FINSERV
users ’ physical wellbeing is that not everyone needs to spend hours in the gym every day in order to develop healthy habits – sometimes simple , straightforward steps are the most useful , and the same is true in the world of gaming .
If we keep the diversity of users ’ backgrounds in mind when designing our financial products , we will create something truly accessible and engaging to all .
Q . What elements are trending in this space right now ? A lot of emphases is being placed on functional components of a gaming experience such as badges , achievements , leaderboards and challenges . In my view , what creates a truly unique and bespoke gaming experience is a combination of these statistical or empirical pointers together with an engaging , emotion-led experience .
This shift will help businesses understand the potential of gamification in making a difference outside the space of the game arena . Ultimately , gamification for its own sake is not the end goal for financial service providers with a social mission , such as increasing their users ’ financial wellbeing – a tangible impact is essential for a deeper , game-based mission .
Q . What new technologies are driving the movement ? Perhaps uncharacteristically , for a CTO , I see psychology , rather than technology , as the main driver towards gamification . The more sophisticated our understanding of what truly motivates individuals , the more effectively we ’ ll be able to build gaming techniques that address the needs of different personality types – or , in our world , ‘ player types ’. Understanding human psychology better helps us make our
“ I see psychology , rather than technology , as the main driver towards gamification ”
72 October 2021