framework

What If I Don’t – A Decision-Making Framework

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Dont What If I Don 8217 t 8211 A Decision Making Framework

I want to discuss one of the decision making frameworks I use day to day. Unlike many, this takes a deliberately negative look at decision making. Rather than a lot of these things that look at “Imagine and manifest, if you want it, it will happen” or “Think of the good things that will happen if you do this now, rather than later”, this flips it and says “What if I don’t do this, what are the consequences and knock on effects”.

As an example of the two different ways of looking at a problem, let’s take my daughter tidying her room.

“What if I do tidy my room”

  • Mum and dad will be happy for the next day or two.
  • I get to have friends over whilst it is tidy
  • I can find things
  • I can have new things as there will be room

“What if I don’t tidy my room”

  • Mum and Dad will be angry every day that my room is not tidy
  • I can’t have friends over
  • I can’t find things
  • I can’t have new things, there is no space
  • It will get worse and worse and may become a health hazard

Now, on the surface, these seem just like a mirror image, but there is an interesting difference. Not tidying the bedroom has longer lasting negative effects than tidying the room has positive. Mum and Dad will be happy for a day or two if the room is tidy, not being tidy will lead to them being angry every day that it is not tidy. You get instant gratification and a short gain, but nothing much more, versus short term and long term losses.

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what if i don’t?

There is also a little bit of irrational logic going on here, Loss Aversion. We are much more affected by the thought of losing something than we are by gaining something. Losing £10 is much more painful than winning or finding £10 is joyful and the pain lasts longer.

This is why free trials are such an effective way of increasing subscribership, even though they look like a loss maker. Once a person has become used to the service (for instance Spotify), the pain of losing it after the trial period has ended outweighs the inconvenience of paying after the trial.

In our example of tidying the bedroom, the fear of not being able to have friends over or have new things is much more salient than the inverse, because it feels as though they are losing something.

It is a subtle, but very effective change in thinking, don’t consider what you will gain by doing something, think of what you could lose if you don’t.

Do I answer this email now or later?

If I answer it now, it is done and the client is happy.

If I don’t, it sits there pushing other work back, costing me more time later. The client is unhappy, my project manager is then made aware and is also unhappy. My boss gets a nudge from the project manager and they are unhappy. The manager then has a go at me, so I am unhappy and in trouble.

So whilst the benefit seems minimal, the client is happy, and the unintended consequences of not replying to that email are far worse over time!

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What is the Best Gamification Framework?

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Network 539757 1280 What is the Best Gamification Framework

Gamification frameworks, like many other industries, are all over the place. Everyone has one and probably argue theirs is the best. Hell, I’ve got loads dotted around the site!

But, which one is actually the best?

Well, none of them. They mostly have equal merit based on the context within which you wish to use them. Some, whether they admit it or not, are more suited to analyzing existing systems to gain insights, some are more suited to the practical design of solutions. Some are great at helping to define specific elements you may which to use, some, how to motivate specific groups of users and yet others how to actually run the whole project.

The point is, a framework is only as good as the use you put it to. If you rely on just one, you are likely to not achieve everything you could if you had used more or at least ones that are more suited to your specific needs at the time. Just like we keep telling clients, there is no such thing as “one size fits all”.

They are all tools in our toolkit and we should be familiar with what each is good at and what each is bad at to get the most out of them!

So what is the best gamification framework? All of them, depending on your needs and the context within which you will be using them!

Happy framework hunting peeps.

 

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4 Simple Questions To Transform Your Gamification Implementation

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WWWH 4 Simple Questions To Transform Your Gamification Implementation

It is simple to jump to solutioneering as soon as you feel you have a problem that needs fixing. However, taking a step back and asking 4 simple questions can save you time and money in the long run.

  1.  “What is the problem”
  2.   “Why do we need to fix it”
  3.   “What needs to change to fix it”
  4.   “How do we do that”

What is the problem?

First, you need to explore What you are wanting to change. This is the easy bit and is likely to change, but it is a start. Be as specific as you can, but be open minded as you explore further!

Most people already have this in mind when they first go to someone asking for gamification.

Why do we need to fix it?

I have spoken about this in the past, but it is so important that I like to bring it up from time to time.

Many gamification projects happen with the best of intentions, but are doomed to fail because no one stops to as the question “Why?”

Any behaviour focused intervention needs to have a clear focus, otherwise, you have no hope of solving your problems. You need to have a clear understanding of why you need to make a change. Is there an issue with people using a system? Are people not doing what you expected day to day. Are people not donating to your charity site when you thought they would?

Very often the answer to the initial what is “We want to improve engagement”. However, that still begs the question “why?” Not just that, it also creates the new question “What is engagement?”

What needs to change to fix it?

To be successful you must identify what the root problems are, and what needs to change to fix them. If you have decided that people are not using your system because it is too complex, you must ask the question “what needs to change”

What may have looked like a behaviour issue, people were not using the system properly, may be a usability issue. That requires a totally different solution.

You will cycle between What and Why for a while until you have solid answers to the questions. You can also talk yourself in circles, so need to be pragmatic and occasionally start from scratch!

How do we do that?

Once you have got your solid answers to

  •  “What is the problem”
  •   “Why do we need to fix it”
  •   “What needs to change to fix it”

 you can start to look at how to make those changes and gamification may form part of that. Then you can move onto the next phase. There are many frameworks, such as my own Gamification Design Framework and Toolkit, that can help from there.

 

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Gamification Design Framework Toolkit

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Gamification Design Framework Cover Gamification Design Framework Toolkit

Following on from the success of the Gamification Journey Planner, I wanted to add more value. Based on my Gamification Design Framework (GDF)

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Payment is via PayPal, so all currency conversion will be done there.

This toolkit has been created as a way to help you design better gamified solutions. It is based on my Gamification Design Framework, a systematic way of building solutions that I have developed over the years.

You will find worksheets, tools and advice on going through the process step by step.

Worksheets are made to be printed on A3 paper ideally, giving you plenty of space to write on or attach sticky notes to.

If you have any gamification cards (such as my inspiration cards), they can help you when considering the game elements that might be used.

This is first and foremost a tool, one I have used successfully over the years in various forms. I want you to use it, adapt it and make amazing products with it.

The kit includes the following printables:

  • GDF Canvas
  • User Journey Planner (2 versions)
  • User Journey Adventure (a bit of fun)
  • Action / Feedback Loops Planner (2 versions)
  • Periodic Table of Gamification Elements
  • Emotions, Feelings and Fun Checklist

Gdf canvas filled 500x345 Gamification Design Framework Toolkit
Gamification Design Canvas

If you purchased the original planner, you will be getting a copy of this free via email, so no need to buy it again.

Gamification Design Framework Cover Gamification Design Framework Toolkit

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A Revised Gamification Design Framework

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GDF Overview A Revised Gamification Design Framework

I have created various gamification design frameworks over the years and this is the latest.

It consists of three main phases; Define, Design / Build and Refine. Each phase contains iterative steps to consider as you build your solution.

Big thanks to Roberto M. Alvarez Bucholska for being a great sounding board for some of this!!

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Gamification Design Framework Overview

Discovery

The discovery phase is all about unearthing the real problem that needs solving and then understanding more about the people you are solving it for. It consists of three mains steps.

Define the Problem

I have written about this in the past. What a client wants and what they need are often very different things. The issue they bring to you may be a symptom of something else. You have to dig and dig and dig until you can get to the actual problem that needs solving. This is a skill in itself, but remember to constantly ask Why?

Define the Users

Once you understand the problem, you have to understand the people who are going to be involved and using the system. The client may have one idea, but the people on the ground using it may have a totally different one. User research is a very under-rated part of solution design at times. You need to speak to them, run workshops with them and get to know them. Make the effort to understand them and you will be rewarded in heaven – or at least with positive feedback!

Define Success

What does winning look like for the client and for the users? Once you understand that, you need to decide what to record and measure to prove success (or disprove).

Design

Design the User Journey

Now, designing the User Journey does straddle the define and design phases a little. However. the key here is to understand and start to build the concept of the experiences for each of the five phases of the User Journey; Discover, On-Board, Immerse, Master and Replay. You will revisit this during the design phase and you will add to it and probably take away from it – but it is an essential next step in the process.

Next, you are into the nuts and bolts of designing and building the experience. Initially, you will need to look at BMEM; Behaviour, Motivation, Emotion and Mechanics.

Behaviour

What is it you want your users to do? Some of this will have been addressed in the define phase, but now you need to go into a little more depth. What are the current behaviours and what do they need to be? Is there a large change needed?

Motivation

What motivates the people. Again, you will have covered some of this in the define phase, but now you have to dive into it even further. Consider RAMP (relatedness, autonomy, mastery and purpose). Also, don’t forget rewards. A good balance of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards works very well!

Emotions

What do you want the users to feel when they engage with your gamified system? Should they experience fear, fun, love, humour, family, schadenfreude etc? There are various frameworks out there to help with this, I have my own “Fun” framework, but any will do.

Mechanics

With everything else in place, you can start looking at the mechanics that will drive the system and engage your users. Will you need narratives, strategy, exploration or more?

Periodic Table of Gamification Elements 500x354 A Revised Gamification Design Framework
Periodic Table of Gamification Elements

Action / Feedback Loops

All of the previous phases lead into the Action / Feedback Loops for the system. This consists of a Call to action, leading to user action and feedback loops, then a system change and back to the start. You can see more about this here…

Action Feedback Loop 2 500x407 A Revised Gamification Design Framework
Action / Feedback Loops

Call to Action

The call to action is the instruction or prompt given to the user to do something. This could be a message on their phone to go for a walk.

User Action

This is the action the user then has to take. In this case, go for a walk.

Feedback

Whilst the user is doing the action, they are provided with feedback. In our walk example, this may be encouragement to keep going, or information about how far they have walked.

State Change

Eventually, something needs to change to keep the user engaged. This could be, in the case of our walker, an instruction to now walk further distances. In a game, this may be a difficulty increase. The state change then either leads to a new call to action, or straight backing to the Action / Feedback loop.

Refine

Finally, you need to iterate and refine your designs. You can do this as often as needed to get the results you desire.

Full Framework

Here is the full illustration. I will be integrating this all into my planner worksheet soon, but for now, I hope this has been interesting.

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The Gamification Design Framework

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