designing with game elements
One of my more successful approaches is to apply game and simulation elements* to interface design. I first did this on a Nortel training site in 1998, where the increased engagement and usability was such that it's become a ongoing element in my UX strategy.
Ten years later, I implemented the same strategy of deliberately incorporating game elements into design at Classmates.com. Here, a progress bar was added to the personal profile view (see green-boxed area in screen shot below). Progress bars elicit competitiveness and provide a goal or sense of accomplishment, depending on the user's individual score. Please note: as UX Manager I developed the game-based strategy and participated in this project, but it was designed by creative staff.
The results strongly validated the concept. UGC (user-generated content) initiated from this page increased across the board, ranging from 4% to 23%, depending on the content type. In a business where every piece of UGC has a specific ROI (return on investment), this was a win.
what, where, & when
User Experience Manager
United Online (Classmates.com, MemoryLane.com)
Seattle, Washington
2008-2011
keywords
Social network, social media, SNA (social network analysis), IA (information architecture), UX, Scrum (Agile), UX strategy, content strategy, usability, SEO (search engine optimization), user-centered design, taxonomy, C2C, B2C, Visio, Omniture SiteCatalyst, Google Analytics, Yahoo Web Analytics, data warehouse, web analytics, Rally, Pajek, Microsoft Office (especially PowerPoint, Excel), presentations, road map, competitive research.
