Gaming work isn’t just about fun and games

Game design can offer valuable insights into developing business solutions. But beware – simply adding game elements to the same antiquated performance review won’t do the trick, and our co-CEO Daniel Debow knows why.

Yesterday Daniel was invited to speak as an expert on gamification in the enterprise. He shared insights over Twitter with Gamification Co.’s Gabe Zichermann on Rypple’s success using game dynamics when designing our social performance platform. Viewers following from the Twittersphere also asked questions—from how gamification helps promote a bottom up management technique to Daniel’s experience working with Facebook.

Daniel advised that those evaluating gamification techniques should avoid looking to add features to “gamify”.  Instead, they should “figure [out] the game[s] people already play, and design around that. Let users create their own game.”

Daniel says the best process for imbuing your business with game dynamics is through frequent experiments and iteration based on customer behavior. So rather than adding new features, Daniel advises designers evaluate what is essential to increasing engagement and achieving the end goal. For Daniel, that “goal is to amplify existing good behavior, not create game-crack.” Analyzing how game mechanics can help re-enforce intrinsic motivators helps achieve this goal and give the success of the game real meaning.

“[Gamification] reminds us to keep things fun, simple, easy. And, forces us to think of intrinsic motivations.”

To learn more about Rypple’s experience using Enterprise Gamification techniques check out Daniel’s slides below, or read the full transcript of his interview.