Octalysis developed by Yu-kai Chou (Actionable Gamification, 2015), in the field set out by Jane McGonigal (2011) and Kevin Werbach and Dan Hunter (2012), with the crowding-out caution of Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan (1985).
Applies game mechanics such as progress, status, scarcity, surprise, and meaning to ordinary work or customer activity, matching each mechanic to the motive behind the behavior.
When to reach for it
Behavior people need to keep up that is not rewarding in itself, such as training, onboarding, or compliance, after points and badges have stopped working.
How it runs
- Define the target behavior: who does what, how often, and where.
- Check whether people already do it for its own sake; rewards can crowd that out.
- Pick the two to four motives that fit the behavior.
- Choose mechanics aimed at those motives before reaching for points and badges.
- Pilot with a small group and watch for side effects.
- Plan for the point when the novelty wears off.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
Go to the source
- Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards, 2015
- For the Win: How Game Thinking Can Revolutionize Your Business, 2012
- Reality Is Broken, 2011
- Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior, 1985