Designing, Developing and Evaluating Gamification: An Overview and Conceptual Approach

Abstract

Gamification defines the use of some game features in contexts other than games. Because of its tendency to increase user motivation and engagement, many areas are applying gamification to improve the user experience. Combined with that, more and more positive outcomes can be found in the literature, predominating over neutral or adverse effects. However, original or reformulated concepts to which gamification is associated are introduced with every new result. This chapter aims to organize and clarify these concepts according to seven different properties: personal, functional, psychological, temporal, playful, implementable, and evaluative. This work discourses about users and their profiles; computational systems and their characteristics; the desired stimuli and incentives; the schedule of reinforcement and the player journey; the game elements; the system development process, and; the consequences and how to measure them. The main contribution of this chapter is the comprehensive view of the gamification through a user-centered approach.