My 3 main focuses for rewards and feedback

RIM My 3 main focuses for rewards and feedback

One of the key things that I consider when looking at anything in gamification is how feedback is going to be handled. For me, feedback is anything that gives a user some understanding of progress and achievement. This can be something as simple as a message that says “You have completed the survey”, to a full virtual economy working with points, badges, levels, leaderboards, trading, prizes etc! They are all just there to keep the user informed.

I feel there are three important aspects that need to be considered when designing feedback and rewards for any system though. It should be – cue another mnemonic – RIM…..! Read More ...

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Using the Gamification User Types in the Real World

Supporting gamification user types Using the Gamification User Types in the Real World

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 ...

PDF Tray Using the Gamification User Types in the Real World

Status, motivation and primal instinct

Status Status motivation and primal instinct

Note, when I am talking about user types, I am referring to my classification  user types found here! Since I released the User Types Hexad, I speak less about the extrinsic group outside of calling them Players. To help;

Consumer=Player Achiever.
Self Seeker=Player Philanthropist.
Networkers=Player Socialiser.
Exploiter=Player Free Spirit.

Status in the realms of gamification is a funny thing. It is something that we all agree is important, but seem divided on its nature. Some talk about it as an intrinsic motivator others extrinsic. Read More ...

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What the NHS has just taught me about poor user experience.

Docs What the NHS has just taught me about poor user experience

Whilst I normally blog about Gamification and finding the benefits in understanding the psychology of people, this post is of a deeply personal nature. It also shows how important user experience is. I hope though, you will retweet this far and wide. Oh – and it is a bit of a rant.

This was to be a letter to our medical practice, but to be honest; I decided that it would not make any difference. The last time I tried to complain to the NHS, they seemed to think that it was perfectly acceptable to be told it was best to take my heavily pregnant wife, who was in labour and begging for help, back home. The same heavily pregnant wife who less than an hour later gave birth to our daughter, in our upstairs toilet with no one but me available to deliver her. All this whilst on hold to the same hospital as the tried to find someone to talk to me. This broke none of the their guidelines. Basic human care was apparently not high on the agenda. So rather than going that pointless route again, they will be getting a short note with the URL to this blog on it. Read More ...

PDF Tray What the NHS has just taught me about poor user experience