design patterns for gamification of work
TRANSCRIPT
Design Patterns forGamification of Work
JAKUB SWACHAKAROLINA MUSZYŃSKAUNIVERSITY OF SZCZECIN, POLAND
Agenda
IntroductionWhy do we need design patterns for gamification of work?Design patterns in gamification perspectivePatterns for gamification of work
What-PatternsWhen-Where-PatternsHow-PatternsWhy-Patterns
Conclusion
Introduction
The problem of disengagement of employees with their work Gamification of work concept (from the employer’s perspective)
„An employer-imposed game in a work environment where the goals of the game are designed to reinforce the goals and purpose of the employer”
Gamification design vs. game designGamification design patterns provide solutions for a different class of problems than game design patterns
Why do we need gamification design patterns?
Gamification design elements instead of patternsToo general, superficial and abstract current gamification design patternsNeed for gamification design patterns to support gamification designers, analogically to how it is provided by design patterns in other domains (e.g. software development)
Design patterns in gamification perspective
Existing or expected issue with the way the work is performed or how it is
experienced by employees, or an emerging opportunity
to improve work performance or employees'
experience
context problem solutionDesign patterns approach
Goal to be achieved, solution to a work-related
issue, including explanation how solving it
can affect the context
How the problem can be solved = how the goal can be achieved, using game-inspired constructs, like
rewards, challenges, etc.
The perspective of a gamification of work designer
Patterns for gamification of work
Classification of gamification design patternsWhat-Patterns – what an employee doesWhen-Where-Patterns – when or where an employee does what he/she doesHow-Patterns – how the employee does what he/she doesWhy-Patterns – why an employee does what he/she does
Patterns for gamification of work – what-patterns
Name Context Problem Solution
AutonomyEmployee can do various tasks but is often assigned with the type he/she likes the least
Provide some freedom of choice for employee
Provide sets of tasks from which only one is to be chosen for realization at once
CleaningEmployee proceeds to new tasks without doing supplementary work (e.g. documenting, cleaning) concerning the completed ones
Ensure supplementary work is also done
Do not give rewards for completed tasks before supplementary work concerning them is finished
ComboEmployee’s duties include tasks he/she likes and dislikes, and he/she neglects the latter
Link the tasks employee likes with those he/she dislikes
Define a reward for completing a specific mix of tasks of various types
Prize pacing Employee starts many tasks but completes few
Link the value of reward with completion stage of a task
Define an increasing reward for completing subsequent task stages and an additional bonus for finishing a task
Quest Employee performs especially good at a specific type of task
Let employee specialize further in handling such tasks
Define a reward for completing a large number of tasks of one type
Schedule Employee neglects small routine works that should be done regularly
Ensure small routine works are done on schedule
Define a reward for completing a full schedule of small routine works
Patterns for gamification of work – when-where-patterns
Name Context Problem Solution
AppointmentSomething should be done at specific time and/or place
Provide an incentive for employee to do it on time and/or at the specified place
Define an extra reward for doing the appointed thing, which will diminish with delay and recurrently remind employee about the time left and/or distance to the specified place
Countdown Employee neglects doing something
Provide an incentive for employee to start doing it
Define an extra reward for doing the delayed thing, which will quickly diminish with time and recurrently remind employee about it as the time passes
Explorer’s treasure
Employee is reluctant to do his/her work outside of the office
Provide an incentive for employee to work at other locations
Define a random extra reward for doing work at various locations (with a higher possible reward value for distant or unpopular locations)
Happy hoursEmployee’s productivity falls on certain weekdays or time of day
Provide an additional incentive for employee to better focus on work during the ‘low-productivity’ time
Define weekdays or time of day during which extra bonus is added to each earned reward
SeasonsEmployee perceive the work environment as stolid and boring as it never changes
Instill a constant change in the gamification system, with phases changed with the time of year and/or for few days before holidays
If possible, define special tasks that could only be done in the specific time of year. If not, at least provide special bonuses and modify the system’s user interface
Patterns for gamification of work – how-patterns
Name Context Problem Solution
ChallengeEmployee performs the appointed task with low speed or low success rate
Improve employee’s engagement on the performed task
Define a desired level of productivity and/or quality and provide a point reward for meeting it and a bonus for surpassing it on daily/weekly/monthly basis
Choice of path
Employee feels the task he/she is assigned to makes little sense, and its goal could be effectively achieved in another way
Let employee find his/her own way of achieving the goal
Define a reward for attaining desired outcome instead of completing specific task
Group challenge
Employee struggles with tasks that could be done fast in collaboration
Make employees collaborate with each other
Define tasks that can only be assigned to teams, not individual persons, with reward equally shared among team members
Postage fee Employee keeps asking others for help even with simple tasks
Make employee do his/her duties without interfering with others’ work
Issue a virtual currency that has to be spent to ask a question on a forum or via an instant messenger, and limit the quota by which every employee’s stock is replenished every day
Record Employee’s performance dropped significantly
Let employee remember he/she can do the given task much better or faster
Register various type of personal records (e.g. the fastest execution of specific type of task, number of tasks completed in a week) and remind employee about those relevant to the current tasks. Define a reward for setting a new personal record
Patterns for gamification of work – why-patterns
Name Context Problem SolutionBadges on
displayEmployee considers he/she achieved something important but nobody cares about it
Let employee boast about their achievements
Award badges for record quantity or quality of executed tasks and make the collected badges visible in the employee’s profile
Contest
Employee considers his/her own effort to be larger than that of other employees and that it is not recognized adequately
Make employees able to compare their respective effort among themselves
Provide a leaderboard showing the top contenders, let every employee see his/her own position in the ranking, define end dates when the contest is finished or restarted, and the top players become winners: real-world rewards can be given to the winners and/or their names can be archived in the hall of fame
Higher meaning
Employee does not see the place of his/her work in the grand scheme of things and questions its moral value
Make employee aware of the importance and positive role of his/her work
Provide employee with an introductory background story and multiple short stories which are presented to him/her on completing specific tasks (in a scheduled or random but contextual manner) that inform him how his/her actions contribute to the organization’s mission, society or natural environment
Sense of progress
Employee sees no direct result of his/her actions, considers them futile and fruitless
Make employee aware that every action he/she performs is a step in progress
Reward employee with points even for simple tasks, define point levels marking stages of progress, visualize progress bars showing the distance to the next level
Social currency
Employee generously helps other employees but does not receive due gratitude
Make the recipients able to reward those who helped them
Provide virtual rewards (e.g. reputation points) that can be given by one employee to another as an act of gratitude, and limit the number of rewards that every employee can give every day
Format for gamification patternsPractical classification of patterns21 patterns of gamification of work
Conclusion
