Andrzej Marczewski

Gamification Expert, author, consultant and designer. I love to write about it, talk about it and bore people to death with it! If you really want to get to know me, check out the About page.

2013 Blog Round Up

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2013 round up 2013 Blog Round Up

2013 was all about gamification and loyalty for me. It saw some massive highlights as well, with trips to Portugal and Madrid to do talks as well as meeting a few great people (and a hero or two!).

It was also the year that gave birth to my Gamification User Types, the work I am most proud of so far!

So here is a round up of everything I wrote this year!

Thin Layer vs Deep Level Gamification

Posted on December 23, 2013With it nearly being Christmas, I thought I would put out one more blog post before the traditional years round up! This time I want to look at a concept I have been talking about for a while, but have never really explained properly. Thin Layer and Deep Level gamification. Thin Layer Gamification This covers… More…Posted in Gamification Read More ...

Thin Layer vs Deep Level Gamification

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With it nearly being Christmas, I thought I would put out one more blog post before the traditional years round up!

This time I want to look at a concept I have been talking about for a while, but have never really explained properly. Thin Layer and Deep Level gamification.

Thin Layer Gamification

This covers things that are added to the “top” of a system. Points, badges, game like interface components. This type is less about engagement as it is about entertainment, but has its place as I explained last week. Read More ...

Why I use Thin Layer Gamification on my Blog

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One of the things I have been asked on occasion is why I have included the Captain Up gamification platform on my blog. In my own words, I would describe it as “Short Term, Thin Layer” gamification (something I will elaborate on in a future blog). A layer of veneer that has little or no long-term engagement possibilities. The reason is because I wanted to. Simple as that. I thought that some people who read my blog may find it a bit of fun – short term or not. I have a few hidden Easter egg style rewards on there, but for the most part is a vanilla install that people can play if they like or ignore if they choose. Read More ...

Using the Gamification User Types in the Real World

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One of the main questions I get about my User Types, is how do you actually make use of them?

What I have provided is a simple framework to look at basic motivations of users who are using your system. However, if it was just an analytical tool, it would not be all that much use really! The main reason I developed the user types was to help you in the planning and design phase – not just with analytics and improvements!

There are two main ways to go about using the user types in the early phases of your design. Read More ...

Collection of gamification thoughts from the last few weeks

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Hi all.

Not a real blog as such today, just a collection of things I have been doing and saying for the past week or so!

A Video

First off, the video of my Gamification of a Career talk at Gamification World Congress has now gone up on YouTube 🙂

A Picture

I was asked on twitter how my User Types might fit with education, this picture was my first run at an answer.

Some Words

Here is a collection of some of the things I have been saying on twitter – may be of interest to some!!

  1. Gamification is not a technology. It is an approach to solving problems.
  2. Gamification can only be the answer if you fully understand the question.
  3. Use gamification to thank people for doing things, not to bribe them into doing them.
  4. If your system is broken, gamification won’t fix it. Chances are it will make it worse! Gamify to solve a specific problem.
  5. Remember. People play games because THEY want to. People use your gamified system because YOU want them to.
  6. Reward systems in gamification are not inherently bad – just badly implemented. Meaningful pats on the back can help early on in a program.
  7. Gamification can be used to motivate, it can also be used to manipulate – which do you think will lead to long term engagement?
  8. Good gamification is not about tricking people into using a system; it is about building a system people are happy to use.
  9. Gamification is not about understanding games, in the same way as driving is not about knowing braking distances.
  10. A lot of gamification is still like a monkey dressed as a ninja. It may look the part, but you wouldn’t rely on it in a fight!

An Infographic

Finally, an infographic I made that talks you through my gamification framework using lots of other ideas from my blog! Read More ...

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