Pixel Points & Progress Bars: The Art of Gamification in Design

Part 1: The Psychology of Human Brain & Reward System

Think beyond buttons and sliders. Explore how integrating gamified elements can turn user interactions into delightful journeys. From progress bars that feel like leveling up, to reward systems that keep users engaged, discover how playfulness can elevate the overall user experience.

We reward our users by solving a problem, reinforcing their motivation for the action taken in the previous phase. An experiment conducted by two researchers, James Olds & Peter Milner, concluded that they have discovered the brains pleasure centre. In fact, we know other things that feel good and activates the neural engine, sex, delicious food, a bargain and even our digital devices all tap into this deep recess of the brain, providing the Impetus for our behaviours. What draws us to act is not the sensation we receive from the reward itself, but the need to alleviate the craving for the reward.

Understanding variability

Rewards stimulates the senses until they become predictable. Once we figure out what will happen next, we become less excited by the experiences. To hold our attention, products must have an ongoing degree of novelty.

In the 1950s psychologist B.F Skinner conducted experiments to understand how variability impacted animal behaviour. First, Skinner placed hungry pigeons inside a box rigged to deliver food pellets to the birds every time they pressed a lever. The pigeons learned the cause and effect relationship between pressing the lever and receiving the food.

In the next phase, Skinner added variability. Instead of dispensing food every time a pigeon tapped on lever, the machine dispensed food after a random number of taps. Sometime the machine dispensed food sometimes not. Skinner revealed that the intermittent rewards dramatically increased the number of times the pigeons tapped the lever. Adding variability increased the frequency of the pigeons completing the intended action.

Our habit's are simply the brain's ability to quickly retrieve the appropriate behavioural response to a routine or a process we have already learned. When something breaks the cause and effect pattern we've come to expect, when we encounter something outside the norm, we suddenly become aware of it again. Novelty sparks our interest, makes us pay attention, like a baby encountering a friendly dog for the first time, we seem to love it.

Variability increases activity in the nucleus accumbent and spikes levels of neurotransmitter dopamine, driving our hungry search for rewards.

Social Rewards

Social rewards are driven by our connectedness with other people. Our brains are adapted to seek rewards that make us feel accepted, attractive, important and included. It is no surprise that social media has exploded in popularity. With every post, tweet, or pin users anticipate social validation.

Facebook provides numerous example of variable social rewards. Logging in reveals an endless stream of content friends have shared, comments from others and running tallies of how many people have liked. The uncertainty of what users will find each time they visit the site creates the intrigue needed to pull them back again. Click of the 'like' button provides a variable reward and comments offers a social validation for those who shared the content and this variable rewards that motivate them to continue posting.

Rewards of the Hunt

The need to acquire physical objects, such as food and other supplies that aid our survival, is part of brain's operating system. Once we hunted for food, today we hunt for other things. Al though it is a long way from bushmen to businessmen, the mental process of the hunt remain largely the same.

Pinterest, the online pin boarding site is a virtual open board of objects of desire. The site is curated by its community of users who ensure that a high degree of intriguing content appears on each page. Pinterest users never know what they will find on the site. As the user scrolls to the bottom of the page, some images appear to be cut off. Images often appear out of the view below the browser fold. To relive their curiosity, all users have to do is scroll to relieve the full picture. As more images load on the page, the endless search for variable rewards of the hunt continuous.

Rewards of the Self

There are variable rewards we seek for a more personal form of gratification. Watching someone investing countless hours into completing a tabletop puzzle can reveal frustrated face contortions. Although puzzles offer no prize other than the satisfaction of completion.

E-mail, there is uncertainty concerning who might be sending us a message. We have a social obligation to respond to emails and a desire to be seen as agreeable. We may also be curious about what information is in the e-mail: Perhaps something related to our career or business awaits us? Checking e-mail informs us of opportunities or threats to our material possessions and livelihood. Lastly, e-mail is in itself a task-challenging us to sort, categorize, and act to eliminate unread mes-sages.

Variable Rewards are not a free pass!

Gamification, defined as the use of gemlike elements in non-game environments has been used with varying success. Points, badges and leaderboards can prove effective, but only if they scratch the user's itch. When there is a mismatch between the customer's problem & company's assumed solution, no amount of gamification will work. If the user has no need to return repeatedly to a site that lacks any value beyond the initial list, gamification will fail because of a lack of inherent intent in the product.

Variable rewards are not magic fairy dust that a product designer can sprinkle onto a product to make it instantly more attractive. Rewards must fit into the narrative of why the product is used and align with the user's internal triggers and motivations.

Maintaining User's Freedom

Magic word 'but you are free to accept or refuse' gives the users the freedom or choice they can make. It disarms our instinctive rejection of being what to do. If you have grumbled at your mother, when she tells you to do something or when your boss micro manages you, you have experienced what psychologists term 'reactance'. Present users with an implicit choice between their old way of doing things and a new, more convenient way to fulfil existing needs. By maintaining the users freedom to choose, products can facilitate the adoption of new habits and change behaviour for good.

Finite Variability

In 2013, the television show 'Breaking Bad' attracted 5.9 million viewers and by the end of the series, Guinness World Records dubbed it the highest rated TV series of all time. The program utilised a simple formula to keep tuning in.

At the heart of every episode and also across each season's narrative arc, is a problem the characters must resolve. Invariability, each episodes central conflict is resolved near the end of the show, at which time a new challenge arises to pique the viewers curiosity. Uncertainty is such a powerful tool of engagement.

Why does the power of variable rewards seem to fade away? Experiences with finite variability become less engaging because they eventually become predictable. Platforms like, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest all leverage user generated content to provide visitors with a never ending stream of newness, that's a infinite varibility.

While some products, add variability to the user experience, others operate in conditions that are already variable. For example, Uber wouldn't want variability to your ride because the experience of getting to where you're going is already plagued with uncertainty, Will I get to where I'm going on time! Companies like Google and Uber adding variability make not sense. Can you imagine what would happen if your Uber driver decided to take you for a spin around the block just for fun?

Conclusion

Simply giving users what they want is not enough to create a habit-forming products. There should be a trigger, an action and variable rewards.

Let's discuss more about the gamification methods and examples on upcoming newletters. Stay Tuned!

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Stay tuned for monthly doses of inspiration, insights, and a dash of playfulness.

Game on!