Adding game-like elements to non-game activities is part of app design. Streaks (计数器) encourage users to log into products each day. Medals reward them for completing tasks. Leaderboards add the spice of competition.
Such features can help others stay motivated while achieving a goal they find difficult to stick to. When Duolingo, a language-learning app, went public in 2021, it was clear that game-like features play a crucial role in keeping its users engaged.
But as You've Been Played, a new book by a game designer Adrian Hon notes, firms should be very careful about how they gamify experiences. If getting gamification wrong, you can annoy both customers and employees.
For customers, the obvious dangers — annoying people with constant notices about streaks, or discouraging them by showing how low down a leaderboard they sit — are not the only ones. Somtimes, some activities surely need added "fun". For instance, apps designed to encourage people to save money can happily use gamified features like money jars to track progress. However, some activities really don't need added "fun". One reading app offers to unlock animations (动画) if users hit certain reading landmarks; if you present reading as time-consuming, you are telling readers they are suffering.
For employees, turning repetitive work into video games is a technique that Amazon has reportedly used to represent workers' progress. Yet these ideas may cause negative impact. Forced rankings motivate some people while stressing others out. GitHub, an open-source coding platform, withdrew its streak feature after concerns were raised that it was pushing programmers to work every weekend.
As Mr. Hon observes, games are much less enjoyable if you have no choice over whether to participate or not. Adding fun can work, but only if it is taken seriously.
