
As UI Designers, we try our best to ensure the users fully engage with our apps and enjoy their user experience. Sometimes, we attempt to find solutions to make an app with repetitive tasks and often quite tedious information exciting.
So, how do you make an app more intriguing that users will spend more time on it and come back for more?
Gamification is a famous concept used by many businesses to bring that fun element into your app.
Have you wondered why Duolingo is one of the best language learning apps? And Fitbit is one of the top fitness tracking apps? Because they incorporate gamification in their user interface, making it engaging for users and worthwhile.
In this blog, we will take a look at how game-changing (no pun intended) gamification can be and why your UI/UX design would require one.
What is Gamification?
Before we dive in, let us define gamification. It is simply inserting game mechanics into a non-gaming environment. It is equivalent to giving life to an object. You are making it playful and engaging for the users.
Gamification is used widely in many industries for corporate training, online courses, and much more. Therefore, many designers are implementing gamification in their apps and websites.
Why are Gamified apps the real deal?
Many companies use gamification to their advantage. Initially, they study the target audience and assess their requirements. Then, they craft a gamified strategy that satisfies both criteria so that users and the organization benefit. It is a great strategy to increase activity in apps and retain those same users.
So, what is the science behind it?
Three psychological aspects come into intuition on why people get motivated to use gamified apps. They are:
Competence: The thrill of discovering new skills and mastering them.
Relatedness: As social animals, we want to connect with people and share experiences.
Autonomy: Being in control of our own life choices and journey.
Apart from that, gamified environments enhance learning and information retention. As a result, this makes users recall the app better because of the fruitful experience and keep coming back for more.
Moreover, it releases good-feel hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin that inspire sharing. One of the fundamental rules of social media virality is when a user gets excited about something, they will share it with their social circle. As a result, this brings new users to your app.
What elements should you include in your Gamification strategy?
Now, you will discover how apps like Duolingo and Fitbit use gamification to their advantage. To ensure you follow a well-organized gamification strategy, ensure your interface has the following elements:

- Tutorials
Before we use an app, we need to understand how it functions. It is comparable to when you play a game. You want to know what the rules are. Likewise, it is essential to teach users how to use the app in a simplified manner. Breaking down a complex tutorial into small steps catches the user’s attention and encourages learning.

- Reward systems
An interesting point to note is people are more willing to do tasks when they know they will receive a reward after completion. Implementing reward systems in your interface is a great way to motivate users to actively engage with your app. Earning badges and virtual coins are some basic reward schemes many applications use.

- Competition
Everyone loves competition, and as social animals, we thrive on one. Put a competitive element in your interface. Users like to get an unfair advantage over others, and businesses do well to ensure a playing field for users to compete in. As a result, this drives a purpose for users to engage with the app.

- Progress Display
We like to know where we are and how far we are in our journey. Having a progress display is a great way to receive recognition for their efforts. Divide your app into levels or missions for users to accomplish each stage. Furthermore, it motivates them to come back and achieve more in the app.

- Social Community
People like to spend more time on apps where there is a community to share their experiences. We adore interacting with others and competing for rewards. Moreover, having a social platform encourages users to talk more about your app and share feedback on how to improve them.

- Leaderboards
We like to gain status and accomplish something big. Implementing a leaderboard drives intrinsic motivation to aim for success. As a result, this encourages users to spend more time on the app and keep coming back to check their status.
Add a gaming experience to your UI design…
Today, gamification has changed the design-thinking process of many companies. It is an interactive and fun element to bring to your apps and websites. Furthermore, it drives users to connect emotionally with your interface.
Before implementing a gamification strategy, evaluate if it bodes well with your application. First, analyze the target audience. Then, plan how you can bring that fun element into their user experience. In addition, remember to always make it simple and boost users to share it with others.
It is now over to you to make the most animated and playful interface using your design skills. What fun elements would you like to bring to your UI design?