Firstplanit

Designing a gamification system to engage users with a reform planning tool

Client: Firstplanit
Location: United Kingdom
Timeline: 5 months
Team: Carles Díaz (UXD&GC) & A.D. (CEO)
Tools: Google Forms, Excel, Word, Miro, Powerpoint, Adobe XD

Kickoff

Firstplaint team develops a complex platform for non-expert users. To improve the learning curve and engagement, the team thinks that adding a gamification layer to the platform can be a solution, and to achieve this they contact me.

Objectives

Generate community between users, profesionals and manufacturers.
Encourage collaboration between users.
Accelerate decision-making during the choice of materials.
Accelerate decision-making during the choice of materials
Provide wireframes to implement the gamified system.

✏️ Notes

Although the client was familiar with gamification, an important part of the initial phase was to explain how a gamified system could improve engagement with the platform without reducing it to points, badges and leaderboards.

Initial Research

The initial research I applied was to understand the different stakeholders that comprise the platform. We found 3 major players: Home-Renovators, Eco-material Manufacturers and Eco-building professionals. Each of them have objectives and interests in the platform, so when applying user-centered design we have to attend to each of them.

Among the client’s requests was the objective to focus efforts on the user profile “Home-Renovators” so the rest of this part of the project is focused on this target.

📮 Survey

Having an initial vision of the landscape that surrounds our potential users is essential to understand their concerns and desires.

Goals

- To know their current involvement with eco-sustainability.
- To determine their interest in sustainable reforms.
- To detect the main impediments to the implementation of sustainable reforms.

Details

500 Participants
10 Questions
Date: June 2020

Main Insights

80%
Would like to make their property more sustainable.

67%
Willing to pay more to make their property sustainable.

72%
Don’t know where to find any information about eco-sustainability

63%
willing to pay more to make their home sustainable.

🧩 Gamification System

The implementation of a gamification system makes it easier for the user to perform desired actions on the platform.

Goals of the Gamification System

• Inspire users in their reforms
• Generate community
• Offer knowledge about eco-sustainable
• Facilitate the choice of construction materials
• Encourage collaboration between users
• Facilitate the management of reforms

All the goals of the gamification system can be summarized as: Explore, Learn, Plan & Share

The average profile 👤

After analyzing the information provided by the Firstplanit team, and applying the principles of analysis of game design players, the 5 profiles were defined in a type of player and the measures of the average profile were obtained. We can highlight that this average player is characterized by being generally philanthropic, socializing, achiever and interested in rewards (player). These qualities and the average age obtained (43 years old) give us a basis to design mechanics that motivate this player / user.

Sources: Marczewski, A. (2015). User Types. In Even Ninja Monkeys Like to Play: Gamification, Game Thinking and Motivational Design (1st ed., pp. 65-80). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Mechanics ⛓️

The Scrapbook
In the scrapbook, the dynamic chosen to activate the motivation of the users and facilitate the understanding of the total benefits was the dynamic of “Achievement by choosing” and “Badge by good combinations”. The scrapbook has fewer mechanics in its use since the usability and clarity of the information must prevail over the qualities of the game.

The Community
The dynamics here are more extensive. They take the form of altruism, status, self- expression, reward, and some competition. Gamification applied to homeowners should be characterized by a very mild expression of reward and competition. Contributions to the community must be motivated by altruism, self-expression and status.

Game Elements 🧲

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📐 Wireframes

I created wireframes to streamline the implementation of the gamification system. These wireframes provide a clear visual representation of the user interface and interactions, ensuring that all stakeholders have a common understanding of the design and functionality. This approach helps to identify potential issues early on and facilitates a smoother development process.

Main Survey Findings

Inconsistent buttons design.

Lack of control and correction of typing errors during data entry.

The design is not updated to current UX architecture standards.

Lack of help systems integrated in the program.

🎨 UI Redesign

Due to the fact that the development phase at the time of delivery was not assigned and the technology and frameworks to be used were not known, it was agreed with the client that no mockups with the styles applied would be delivered.

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