During a Zoom seminar, myself, Katherine and Olivia devised an app that could positively impact on a wicked problem facing Victoria. The problem given to us was that of our current drinking culture.
To tackle this, we assessed our target audience against the player types listed in Bartle’s Player Types for Gamification (Kumar, Herger & Friis Dam 2020). After deciding that our audience relates closely to The Achiever player type, we began to formulate an app. To create an app that resonates with our target audience, we incorporated visible achievements, including badges, rewards and character progression.
Alcoholism is such a broad issue and as such, any solution requires customisable goals. Whether you are merely a social drinker that is looking to reduce the amount of drinks on a night out, or a frequent drinker that is looking to reduce how many nights you are consuming alcohol. The addition of customisable goals is important. Each player must have the ability to target their goals based on their current situation. For example, a social drinker may invite their friends to participate. They could set a challenge between their peers as to who could complete this the most within a certain time frame. This way, social interaction is not lost.
Kumar, J, Herger, M & Friis Dam, R 2020, Bartle’s Player Types for Gamification, Interaction Design Foundation, retrieved 30th March 2020, <https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/bartle-s-player-types-for-gamification>.
Alex Babic 