BRAD BAER | BLUECADET

incentives + rewards urgency & game mechanics in

interactive museum exhibitions

Friday, November 21, 2014

brad@bluecadet.com / @Bluecadet

URGENCY

FEAR

TEN WAYS to INCENTIVIZE & REWARD

10ZYNGA’S

GAMES vs. GAMIFICATION

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Challenge is the artful application of difficulty to games. It’s what makes them fun and addictive. Don’t be afraid to challenge your audience but, of course, that’s not the same as miring them in complexity.

SUPER MARIO

JFK FOR KIDS APP/ JFK Library & Museum, Boston, MA

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Recognition is the reason we have birthdays and Facebook. They recognize achievement, scracity, and excellence in a context that matters. Badges, mayorships, little gifts - they can all go a long way to make someone feel special.

FOURSQUARE

CHEMCRAFTER / Chemical Heritage Foundationhttps://vimeo.com/100742273

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Delight surprises us when we least expect it. Once deployed, it can keep us motivated by looking for other hidden secrets or other moments of whimsy.

MONUMENT VALLEY

SAINT JOHN PAU L II SHRINE/ Washington, DChttps://vimeo.com/103344099

AUTRY MUSEUM / Los Angeles, CA

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle Solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Problem/Puzzle solving emphasizes deductive thinking and requires multiple steps to teach new skills. This archetype works well for education games to encourage visitors to struggle a bit to figure something new out.

SUE T.REX PUZZLE/ Field Museum, Chicago, ILhttps://vimeo.com/52951811

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Tracking is the notion of being able to record or evaluate our life in a quantified way. Our workflows, diets, and sleep schedules are all now quantifiable using technology but games have a long history of giving players feedback about their progress before they finally reach the end.

NIKE RUN APPP

Anyone who’s taken any sort of

medication knows how expensive

specialized drugs for serious diseases,

particular vaccines, can cost thousands

of dollars to transport and distribute,

placing them out of reach

MULBERRY ROW APP / Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle Solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Cooperation involves throwing “teams” into a competition and all of a sudden everything is more intense. As much as people like to compete, they like to achieve things together even more, and social games have taught us lessons about that fact for several years now.

CHARADES

INGRESS

CENTRAL SPACE / Field Museumhttps://vimeo.com/83926689

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle Solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Competition thrives on the desire to win and challenge others. It adds the possibility of deployability and with social mechanics can encourage sharing and play between friends or strangers. This is perfect for quick bursts and repeated brief engagements.

THUMB WRESTLING

ARMONICA / Ben Franklin Museumhttps://vimeo.com/77151783

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle Solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Creation is the emphasis on teaching visitors to use tools to make something. The joy of the experience doesn’t come from a specific plot but rather applying the new tools. An open structure can allow outcomes not originally intended as well.

SIM CITY / Freeplay concept

COLLECTIONS / Field Museum

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle Solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Collection captures the feeling of ‘wanting it all.’ It works well with finite options and achievements and can be motivated by social status markers like leaderboards.

MAYA BURIAL GROUND / Ben Franklin Museumhttps://vimeo.com/44055613

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle Solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Altruism is the feeling we get when we pay-it forward or do something for someone else. It’s the belief that the well-being of others can actually improve yourself (even if it is expected.)

ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE

CANARY’S CALL/ National Aviary, Pittsburgh, PAhttps://vimeo.com/76477232

1 Challenge 2 Recognition 3 Delight/Surprise 4 Puzzle Solving 5 Tracking

6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 Creation 9 Collection 10 Altruism

Challenge Recognition Delight/Surprise Puzzle Solving Tracking Cooperation Competition Creation Collection Altruism + Reciprocity + Scarcity + Personalization + Authority + Social Proof + Consistency

Challenge Recognition Delight/Surprise Puzzle Solving Tracking Cooperation Competition Creation Collection Altruism + Reciprocity + Scarcity + Personalization + Authority + Social Proof + Consistency

• Not all gamfication means creating a game • Personalization and ability to relate is key • Consider the social compact of museums • Use persuasion to create urgency • It’s important to extend the story - be it digitally or physically • Design interactives that provide a variety of experiences • Use technology as a tool, not as a solution • Don’t be afraid to look outside of museums

8 MAJOR TAKE-AWAYS

Thank you.

BRAD BAER | BLUECADET @Craftedaction / @Bluecadet

brad@bluecadet.com