Products should always respond to the needs and demands of the users. UI and UX have never been more critical than they are now. To create the best possible interactions with the users, designers are incorporating new elements into website design every day. That is how they stumbled upon gamification in the recent past. For a brief period, most graphic designers thought that gamification is a fad that will soon pass. However, after being present for years, gamification is only getting stronger and more popular by the day.
What does “Gamification” even mean?
Gamification instantly brings game design to our minds. While both of them share certain similarities, they are not interchangeable terms. You can instead say that gamification refers to the utilization of game design techniques in website design. Just like multiplayer games, the new website designs that utilize game mechanics are more interactive and exciting. They offer a dynamic UI to the users, who also enjoy better flow and engagement. According to several experts and designers, this new design style can reduce bounce rate and contribute considerably to conversion rates. So, beyond badges, points, and leaderboards, gamification has gone beyond the world of gaming and stepped into the world of website design.
However, it is not about gaining bonus points and completing quests. It is always about the experience. Gamification often makes the user experience more thrill and fun. It creates an avenue or navigational pathway for your website visitors. It is about motivation and not just about adding more features to a site. To know how you can add fun, motivation and rewards systems to your website navigation.
It gives the user the most critical role
Think of it this way – gamification allows you to design an experience where the user is the “hero” of the story. They need to meet the challenges to reach the goal or receive a reward. For example, the new design of Dropbox. The tooltips include all information necessary to complete tasks. The “upgrade” option implies a reward system through a simple task (button click). The reward is in the form of storage space. The creators have used the service/product that people are using Dropbox for as the reward. That is the real essence of gamification.
Some designers might be mourning the death of gamification, but the process is very much alive and in practice. It can create a definitive differentiator for your website and services. It can become a part of any of your products. Both Skype and Dropbox use gamification in their onboarding process. Neither their applications nor their main website makes it a necessary experience for the users. It is only commendable to keep the option of control in the hands of the users. The very point where the user is making a choice is where they are engaging with the mobile application or the main website.
It puts the user on a pedestal
A part of the research on gamification and its influence on UX shows that people only want to share their achievements and not their regular chores on social media. That is why modern apps are now designing share options for accomplishments. A typical example is the diet and fitness applications. Once a user manages to come close to their target weight, they see a share option. If the app could share their regular struggles and failures, that would be more than embarrassing! That is what designers call a player-centric design for gamification. The mechanics of the process often draw inspiration from social and emotional needs. It is like awarding a “perfect” smiley face to children when they do well in tests.
What not to do while adopting gamification in website design?
This far, we have been talking about what gamification is. It is time to learn what gamification is not. Gamification can effortlessly make or break your company and services. Understand what you should and should not do to update a website as per the client’s needs.
Do not manipulate
Gamification is not about turning people into your game of sales and conversion. It is about motivating people to click the subscription button or the email marketing options. Several sites have reward points that can track your productivity and activity over time. Some even introduce daily, weekly, and monthly goals.
It is not a game
To incorporate gamification in every step of the website experience of the user or “the player,” you need a team of highly trained and experienced professionals. Salesforce Engage offers an excellent user-centric website design with sprinkled gamification across the several channels. It provides a generous serving of opportunity and rewards throughout the site. The key to successful designing is knowing when to stop!
Turning boring into fun is not magic
Gamification cannot make up for drab content and lack of innovation in webpage topics. With the process of evolution, high-quality websites can become great, but bad ones only become worse! Take the mundane tasks and add some motivation to them. That is how you can turn dull into fun, but even for that to be successful, you will need the right kind of content and basic design.
Gamification is not just another add-on
The moment you start treating gamification lightly, you risk losing the integrity of the design. A brand can suffer irreversible damage with the incorrect design changes. Today, design and UX are not instantly separable. Therefore, gamification deserves quite a bit of attention, importance, and research before implementation. It needs to be a pleasant experience for the potential users and players on your website. Most importantly, you cannot force them into the action; they at least need to have an illusion of choice to be able to enjoy the gamification perks.
A few last words
It is not an overhaul. It is not an additional feature. Gamification is a very nuanced and delicate process that can help transform your digital business strategy. Website design can help you define your business persona to your visitors and online customers. Gamification might not be the brand new design trend that all designers, developers, and marketers talk about, but it is one of the most active strategies that are revolutionizing website functions and layouts of many leading companies.
