Loyalty

The Number One Mistake in Gamification Design

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Error 1536917247 The Number One Mistake in Gamification Design

Ok, so this is going to polarise you guys a little, but MY number one mistake in gamification design, as I personally see it…

Designing the solution that you want rather than what the client needs. Note I am saying what the client needs not what they want. 

When designing a solution, it is easy to get caught up in how cool and how fun it can be. Then you start to work on great designs that you love. You take them to the client and you start to explain why your idea and design is absolutely the best solution. Soon you are building your personal pet project, rather than actually solving the problems the client had. Read More ...

Where Does Your Loyalty Lie?

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I recently wrote a blog for the poor people who employ me, all about the future of loyalty. It got me thinking about the nature of loyalty, something I have not really thought about since my 2015 talk at GWC.

Rather than looking into the future though, my thoughts turned to where do people’s loyalties lie. More specifically, are they loyal to your company or to your loyalty card?

If I look at two loyalty programs, you may see what I am getting at. The two are Nectar and Tesco.

Tesco Loyalty Card Read More ...

What is Your Least Favorite Gamification Element?

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I often get asked what my favorite gamification element or elements are, but no one ever asks what ones I dislike!

So I thought I would ask you guys the question and offer my own answer.

Leaderboards

That’s right, one of the mainstays of gamification, leaderboards are my least favorite element in gamification.

Don’t get me wrong, they have their place and when used well they can be a great asset to a gamified system. The problem is, they are so infrequently used well and normally are there for a “quick fix”. Read More ...

The 3 Layers of Motivation 2018 Edition

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Ok, so it isn’t quite 2018, but near enough!

I wanted to present a new graphic for my Layers of Motivation (Found here), with a little bit of explanation about one aspect!

For those that don’t know, this was created as a way to explain where purely extrinsic and trivial methods of motivating people, such as points badges and leaderboards, sat within general motivation.

Based on good old Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Self Determination Theory, my own RAMP and gamification mechanics.

The key learning is that to engage and motivate users, you need to understand what their needs are. If they are starving, offering them digital badges won’t really hold any motivational drive for them! If they are generally satisfied in their day today base needs but are unhappy in their role because they lack autonomy, adding a leaderboard to their day job will not help! Read More ...

Gamification: When Badges are Better than Badgers

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Many years ago, I made a typo in a tweet when I mentioned badgers instead of badges. I even turned it into a blog, “Adding badgers would be more gamification than badges.”

It was a slightly idealistic view of badges, where I was almost saying “don’t use badges as they are bad”. I was young and impressionable! However, it was the first time I mentioned my philosophy on badges and rewards in general

“Rewards should recognise achievement, not be the achievement”

This is as true now as it was then, but it is not the only viewpoint and it is not 100% accurate. Badges get a bad reputation in and around the gamification industry, often seen as a lazy way to try and inject some activity into a system. This is true of far too many implementations, so I wanted to look at a few ways in which badges are better than badgers and what we can learn from that. To be honest, I could have called this article “50 Shades of Badges” as there is no black and white at all when you start to dig into their benefits and their pitfalls! Read More ...

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