Gaining a deeper understanding of what drives humans

BUT - I just finished reading "Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards" by Yu-Kai Chou and it’s been a revelation.

Yes, traditional notions of gamification, fixated on points, badges, and leader-boards, tend to fail to deliver the promised boost in long-term engagement. To craft motivating experiences, we need a deeper understanding of what drives humans.

1. Epic Meaning & Calling: Connecting the user to something greater than themselves, making their work or learning feel purposeful.
2. Development & Accomplishment: Offering clear progression, challenges that match skills, and a sense of competence as the user grows.
3. Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback: Enabling self-expression, experimentation, and meaningful feedback to enhance growth.
4. Ownership & Possession: Fostering a sense of control over earned items, achievements, or virtual possessions.
5. Social Influence & Relatedness: Cultivating social interaction, collaboration, mentorship, and healthy competition where suitable.
6. Scarcity & Impatience: Using limited-time elements, exclusive content, or desirable items to create anticipation.
7. Unpredictability & Curiosity: Injecting mystery, surprises, or elements that spark a desire to keep exploring.
8. Loss & Avoidance: Highlighting potential setbacks or losses if the user doesn't take desired actions.
   
   
   
   

Deep Motivation

The Octalysis Framework moves beyond simplistic gamification tactics. Here's how to apply it in practice:

• Understand the target audience: What core drives are most important to your users or learners? Tailor your experience accordingly.
• Intrinsic motivation: Focus on fostering a desire to learn, master skills, contribute, or connect, rather than solely relying on external rewards.
• Calibrate the “eight drives”: Determine the best mix of core drives for your desired outcome. Consider conflicts and synergy among them.
• Lasting Impact: Prioritize experiences that sustain engagement even when the novelty of 'game-like' elements fades.
  
  
  
  

Examples

How Octalysis could work in different contexts:

• Education: A history course might foster Epic Meaning by connecting lessons to current social issues. Clear skill progressions (Development), opportunities to create historical simulations (Empowerment), and team-based debates (Social Influence) keep students engaged.
• Business: Sales training can tap into Competition (leaderboards balanced with mentorship), Scarcity (limited-time bonuses), and Ownership (customizable virtual sales tools).
• Personal Growth: A fitness app might use Development (leveling up), Social Influence(workout buddies), Unpredictability (surprise challenges), and even Loss & Avoidance (reminders of setbacks if workouts are missed).
  
  
  
  

The Future of Gamification

As technology evolves, gamification, fueled by concepts like the Octalysis Framework, will become more personalized and immersive. Imagine learning platforms tailoring themselves to your dominant motivators or productivity apps that offer a compelling narrative alongside your to-do list.

By understanding the science behind human motivation, we can unlock the power of gamification for creating learning experiences, workplace environments, and personal development tools that are genuinely engaging and impactful.