysis

In conclusion, designing an effective onboarding process is crucial for user retention and engagement. With these game design techniques, you can create a smooth, enjoyable experience that helps users feel confident and accomplished. By incorporating these strategies within the Octalysis Framework, you can tap into the full potential of your product, ensuring long-term success and user satisfaction.