Cast Vote? Yes / No / Cancel

In this final article I will circle back to the original question: What to do about declining voter turnout. How to reinvigorate the interest in voting – especially for a new generation, trained on instant gratification and stuck in constant feedback loops. Working on this from the angle of a game designer won’t deliver a cure-all solution. It probably won’t even make a dent in the graphs. But the general idea is a powerful one, and if just a handful of people can be attracted to politics, into electoral studies or more generally in the process of democracy, then the effort should be worth it.

sebastian.reichl@outlook.comFebruary 1, 2019gamifications, elections

¿Hablas Gamificación?

In this article I will dissect the popular language learning app “Duolingo”. I will take a look at the different gamification elements in play, the UI design and UX of the app and analyse them. Disclaimer: I won’t go into the monetization efforts of this app – as this would be enough to justify a blog article on its own.

Duolingo uses implicit game mechanics: it is a learning app that uses game mechanics, instead of being a game with learning elements attached to it. This means that we will see the full potential of gamification methods in “serious apps”. After taking a first look at the player journey, we see that the different phases don’t really differ too much from another.

Interaction Designsebastian.reichl@outlook.comJanuary 22, 2019gamifications, elections, game, UI Design

Driving the Point Home

Of course, filling an XP bar and collecting badges is not why people play a game Those are merely mechanics to engage the player on a deeper level, using human psychology. Gamification mechanics are tools, not the actual goal of a gamified app. So, in order to craft an experience the player actually enjoys, designers have to design for player motivation, not for mechanics. The Octalysis helps in this regard, as it divides player motivation in distinct categories, that are easy to design for.

sebastian.reichl@outlook.comJanuary 14, 2019gamifications, elections

„I Go to Seek a Great Perhaps.“

The last chapter introduced us to different ways to encourage player behaviour, by exploiting their desire for gratification. These techniques are short cycle loops, that repeat often and foreseeably, to reinforce the player’s desire to engage with the game mechanics. They do not, however, drive the player’s desire to play the game! Feedback loops (to be detailed in a later chapter) are not the reason why someone will pick up the game again and again.

Interaction Designsebastian.reichl@outlook.comJanuary 11, 2019gamifications, elections, game design

Six Degrees of Gratification

Gratification is one of the most powerful experiences of the psyche. It is often said, that patience is a virtue. Seeking gratification is the direct opposite: it is the satisfaction gained by successful short-term tactics and emotional impulses, rather than planned, deferred gratification which is obtained by achieving long-term goals. While the latter is a cornerstone in Strategy games – creating a game winning strategy from the very beginning, often times foregoing short-term gains – most other game genres pander to short-term achievements and instant rewards.

Interaction Designsebastian.reichl@outlook.comDecember 16, 2018gamifications, elections, game design

What is Gamification, and How Can I Use It?

So, what are those “features and concepts from games”? How do they work and with what purpose? While these features are present in basically every game there is (after all, they are what makes them a game) there are variations in their use. Some games focus on one or two specific game mechanics, other games go all out and take advantage of the whole catalogue of game design features. The mix, however, is important. Game mechanics have to be used with purpose, not just for the sake of it.

Interaction Designsebastian.reichl@outlook.comDecember 5, 2018gamifications, elections, game design

Gamification of Elections