Game Thinking: Innovate smarter & drive deep engagement with design techniques from hit games

Note internal and situational triggers that are already in your early customers’ lives. What emotions or urges could drive customers to seek out your product?

To transform your customer data into actionable insights, start by scanning the data for patterns that are relevant to your product. In particular, look for: Existing habits Unmet needs Pain points Ideas or suggestions

During your research, pay special attention when your subjects talk about existing habits that are relevant to your offering. Daily habits are important, but so are weekly, monthly, and even seasonal or yearly ones. All can be potential hooks for driving long-term engagement.

We know from self-determination theory that people are motivated by meaningful progress. As you play a game, you gain skills and knowledge that prepare you to take on greater challenges. In storytelling terms, this is a classic hero’s journey. In product design terms, you’re taking your customers on a learning journey that will transform them in so

Not everyone needs to experience this path, but those who want to go deep can have more impact with the more they learn.

What solutions have you tried to solve this problem? How’d that work for you? We know that actions speak louder than words, and this question will separate true early adopters from the pack.

Just as character transformation is the backbone of great drama, personal transformation is the backbone of great gameplay.

Walk us through your typical day. How does [relevant activity] fit into your day?

Extrinsic rewards are effective at getting people to complete simple, short-term tasks, but decrease effectiveness for creative tasks that require out-of-the-box thinking.

What’s missing is a mechanism that ties these stats into meaningful unlocks and progressive skill-building. How would you answer these questions? When a customer uses your product for months, what are they getting better at? How will you show personal or social progress in a compelling, meaningful way? How is your customer’s Day 30 experience diffe