At Designing Digitally, Inc. we use gamification in our everyday business practices. Our goal is to create systems and processes within learning experiences that motivate and engage learners. That is, in essence, why gamification is being applied to learning content that might otherwise be dry and boring when approached in a traditional presentation style learning experience. Gamification is all about using game elements to engage the learner’s competitive nature, using extrinsic motivation to increase intrinsic motivation. If you can change the behavior of a learner by providing elements used in gaming to make something fun, you’ve immediately increased your chances of the content sticking with that learner. The team at Designing Digitally, Inc. loves gamification! Take a look at how Eric our Interactive Media Designer makes coming to work more fun:

Just as family members share similar DNA, gamification and serious games share similar traits. Both are born of game thinking, mechanics, and design. Both are used to solve problems. And both engage users. But just like family members, gamificaton and serious games have their differences. Let's take a closer look at each of these game-based techniques to see how they differ and how they can be used. The Game Called Life Gamification uses game thinking and mechanics in a non-game context to improve user engagement and solve problems. Probably the most common example of gamification is a frequent flyer or loyalty program. By offering rewards or incentives (a game element), these programs engage customers and influence their behavior to buy the company's product or service (a non-game context). While some frequent flyers may consider the accumulation of points to earn free flights a game, loyalty programs are not actually games. Other forms of gamification tap into people's competitive natures and sense of play to lend a game-like feel to everyday tasks and experiences. For instance, an application like Nike+ helps motivate users to exercise more with rewards and achievements, goal tracking, and social competitiveness. Or a 3-D virtual campus tour becomes a dynamic online recruitment tool with avatars, mini-games, and opportunities to connect with other recruits. Below is a great example of the team at Designing Digitally, Inc. using gamification to make coming to work fun! Why so serious? Serious games, on the other hand, are games. But they are games designed for a purpose other than entertainment. Serious games use game environments and techniques to train or educate users or to promote a product or service in an engaging and entertaining way. The "serious" aspect comes from the fact that they are used by industries like defense, education, scientific exploration, health care, emergency management, city planning, engineering, religion, and politics. Game-based learning is not a new concept. It dates back to at least the 1900s, and paper-based educational games were quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s. But advances in technology, motion tracking, 3-D gaming, and sophisticated graphic design have taken game-based learning to a new level. For example, a new airline employee can learn directional marshaling signals by playing a serious game that uses Microsoft Kinect. The trainee actually uses the signals to guide an airplane out of the hangar and down the runway, dodging obstacles and earning achievement points. In the simulated environment, the trainee has the opportunity to practice, fail, and improve while enjoying the experience, which leads to better retention of the concepts learned. Clearly, gamification and serious games share similar traits and even goals. What sets them apart is the context in which game elements are applied. Gamification is more than a serious game as it expands game thinking and mechanics into non-game environments, such as the classroom or everyday life. Serious games apply game thinking and mechanics to "serious" subjects. Ultimately, the more you make something compelling and fun with gaming elements, the better your chances are for getting the results you want. For more information on Gamification vs. Game Based Learning you view the PowerPoint created by our President of Designing Digitally, Inc. (Andrew Hughes) for the Society of Applied Learning Technologies Conference that was held August 15th 2013 below:  

Designing Digitally, Inc. in partnership with Barron Associates, Inc. won a coveted Brandon Hall Group Silver Award for Excellence in the Best Use of Games for Learning category. Barron Associates, Inc. and Designing Digitally, Inc. created a 3D motion tracking training game called Virtual Occupational Therapy Assistant (VOTA). The VOTA project win was announced on September 26th and the winners are listed at: http://go.brandonhall.com/Excellence_Awards_Home The President of Barron Associates, Inc., Dr. Eugene Parker commented, "We are extremely excited about this award and the success of our partnership with Designing Digitally, Inc. on the development of VOTA. The VOTA system represents an emerging nexus between computer-based games and health care applications -- one that we look forward to continuing to pursue in earnest with our partners."  The President of Designing Digitally, Inc., Andrew Hughes stated, "We are honored to be awarded a Silver Brandon Hall Award and will continue to improve our development approach in the years to come. We especially wish to acknowledge the partnership between Designing Digitally, Inc. and Barron Associates, Inc. for this effort. Both organizations worked hand in hand to ensure this project produced great results. The partnership was extremely successful, which is apparent when you see how innovative the VOTA project is." For more information on the VOTA project, please see the video here. The entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group Sr. Analysts and Executive Leadership based upon the following criteria: fit the need, design of the program, functionality, innovation, and overall measurable benefits. "We are extremely proud to honor our 2013 award-winning organizations for their remarkable achievements," said Mike Cooke, Chief Executive Officer of Brandon Hall Group, Inc. "This elite group of organizations excelled in developing measurable, sustainable programs that produced outstanding business results." About Barron Associates, Inc. Barron Associates, Inc., Charlottesville, VA, is a small research and development company dedicated to developing novel solutions to demanding aerospace and healthcare challenges. These solutions frequently employ intelligent and adaptive technologies to measure, model, predict and control complex systems, resulting in improved performance, safety, and efficiency. About Designing Digitally, Inc. Designing Digitally, Inc. is an award-winning full-service E-Learning development firm and serious game developer. Located in Franklin, Ohio, Designing Digitally, Inc. has developed a number of serious games and simulations, virtual worlds, and E-Learning solutions for companies around the country and the globe. Designing Digitally, Inc.'s overall goal is to add value to the clients that they serve by creating engaging, educational, and entertaining learning solutions.

Mobile learning is an innovative, accessible, and effective method for bringing education to people's fingertips. With a society centered around technology and multi-tasking, it's no wonder we didn't reach this point with education earlier. From iPhones to tablets, the majority of adults have some means to bring enrichment and knowledge to their lives without sitting in a classroom. While the traditionalists among you may be turning up your nose at the lack of personal interaction and communication this encourages, not so fast. With mobile learning, individuals worldwide are able to sit in on video lectures, take quizzes, and interact with their peers, regardless of the time zone. Additionally, mobile learning provides the opportunity for more innovative ways of learning. Through various types of software and multimedia enhancements as well as collaborating with social media outlets, students will be greeted with a whole new way of learning. Mobile learning allows for more interaction between students and teachers as well as the capability to learn on the go. HTML5 has made it so language and images transfer at a higher quality and level of understanding for people and computers alike while also helping the most popular mobile platforms (Apple, Android, and Microsoft Windows) read data more efficiently. HTML5 and Mobile Learning The development of the fifth revision of the HTML standard is huge to the eLearning world. With the capability to transfer existing content to HTML5, you will be able to have a more standardized format, which directly affects the ease and accessibility of mobile learning. Various features of HTML5 will allow readers to become more engaged; examples include connected mobile opportunities, animations that encourage reader participation, interactive quizzes, and enhanced social collaboration with others. HTML5 allows readers and students to be receiving the same lesson and experience, regardless of their operating system or device. This not only encourages participation, but it also helps promote a more streamlined experience. Benefits of Mobile Learning Whether we like it or not, technology is shaping the way we approach learning and knowledge. From smartphones to tablets, the way we access information and gain knowledge is now dictated by our mobile devices. Thankfully, this is a good thing when it comes to providing education to the masses. Mobile learning provides opportunities for education beyond the traditional classroom setting, encouraging more people to seek knowledge, as unconventional as it may seem. With mobile learning comes innovative learning and teaching practices, and many other benefits: Access - one of the top benefits to mobile learning is the amount of access it allows; to content, peers, experts, teachers, credible sources, etc. Collaboration - the cloud allows us all to have access to data sources, learning materials, and project outlines instantaneously. This allows the learner to obtain more information faster. The speed of knowledge being acquired promotes more collaboration, as learners are able to process more information and then continue the cycle. Learning by doing - mobile learning encourages progressive learning, or 'play learning', because it incorporates various interactive experiences. This is great, especially for hands-on learners. Engaged learning - mobile learning blends various learning methods, all of which require readers to be engaged, mostly through verbal and desktop communication. Improved learner confidence and communication - mobile learning requires readers to interact with others through various platforms. It also helps learner confidence, because most mobile learning methods are in shorter chunks, which allow the information to stick.   There are a number of benefits to mobile learning, especially in today's technology-centric society. Mobile learning practices allow individuals to seek knowledge whenever they like, instead of limiting the information intake to a certain time of the day. As knowledge is power, this move towards mobile learning in a more streamlined way will help bring information to the masses in a fun, innovative manner.

We are honored to announce that Designing Digitally, Inc. has been selected for the 2013 Ohio Excellence Award for Commerce from the Small Business Institute for Excellence in Commerce (SBIEC). Each year the SBIEC conducts business surveys and industry research to identify companies that have achieved demonstrable success in their local business environment and industry category. They are recognized as having enhanced the commitment and contribution of small businesses through service to their customers and community. Small businesses of this caliber enhance the consumer driven stature that Ohio is renowned for. Designing Digitally, Inc. has consistently demonstrated a high regard for upholding business ethics and company values. This recognition by SBIEC marks a significant achievement for the company as an emerging leader within various competitors and sets a benchmark that the industry should follow. As part of the industry research and business surveys, various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the selected companies in each category. This research is part of an exhaustive process that encapsulates a year long immersion in the business climate of Ohio. The President of Designing Digitally, Inc., Andrew Hughes stated, "We are honored to receive the Ohio Excellence Award and will continue to be an asset to the state of Ohio in the future." About Designing Digitally, Inc. Designing Digitally, Inc. is an award-winning full-service E-Learning development firm Located in Franklin, Ohio, Designing Digitally, Inc. has developed a number of professional development services, serious games and simulations,and E-Learning solutions for companies around the country and the globe. Designing Digitally, Inc.’s overall goal is to add value to the clients that they serve by creating engaging, educational, and entertaining learning solutions. About SBIEC The SBIEC is a leading authority on researching, evaluating and recognizing companies across a wide spectrum of industries that meet its stringent standards of excellence. It has spearheaded the idea of independent enterprise and entrepreneurial growth allowing businesses of all sizes to be recognized locally and encouraged globally. Particular emphasis is given to meeting and exceeding industry benchmarks for customer service, product quality and ethical practices. Industry leading standards and practices have been developed and implementation of the same has been pioneered by the dedicated efforts of the business community and commerce leadership.

You know something is becoming culturally significant when scholarly research and analysis start to be conducted on the subject. From cell phone usage and social media to counter-cultural trends like Punk Rock & Rap or the advent of the single parent home - trends, fashions, genres and movements that have a lasting impact on society eventually are chronicled, analyzed and dissected by the academic world in an attempt to understand their origins and impacts. Three recent books (2009 - 2011) turn a microscope’s gaze on the E-Learning in general and serious games and gamification in particular, and we’re excited about it! You see, for a company whose bread and butter is E-Learning development, scientific and scholarly inquiry into what makes our deliverables ‘tick’ for our users is important - not only as a vindication for our industry but also for the insights these studies can provide. We are, after all, pretty fond of learning ourselves. Casual Social Games as Serious Games: The Psychology of Gamification in Undergraduate Education and Employee Training is a thick tome exploring prety-much what the title of the books describes. Experiments using "casual" games for education during testing procedures are highlighted and noted, with results clearly detailed. Quoting from the book’s abstract, "The extant research literatures surrounding online social media, learning-by-testing, and goal-setting theory are then integrated in order to provide a scientific rationale for gameification. The resulting integrative theory of gameification in learning suggests that students may learn more by completing tests than they do when studying, that students can be motivated to complete such tests by offering them social rewards in the form of carefully designed virtual badges, and that these badges should be offered in an online social context which students find meaningful in order to motivate them to action." Improving Learning and Motivation through Educational Games features a chapter titled, Understanding Serious Gaming: A Psychological Perspective.  A fascinating look at "the pleasure principle" that motivates all humans in one way or another, enjoyment is presented as a core element in both entertainment and learning. Again quoting from its abstract, "Taking a psychological perspective, it focuses on the effects of the game rather than the game itself. Emphasis is put on the experience of enjoyment as a core element of a successful entertainment gaming experience, which, in turn, is a prerequisite for a successful learning experience." Lastly, Serious Games: Mechanisms and Effects takes an overview of serious gaming, with a focus on impact and outcomes more than the games themselves. Quoting from the book’s description, "Contributors investigate the psychological mechanisms that take place not only during gaming, but also in game selection, persistent play, and gaming impact. The work in this collection focuses on the desirable outcomes of digital game play. The editors distinguish between three possible effects -- learning, development, and change -- covering a broad range of serious games’ potential impact." All three of these publications are exciting developments in the world of E-Learning, not only because of the significance of scholarly attention on our subject matter but also because of the resulting understanding and "verdicts" on the legitimacy of serious games and gamification for the future. Check these books out if you’re so inclined!

There are many factors to consider when designing and implementing a mobile learning project, from the target audience and learning objectives to the overall design. While the technology used is a major aspect to consider when designing and developing a mobile learning project, it is important to not get sidetracked by or too focused on the devices that will be used to access your project. The design, content, and user goals are also key elements of the ultimate success of your project. As smartphones and tablets boast smaller screens than computers or traditional classroom screens and boards, it is important for the design of any given project to keep this in mind. Additionally, the content must be displayed and presented in a different way than traditional platforms. Mobile learning allows for more interaction, animation, and connectedness between peers, which are all important factors in the design of any project. Other factors, such as navigation, screen resolution, browsing capabilities, and operating system should also be considered during the development phase. Below you will find additional information on some of the key things to keep in mind in the planning and implementation stages of your mobile learning project. Devices   While not the only factor, it is helpful to look into which devices learners may be using when accessing your mobile learning module. From Apple to Windows and Android, there are various operating systems to choose from. If you are opting to make your project compatible with all operating systems, it is important for you to be aware of the differing functions and features. You should also keep in mind the varying screen sizes and the interfaces of the different devices. For example, some may utilize a touch screen, whereas others have a built in finger navigation system. The different features of the devices may be used to enhance the user’s learning experience, so knowing these features before you begin will give you an advantage as you move your project forward. Display   When designing a mobile learning project, you should also factor in the display screen of the devices that will be hosting the project. Smartphones and tablets have smaller screens, which means your text, images, and touch areas need to be designed with this in mind. The display area also affects the content you will be using, as users don't want to have to scroll indefinitely in order to get all the information. Think small, but powerful and remember you are working with a more confined space. Accessibility   The ease of use, level of interactivity, and overall accessibility of a mobile learning module will all directly contribute to the user's experience and the project's success. Different devices will support different input methods, such as voice recognition, an external keyboard, and handwriting recognition. Additionally, the navigation and browsing capabilities will also differ. Keeping all these factors in mind when you are working on the design and development stages of your mobile learning project will help ensure your final product is one that users will enjoy and get something out of. Be sure to test out your mobile learning module before setting it free, as this will enable you to work out any kinks and issues. If you have a strong design, focused content, and a smart development plan, you will be able to provide users with a fantastic learning experience.

Our President, Andrew Hughes was interviewed at The 2013 Elearning Guild's DevLearn Conference by Today'sCampus. Andrew made some very interesting and thought provoking comments about online learning, and the trends we are seeing in the elearning industry. This is a great watch for anyone that is looking to do e-learning, or creating online learning at the University level. To view the interview please click the play button the video below: Interview with Andrew Hughes, President & CEO, Designing Digitally, at the 2013 DevLearn Conference from Today's Campus Magazine on Vimeo.    

Mobile learning is a great tool for educators and business owners alike. It has become increasingly popular, largely due to its ability to reach a wider audience and its variety of interactive options. Mobile learning projects are a wonderful, accessible way to engage a group of users with a specific learning outcome in mind. If you’re planning on taking advantage of the benefits a mobile learning project provides, having a clear plan of action and a development strategy will help guide your project toward a successful conclusion. Steps to Developing and Carrying Out a Smart Mobile Learning Project The heart of your project is ultimately your audience. By taking time in the beginning to assess their overall needs and learning goals, you will be able to better design an application that both educates them and supports their future growth. Define Before beginning the development stage, you should ask yourself what you are looking to accomplish and who your audience is. While many people today are familiar with or have access to smartphones and tablets, users will still have differing levels of experience and ease with the various devices. You may discover that you need to cater your project to users who have less experience with or knowledge of technology, or you may realize that your users have a strong handle on technology and interactive methods of learning. Other factors to consider during this stage are whether or not there are sufficient resources, what technology the project may require, and who is going to be in charge of the project once the design portion has been completed. Determine the Outcome It is also essential for you to outline what your desired outcomes are. Once you have a clearly defined end goal in place, you will be able to better determine whether or not your project will be successful. By including your audience and your business or educational objectives for the project before beginning the design and content development portion, you are setting yourself up for success. Development Once you have determined your audience and have a set of goals in mind, you will be better prepared to begin the design and development phase. During this stage you may need to consider many things, including which devices and platforms you plan on supporting (e.g. Apple, Android, or both), who is going to be in charge, what security measures are needed, and how you will stay up-to-date with the most current and relevant content. Challenges It is also important to prepare yourself for the challenges that may arise throughout the duration of your project. From having a marketing plan to a source for funding in place, it is helpful to take care of the logistics before getting started. Obstacles will undoubtedly arise, but if you have a good design and implementation plan in mind, you will be able to address them in a more mindful way. Additional Factors There are many additional factors that you may need to consider, which is why it is a good idea to enlist the services of a company such as Designing Digitally, Inc. Outside factors may include the overall popularity of using mobile devices for learning purposes, whether your project is designed for formal learning programs or as a supplementary tool, what your standards for content production are, and how long you see the project going on for. As the key to a successful mobile learning project lies in having a good handle on who your target audience is, what your end goal is, and what your content is going to focus on, taking a step back and assessing all of your options before beginning will help you create a clear concept to follow as you proceed with future stages of the project. By approaching the project with an open mind and having a plan of action for each and every stage, you are setting yourself up for a project that will not only attract users, but will also give them the knowledge and tools to succeed. If you are in need having a mobile learning strategy created for your organization contact Designing Digitally, Inc. today!

On behalf of the entire team at Designing Digitally, Inc. we are proud to announce that our President, Andrew Hughes will be presenting a webinar on HR.com's website discussing the difference between Gamification and Game-Based Learning. Considering our company focuses on corporate training using games, game mechanics, and gameful design, we suggest not missing this webinar! For more information see the URL below: Topic: Gamification Vs. Game-Based Learning Date: January 28, 2014 at 1:30 - 2:30 PM ET Presenters: Andrew Hughes, CEO (Designing Digitally, Inc.) URL to Register: http://www.hr.com//en/webcasts_events/webcasts/upcoming_webcasts/gamification-vs-game-based-learning_ho92xu73.html

The content of a mobile learning project is critical to its eventual success. While technology and the mobile platforms that will be conveying the information are important, the real market driver is the content you use. Content should be chosen with care and directed toward your intended audience. Additionally, it should fit a purpose and work to deliver a return on investment (ROI) by capturing your audience's attention, improving productivity, and increasing information retention. There are numerous things you can do at the start-up of your project that will help you reach these goals, including planning for various challenges that may come up (such as a disconnected user) and fully understanding your targeted audience. Once you have determined your audience and have a clear understanding of your end goals, you can then work on developing the actual content. The success of your project depends on the strength of your content, and if you make use of the tips listed below, you’ll be able to amplify the effectiveness of your content presentation. Short and Sweet Content needs to capture, and keep, users’ attention. Long paragraphs or segments that drag on for several minutes are not ideal, as users may quickly become distracted. Dividing content into two-minute segments, sticking to smaller chunks of context, and using bullet points whenever appropriate are all great ways to get the message across without losing your users midway through. Animation is Your Friend Regardless of the size of screen, content presented in animated form is a win-win scenario. Animation brings a more playful, interactive style to your content, rather than boring information delivered in a presentational manner. Using animation will also keep your users engaged and may help improve content retention. Check Your Tone Mobile learning projects often benefit from the use of a conversational tone instead of a more professional, lecturing voice. As a phone or tablet is a user's personal space, the voice or text of the content should reflect and respect that. Staying away from automated voice messages and working toward more personalization is essential to keeping users interested and willing to stick with it. Learning Methods Think about using learning methods that are most appropriate for mobile devices. This may include using smartphones or tablets to capture and share images, audio clips, or images across various platforms. Always Keep the User in Mind The user is your key to success or failure, so always keeping them in mind as you develop your content is the best way to ensure your project produces the results you’re looking for. It can be easy to get caught up in the devices that will be relaying the information, but developing a great mobile learning project for a specific audience is key. Keep it Simple A great way to engage users without overwhelming them is to keep the design of your mobile learning module simple and to make sure the content is fit-for-purpose. While an extravagant design and complex content may be appealing, they may cause users to lose attention and jump ship. Remember, content should be presented in a style that is easy to consume and engaging. Creating content that is accessible, engaging, and directed at the user will help keep users involved and also increase your ROI. Users don't want to be met with a jumble of words that they most scroll through at length; they are looking for something short and sweet, but interesting. Keep in mind the fact that your audience will be using a smartphone or tablet to view the content, which means a smaller screen and less space to cram everything in. Make your content as effective as possible, but don’t forget to have a little fun with it too.

Social gaming and mobile learning go hand-in-hand for numerous reasons, but it can largely be chalked up to accessibility and a societal attachment to handheld devices. Whether used for corporate training purposes or to teach knowledge to college and high school students, games have proven to increase and maintain engagement. It should come as no surprise that social gaming has infiltrated the world of education and business, as people have been using mobile devices for social purposes for years. Why It Works Mobile learning by way of social games is effective because it is right there at the user’s fingertips, and when this learning is facilitated by a fun, engaging game, all the better. Social games provide an incredible opportunity for educators and business owners to create effective and engaging learning environments wherever, whenever. Using social gaming for mobile learning works because it is a non-obligatory activity that is performed for fun. Whether simple, complex, or challenging, social games are activities that people enjoy doing. Furthermore, social games that are available on handheld devices and have an educational purpose are appealing because of their accessibility. Society as a whole is hungry for "snacks" of knowledge, which we can now turn to handheld devices for. The mobility of a smartphone or tablet allows learners to start a game at home and finish on a lunch break or while waiting in line at the grocery store. This makes learning fun, entertaining, and easier than ever, as it is available on the user’s schedule. The Perks Successful social games used for learning purposes are engaging and interactive while providing users with new experiences. Mobile learning games range in what type of knowledge they equip users with, from math and English to random trivia. The upside of this is that, once again, the appeal and accessibility of games on mobile devices leads to more interest in gaining knowledge, as it can be obtained on those phones and tablets we all love so much. What this means for social games is that people are far more likely to be interested and captivated by a game that is easy to access. Additionally, the simplicity of mobile learning games makes it so they are both enjoyable and relevant to all age groups. Games can be incredibly social experiences, allowing users to compete and interact with others while obtaining knowledge at the same time. The clever design of social games also makes for an effective experience that keeps users coming back time and time again. The Bottom Line Engaging educational games that are fun for the user, accessible, and have a purpose are bound to be successful in today's mobile society. Social games have great potential to positively impact how people receive knowledge, and this is largely due to the rapid development of mobile technologies and platforms. As long as developers have an end goal in mind, a good design, and an understanding of their audience, the implementation of mobile game-based learning can be highly effective.

A very clear technological trend is becoming more and more prevalent in worker training courses in the corporate world: gamification. If you haven’t heard of gamification in corporate training yet, you soon will. It creates a unique, compelling training platform that incorporates aspects of video gaming, data analysis, social networking and even (in some cases) behavior analysis. You might be surprised at how many different types of company training courses can benefit from incorporating gamification. When you think about it, company education sessions are a perfectly logical forum to introduce game-based training. Your typical corporate classroom setting is, frankly, quite boring for workers. It can be slow, uninteresting and too technical, which makes students less likely to become engaged in the training materials. When you introduce gamification to the learning process, however, the training courses immediately become more interesting and engaging. Students are provided with instant reward for the progress they make, their senses are stimulated, and they are motivated by quick feedback. And if you think that game-based training is only being used by startups and smaller companies, think again. Large, established corporations like Nike, Cisco, Samsung and Microsoft have started utilizing gaming in order to more effectively train their employees, and they anticipate using gamification even more as time goes on. The list of companies that are now using gamification in order to make their worker education programs more engaging is becoming larger every day. Using game-based training solutions in your company lets your employees practice new skills and techniques in a virtual world, rather than with real customers. By using a video game platform, they make you perfect a skill before advancing to the next with responsive feedback, is similar to how we learn in the real world. As technology advances, gamification will become more and more realistic and effective for training employees in the corporate workplace. If your company hasn’t considered using game-based learning for training workers, you should.

No matter what business or industry you find yourself within, one of the greatest issues managers and human resource professionals encounter "across the board" within their corporations is a lack of employee engagement - often-times for new company initiatives but also for routine tasks that can’t be measured for ROI, thus holding little "threat" or "promise" to motivate greater participation. We can’t say we really blame employees for their lack of enthusiasm. Today’s work world is faster than ever before, with more workers managing multiple projects & tasks outside of their core skillset, as well as handling higher volumes of communications with clientele thanks to social media and email. Companies also are routinely trying to improve efficiencies with new tech systems - each one featuring a learning curve and battling against human nature’s resistance to change. "We’ve done it like this for five years - do we have to implement a new time tracking system now?" Fortunately, at Designing Digitally, Inc. we’re finding that the adoption of serious games and the gamification of rote business processes can truly advance a company’s internal efficiencies. Indeed, gamification can take once-dreaded tasks and turn them into enjoyable experiences that employees actually like doing. And while the serious games we design are created specifically for each client using sophisticated programming and technology, stories like the one featured in this post on InsideView show that gamification can be social in nature as well as technological. InsideView is a company offering CRM intelligence via "a suite of software solutions for sales and marketing leaders that delivers critical intelligence directly into CRM." We found a blog post on their website that highlights some of the details of serious gaming for those new to the concept, as well as some of the stats and metrics involved with gamification. Most interestingly, InsideView details their own gamification experiment as they attempted to get more of the employees to use social media to promote the company and products. As the blog post reports it, "Research shows that financial rewards for gamers is only one incentive and not even the primary factor that people play games. We saw this internally at InsideView when we wanted to drive social media adoption by the company. The only game mechanic we had to put in place was a monthly email that highlighted to most active employees on Twitter. The internal competition to be in First Place drove up the number of updates from employees 312%." Did you catch that statistic? An over-300% increase in social media tweets simply through the use of an email that listed the most active Twitter users - that’s pretty effective motivational success with very little expense involved, all through a gamification concept. Another CRM-and-employee-motivational account of gamification success comes from the pages of DestinationCRM.com, the online presence of CRM Magazine. In an article on gamification strategies for motivating employees & customers, Kelly Liyakasa writes about the value of play for influencing behaviors in employees. Friendly competition, either against oneself or against peers, turns out to be a strong factor in the success of serious games for companies. As Liyakasa explains, "Gamification can also be used to motivate employees. Pharmaceutical company Omnicare, which uses IT management cloud service ServiceNow, introduced gamification to improve its IT Service Desk operating model. ‘We had stories of twenty-minute hold times, and our abandonment rate was in the twenty-five to thirty percent mark,’ says Kim Liston, senior director of service delivery…What followed was the creation of an automated OmniQuest game, which included achievements, rewards (in the form of badges), and real-time feedback within the ServiceNow platform. It saw 100 percent participation from team members. Introducing game techniques into the enterprise can motivate employees to perform specific behaviors, but it can also improve morale and excitement around tasks, projects, and even job roles. ‘I was struck by [a comment] made by one of my overnight technicians,’ remarks Tim Deniston, help desk manager at Omnicare. ‘He said, 'Bossman, I'm so excited. Every night I come in, I can't wait to see what my badges are.' Competition is another thing that can come of this. You hear chatter like, 'I just leveled up for this particular badge.' It's very valuable. It gets people excited.’ " Whether you’re striving to provide meaningful training experiences for employees or seeking to boost operational efficiencies involving large numbers of workers, serious games are an effective and engaging way to educate and motivate. If your company or corporation is looking for serious games development, you should probably talk to us. We’ve got an impressive client list that continues to grow, and we’d love to have you as part of our big, digital family.

We have been calling attention for several years now to the growing interest and success that corporations and companies large and small have be experiencing in regards to serious games. In fact, Designing Digitally, Inc. has been partnering with an expanding number of businesses to produce serious games for their various needs - employee training, employee engagement, sales assistance and marketing, education - and we’re proud of the gamification programs we’re producing for our clients. Serious games development requires a good deal of research up-front in order to understand the specific audience and industry of each client. There’s also scripting involved to determine the order and flow of the game’s actions and outcomes, graphic design for characters and backgrounds, and coding to make the game function on various IT platforms for all users - which can include mobile-based applications as well. All these tasks and the skillsets to master them come together in a successful serious game, although if we’ve done our job right, the player just has an enjoyable (and productive) digital experience that works towards the goal of the corporate entity that contracted our services. Many businesses are utilizing serious games today, and we’ve been devoting some blog space to chronicling some of them. Slalom Consulting in Washington State tapped in to the power of gamification in order to improve internal communications and morale, although they had to learn a few things about internal motivation first. As PC Advisor for United Kingdom audiences reported: "Seattle-based Slalom Consulting had 2,000 employees in offices around the United States. To improve internal communications, the company decided to create a mobile application that would help employees learn the names and faces of their colleagues. To encourage participation, the application included a "leaderboard" showing who had the highest scores, says CEO Brad Jackson. The tactic backfired. ‘We found that only 5% of the people truly cared about being at the top of the leaderboard,’ he says. The prizes - gift cards - weren't enough, either. ‘What changed for us is when we transformed to teams,’ he says. ‘Whether by organization, or randomly assigned teams, there was a dramatic shift in the engagement of the game. People didn't want to let their team down.’ Participation grew from 5% to 90%, he says, and recognition scores went up from around 45% accuracy to 89%. ‘In an environment where collaboration is so key, we saw some great wins come out of it,’ Jackson says. ‘I saw people getting on more projects they were excited about. Our new employees were called by name. And it's so wonderful when you are recognized when you walk into a company event - it increases career satisfaction.’" Read the entire PC Advisor article on gamification here. International dermatological laboratory Galderma used some basic gamification to increase its staff’s knowledge of Galderma products as well as to build better team cooperation across its facilities. As the online resource for "decoding the business environment" - Business Digest - reported on Galderma’s success: "Galderma is an international laboratory for the development and commercialization of dermatological products, which was created as a joint venture between Nestlé and L’Oreal. In 2011, Galderma presented its sales force with a relatively traditional game: players could work individually or in groups to advance their avatar along a path riddled with quizzes and situational role-plays. The purpose of the game was to reinforce staff knowledge of Galderma products, encourage people to share ideas and exchange good practices, and to build team spirit. Game participation was voluntary, but it was popular (nearly 92% of those targeted ended up participating). In the end, the game not only strengthened Galderma’s sales force, it also measurably increased company sales. Read more about gamification from Business Digest here. Lastly this time around, there’s the rather delightful tale of a chain of restaurants called Not Your Average Joe’s who were approached by a start-up called Objective Logistics regarding their software gamification product, Muse. The game works to track food service workers’ performance, but not in an Orwellian way as much as to help wait staff to improve their own income as well as that of their employers. As covered in the online magazine, Mashable: "The startup recently raised a $1.5 million round of funding led by Google Ventures and Atlas Venture, and it is beta testing its software, Muse, in a 17-unit chain of restaurants called Not Your Average Joe's. Muse uses data from customer payments, including sales and tips, to track each employee's performance. Employees who perform the best win the shifts they prefer. This simple beta version of the platform, says Objective Logistics co-founder Philip Beauregard, has resulted in a 1.8% increase in sales and an 11% increase in gratuities throughout the Not Your Average Joe’s chain." You can read more about this interesting software as well as Objective Logistics in the Mashable article here. Designing Digitally, Inc. is excited to be in this space in our industry and proud to show our visitors what others are doing to advance Serious Games. It’s a big, wide digital world currently and there’s plenty of work to go around for hard-working, dedicated companies that stay on the cutting-edge of technology and gamification strategy. Please come back and read more of our posts as we cover the exploding world of serious games.

If you’re looking to create any kind of online training, you undoubtedly will encounter the term "gamification" at some point. Gamification, or the process of using elements of game design to enhance non-game content and make it more interesting for learners, is one of the great tools for creating engaging content. Gaming elements are appealing because they encourage learners to engage in a specific challenge in which a feedback system will lead to a quantifiable and measurable outcome, allowing instructors to determine whether or not their audience is achieving the desired results. So, how exactly does gamification promote learner engagement? Why It Works Traditional training methods don’t always give learners many options for interacting with the content. Usually, they can simply read the material and answer questions about it, or if they’re lucky they might be able to listen to a narrator read it to them. These are both passive methods of learning that aren’t able to effectively grab a learner’s interest, ultimately leading to less knowledge retention. Gamification alleviates this by offering rewards and incentives within the training itself. By including virtual reward systems such as achievements, points, or badges, gamification enables learner to actively engage in their training rather than relying on them to passively absorb it. But gamification isn’t limited to basic reward systems. Depending on the training, learners may also encounter more familiar gaming elements such as quests, puzzles, or other challenges that will help them get a better understanding for the material than they would have received from just reading or listening to it in a more traditional format. The more they can interact with the content, the more likely they are to not only remember critical information but also apply it properly in real life situations.   Virtual reward systems, levels, badges, leaderboards, and scoreboards are all different methods that can be used to both encourage learners to engage with the material and give them the opportunity to compare their performances with their peers. Sometimes a little friendly competition can help to spur interest in learning more. For example, learners can view the leaderboard, see where they fall in comparison to others, and make a conscious decision to try harder, soak up more information, and do whatever else may be necessary to surpass other learners. As they return to the material to improve their scores or gain more achievements, they receive the additional benefit of reinforcing their training, which they might otherwise have forgotten in a less interactive context. The Bottom Line Gamification works because it encourages learners to actively interact with their training and provides a platform for competition. Game elements help make learning both meaningful and satisfying for learners. By incorporating gamification, developers and trainers can use their creativity to achieve active audience participation. Because the game-based mechanics and elements (such as scoreboards and leaderboards) give instant feedback, we are able to adjust the learning as needed to keep users engaged and wanting to learn. Gamification is an essential addition if you’re looking to convert disconnected and bored learners into engaged and willing participants. To learn more from our gamification experts, and how your company can utilize gamification in your training, contact us today!

Gamification is being used more and more in the workplace to engage professionals at every level. Characterized by the various elements of game playing, such as scoreboards, a reward system, or point scoring, gamification works by encouraging participation in many different ways. As one of the main challenges for enterprises is to keep employees engaged and motivated, using measurable gaming elements is a great way to increase interest, and it allows you to keep track of what works and what doesn’t. When used in the workplace, gamification is an important tool because it brings behavior-motivating techniques and elements to an inherently game-free environment. From the human resources department to employee training and performance management, gamifying your workplace is a great way to increase growth and interest from your employees and customers alike. Benefits of Gamification in the Workplace While it can be hard for many business-minded people to take a step back and look at how gaming can be beneficial in the workplace, it is important that they do so. Gamification is not only benefiting and playing a role in the overall growth and success of an enterprise, but it is a tool to effectively engage both customers and employees. Gamification has had a positive impact on improving and enhancing customer engagement, which is an important piece to any business plan. In the work environment, gaming elements are being used to make mundane tasks more interesting for employees. By incorporating gaming principles into daily work tasks and training practices, you will be giving a boost to these routine tasks that many people find boring and hard to get excited about. Not only will your employees notice the difference in the way workplace tasks are being presented, but they will want to be a part of it. As gamification is essentially an art that works by applying game theory to non-game contexts, it is helping to create a work environment that fosters creativity, engagement, and collaboration. How Gamification Can Be Used In The Workplace In order to be successful in using gaming elements to encourage and engage employees, it is important to place a lot of emphasis on the design and development phase of the process. Coming up with a player-centric design is an integral aspect of bringing gamification into your business environment. Using gaming elements to get at business and player/employee objectives is the best way to find success with this technique. An example of how to use gamification in the workplace is to use gaming elements to reward project completion. With this, implementing certain game-like features, such as awarding badges or points, are used to reward employees for completing certain tasks. This strategy aims to incentivize employees to work their way through many tedious and challenging tasks that often create disinterest and procrastination in people. Gamification encourages employee engagement, and it helps people feel as though they and their job have a purpose. Gamification can cut across generations, levels of organization, and the many different approaches that people typically take with workplace tasks. Gaming elements are impactful to customer engagement as well as in motivating employees. Gamifying the workplace is helping to alleviate the traditional isolated approach towards achieving goals that we are used to. It breeds camaraderie, healthy competition, and a desire in employees to want to do well and participate in various trainings and routine, everyday tasks that are necessary to the operation of any business. Contact us today for information regarding Gamification for Business!

One of the strongest motivators in learning is challenge. The term "challenge" refers to a task, which while sometimes difficult, is achievable through hard work. As human beings, we are attracted to challenges because they A) Include a degree of randomness or excitement, B) Usually include multiple subgoals, and C) They are highly-variable depending on the actions you take. So, why is this important? Experts suggest that challenges should be incorporated into education as a way of engaging learners. Learners who are reluctant might be encouraged to participate by a set of challenges. Utilizing gamification elements in your learning can do a great deal to encourage and engage learners, while challenging them to succeed. Let’s learn a little more about how gamification plays into the learning process. Gamification Incorporating game based features such as points, badges and achievements can assist in engaging and challenging your learners. The challenges, goals, and reward structure must provide a sense of difficulty, but still be achievable to truly maximize their effectiveness. If the learner doesn’t experience enough of a challenge, or too much of a challenge, they may not be interested or become discouraged. Gamification elements such as achievements and badges provide motivation to the learner by giving them something to strive for. An example of a challenge through gamification could be receiving a badge for completing the first level or section after successfully passing a knowledge check. By giving the learner something to strive for by overcoming challenges, you can increase the likelihood your learners will stay engaged and reach your learning objectives. An interesting example of gamification is a program called FoldIt. FoldIt is a science-based module that rewards players with points for understanding the function of specific proteins. A testament to the project’s success: a group of users were so engaged they discovered a crucial protein involved in HIV! Gamification Flips Modern Day Learning Models to Be More Fun What can we expect from gamification and learning in the future? Well, the possibilities are almost endless. Incorporating game based elements challenges users to remain engaged and work through your web based training. Companies can use gamification in training employees while educational facilities can present information to students in new and exciting ways. Parents can utilize gamification with their children as a means to keep them engaged and entertained, while educating. Overall, gamification is a great way to encourage learners to succeed. Check out this neat video on gamification in real life, created by Designing Digitally, Inc. Also, contact us to learn more about how your organization can utilize gamification in your web-based training.

FRANKLIN, OH- Aug 15, 2014 - Designing Digitally, Inc., a full service, interactive E-Learning development company, has been selected by the United States Legislative Branch to develop innovative online training using gamification and serious games. "We are very excited and look forward to building a long lasting partnership and educating, engaging and entertaining the staff of our United States Government Legislative branch," says Andrew Hughes, President of Designing Digitally, Inc. "It is an honor to have the opportunity to work alongside the United States government." Bringing education and innovation to the forefront, this partnership will approach adult learning with an outside-the-box mentality. The creative team at Designing Digitally, Inc. will produce learner centric, staff centered learning modules to educate, engage and entertain the audience. About Designing Digitally, Inc.: Designing Digitally, Inc. specializes in creating educational, engaging, and entertaining learning experiences that incorporate gamification to enhance learner retention. Designing Digitally, Inc. is a full-service E-Learning development firm and serious game developer. Located in Franklin, Ohio, Designing Digitally, Inc. has developed a number of serious games and simulations, virtual worlds, and E-Learning solutions for companies around the country and the globe. Designing Digitally, Inc.'s overall goal is to add value to the clients that they serve by creating engaging, educational, and entertaining learning solutions. For more information on our e-learning, serious games, or simulated learning experience consulting contact us today!

Incorporating gamification into your organization’s learning experiences can be a great way to increase learner engagement. To receive the full benefits of gamification, you’ll want to be sure the gaming elements are used in a way that supports your end goal and objective. With proper execution and design, your learning goals are far more achievable. Take a look at some factors to consider when implementing gamification in your training: Be sure to customize Every organization is different, so the gaming elements you use should mirror your workplace culture, mission, audience, and objectives. If you deviate too much, you risk failing to motivate your employees by creating a learning experience that does not appeal to them. By customizing the user experience you will be able to build a model that meets your needs, specifically. Implementing various gamification elements that are carefully considered based upon your business goals and objectives is an important step towards building a successful model. Make it enjoyable Gamification allows you to create a dynamic platform that fosters creativity and company investment by using mechanics to create something more interesting to your audience. It gives employees a new and fun way to complete training, which will help bolster their enjoyment of their work. The benefits don’t stop with educated and entertained employees—gamification also boosts retention rates, as employees will engage with the material in a more interactive way. The more your employees retain, the more likely you are to see improvements in their job performances. Be supportive In order to find success with gamification in the workplace and to change employee behavior for the better, it is important that it is supported by all levels of your organization. Gamification cannot just be used as one of many attempts to engage employees; it should be implemented as something that all managers, trainers, and leaders alike support and believe in. Employees engage with training material more thoroughly when they feel their professional growth is important to the leadership of their organization. Be sure your gamified learning experience has the leadership support it needs and deserves, and you will be much more likely to accomplish your training goals. Gamification essentially provides leaders in the workforce with a whole new, richer set of techniques that are designed to motivate people. People love games and social interaction, especially if done well and in a manner that they can relate to. From customizing for your specific audience to ensuring the gamified learning experience you are implementing is supported on all levels of management, the tools for planning out your strategy and successfully putting it into action are now in your hands. To learn more about how gamification can aid your training efforts, contact us today.

Gamification is more than just a fad or a hip new way to motivate your employees, it has given corporations an effective means to engage employees and see real-time benefits. Gamification uses various game-based elements of community, rewards, and social interaction in non-game contexts. Additionally, gamification helps encourage employees to participate. As the workforce continues to get younger and the role of technology bigger, enterprises must adjust if they want to succeed. Whether you start small or jump head first into gamification of learning content, the fact of the matter is, gamification is effective and cannot be ignored.   Top Reasons Why Gamification Is Important to Your Business Gamification is a great way to get your learners interacting with your training. Take a look at some of the top reasons why gamification has the potential to empower business and motivate employees: Gamification Increases Engagement The bottom line is that employees yearn for social interaction, and fun in the workplace. From forming a work softball team to going out to lunch together, employees want to feel like they have a place and a professional circle that is a positive atmosphere. Gamification does this in a virtual sense; providing employees with friendly competition and engagement with peers by way of leaderboards and achievements. Getting employees engaged is a first step in reaching your learning objectives. Gamification Boosts Knowledge Retention Hearing information and retaining it are two very different situations. All your employees (or at least we would hope) are listening in your training sessions. However, the number of employees that are retaining that information long-term is drastically less. By incorporating game-based elements in your web-based training, you are providing a way for your learners to become engaged and interested in you material. When your learners are more engaged they are more likely to retain information for much longer. For example, think of a time when your significant other made you watch a movie you were not at all interested in; do you recall all the character’s names a day later? Compare that to a movie you were engaged and interested in, you likely recall every detail. When you are engaged, you are more likely to retain that knowledge. Gamification Enhances Achievement When it comes to the workplace, people are judged based on their knowledge of the business, skills, achievements, and corporate reputation. Giving your employees a platform to not only become masters of their skill, but to interact and share with others, is a wonderful way to enhance achievement overall. Gamifying your learning content will establish a community that serves as a platform for employees to recognize one another’s achievements, which will help grow your team camaraderie and, in turn, your business. Adding game-based elements to your web-based training is a great way to increase employee engagement and knowledge retention. Gamification creates a learning environment where friendly competition and status can fuel a desire to succeed. Simply, gamification can no longer be ignored by those responsible for training. For more information on how gamification can be implemented into your organization’s learning plans contact Designing Digitally, Inc. today!

Gamification and game-based learning are both buzzwords in the education and training industry. Although both are innovative ways to train your learners, they cannot be used interchangeably. While both may relate to education, how they do so varies. So, what is gamification? Gamification is adding game-like mechanics to non-game experiences to encourage a specific behavior and motivate learners. This does not mean you are having your learners play games. What it does mean is you are taking motivational elements from games, such as badges or achievements, and incorporating them to encourage your learners to perform a specific behavior. An example of this in a web-based training application would be awarding learners badges for completing sections of training, and posting their scores to a leaderboard. These actions encourage learners and keep them engaged. A more "real life" example would be boy scout badges the scouts receive upon completion of a specific task. The game-like mechanic (the badge), encourages and rewards the scout to perform a specific behavior (say, the ability to tie a certain knot). Gamification is a great way to do the following: Encourage existing behaviors Change behaviors Provide immediate feedback & gratification Track progress and effort On the other hand, we have game-based learning (GBL). Game-based learning is using games to teach specific content. This can be through a game created for education (serious games), or a non-educational game for educational purposes. For example, using the game Angry Birds to reinforce X and Y intercepts or Cooking Dash to introduce what it is like working in a restaurant. Immersing your learners in a simulated experience in a game is a great way to reinforce learning. Take the game Civilization, for example. The player is immersed in the simulation and must understand ideas like politics, tactics, and democracy to succeed. Game-based learning gives students the freedom to fail and focuses on using the game to reinforce the learning material and provide context. In essence, any variety of game encourages the player to practice, learn from their mistakes, and many other important skills. Using games to teach can do the following: Provide context Engage and encourage students Provide instruction in a new, more interesting way While gamification and game-based learning are buzzwords in the training realm, and are sometimes used interchangeably, they vary greatly. Gamification is using game-like mechanics, such as badges and leaderboards, in your training. It is not playing games or using games to teach. Whereas, game-based learning is using games to teach and reinforce educational objectives. Incorporating either one of these elements into your training is a sure way to catch your audience’s interest and teach them your material. Contact gamification experts, Designing Digitally, Inc., today to learn more about utilizing gamification and game-based learning in your organization.

Designing Digitally, Inc., a full-service, gamification and interactive E-Learning development company, has been selected for the 2014 TrainingIndustry.com Top 20 Gamification Companies List. The selection of Designing Digitally, Inc. spurred from a demonstration of excellence in the following areas: company growth and potential to grow, capabilities, quality of clients and more. "We are honored to be selected by TrainingIndustry.com as a Top 20 Gamification Company. It is satisfying to know our efforts have been recognized and the dedication to our clients rewarded," says Andrew Hughes, President of Designing Digitally, Inc. Andrew comments, "We strive to provide effective training solutions and will use this recognition as motivation to continue to develop stellar gamified learning for our clients. By consistently looking inward and improving our processes we are able to produce gamification experiences over a broad realm of topics that really stand out. It's a privilege for such as prestigious agency in the industry to select our firm for this award, and I really want to express the gratitude I have for each and every team member at Designing Digitally, Inc. The employees working on the efforts and providing this innovation to our clients are the true winners of this award." About Designing Digitally, Inc.: Designing Digitally, Inc. is an award winning custom content development firm focused on Gamification, Serious games, and E-Learning development for corporate behavior change. Located in Franklin, Ohio, Designing Digitally, Inc. has developed a number of serious games and simulations, gamified learning, and E-Learning solutions for companies around the country and the globe. Designing Digitally, Inc.'s overall goal is to add value to the clients that they serve by creating engaging, educational and entertaining learning solutions that exceed expectations.

Since the beginning of time, or at least since the marketplace developed as a center for commerce and trade, businesses have sought methods for getting a "leg up" on the competition. For most companies, this advantage usually translates into a lower-cost method for doing business, or some tactic for increasing sales. Even for those agents of industry who develop a revolutionary new product, there comes a point where imitators are making it cheaper, or with a twist or innovation to the basic product- there goes the leading market share for the original creators. Gamified learning, also known as gamification, uses game mechanics like badges and leaderboards to engage and motivate learners during training to create a behavior change or knowledge retention. Innovative companies are using gamification in their training to get a "leg up" on their competition. Through gamification, employers are able to better engage their audience and create the desired behavior change in their organization. For instance, using badges to reward a learner for completing a certain task or performing above a specified standard. When the learner receives the recognition and status associated with a given badge/reward, they are more motivated to continue and perform well. Much of the reason so many businesses are engaging with gamification, outside of increased engagement and motivation, is because the metrics generated enable training and HR professionals to monitor training progress as well as performance in the module from a productivity perspective. As Michelle Greenwald explains in a September 2014 Forbes article, "It’s often accompanied by progress tracking metrics. The objectives are to engage users and change their behaviors in ways brands and organizations want. The extremely broad and expanding range of ways gamification has been successfully utilized in recent years provides insights into other ways the tactic can achieve strategic objectives." In other words, improvements and adjustments in the serious game can make employees learn more or increase productivity, or motivate customers to engage more with the business or product. Greenwald goes on to illustrate the vast diversity of applications that are inherent within gamification for employees and customers alike for business purposes. Some of her examples include the following: For health care, "Alvio makes breathing and lung exercises more fun for kids and individuals with asthma and other respiratory problems. It’s a win-win. A win for Alvio’s sales and a win for patients who get better and significantly reduced needs for inhalants, because they’re more likely to do the exercises and can more easily measure how well they are doing them!" For automobile manufacturing, "The Ford Fusion hybrid dashboard has gamified driving, to help drivers maximize the fuel economy of their vehicles. With the EcoGuide, developed in conjunction with Smart Design, ‘efficiency leaves’ appear on the dashboard and grow and proliferate the more efficiently the car is driven. This helps drivers adjust their driving speeds and rewards them for ‘good behavior.’" Sustainability initiatives and behavior modification, "On RecycleBank’s website, users earn points by answering a tiered series of questions about green living, and by pledging to adopt greener habits. At home, they earn points the more they recycle, by measuring the weight each time. Participants redeem points for merchandise, discounts on brands like SC Johnson and Unilever, and at hundreds of retailers including Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Whole Foods." For brand loyalty and increased sales, McDonald’s "classic" Monopoly campaign is gamified, albeit a non-digital variety. "McDonald’s Monopoly game, which started in 1987, encourages customers to come to the restaurant frequently, for more chances to win, and to visit the website often to see if they’ve won. The results are increased sales, brand engagement, and time spent with the brand." Employee training, "Gamification of employee training has been a huge and highly productive area. Far more fun, interesting & engaging than a manual or lecture, video and board games have been created to teach everything from portion control at Cold Stone Creamery, to customer service at Starbucks, and housekeeping and reception desk skills at Hilton Garden Inn." Function over Form A disheartening, but sometimes true fact- gamification does not always provide the ROI companies are looking for. Adam Hollander, explains in a Fast Company article, "Another statistic from Gartner shows that 80% of those same gamification implementations will fail to meet their business objectives. I’ve heard many companies talk about using gamification solutions because they look fun. This is the wrong reason to use gamification. Gamification in the enterprise is not about fun or even engagement--it’s about driving business results through changes in employee behavior. Gartner says that the reason most gamification implementations will fail is because of poor design. In my experience, poor gamification design is a direct result of not identifying (and being able to measure against) key business problems a company is looking to solve." Some companies get caught up in the idea of gamifying their training and lose focus on what is really important, the learning. Sure, you can hand someone your training powerpoints and tell them, "gamify it," but chances are you will not be in much better shape than before. Before contracting a company to gamify your learning, make sure you flesh out your true training needs and pain points. What behavior change or knowledge do you desire? The last thing you want is to invest resources in a training course that looks better than it teaches. Fortunately, at Designing Digitally we treat the learning as priority number 1. Our partnership begins with a detailed Training Needs Analysis to really flesh out your learning objectives and pain points. We identify how to best convey your vital information to your audience and how gamification elements can complement the learning and boost engagement and motivation. Here at Designing Digitally aesthetics come after learning to ensure your learners reach the training objectives and the desired behavior change occurs. Are you curious about what a gamified learning experience could do for your company? Contact us today to learn more. Or, request a free quote. We’d love to hear from you!