Funsport
Engagement Growth Powered by Gamification and Behavior Design
Funsport is an interactive student training kiosk developed by NetEase for middle schools. The machine can replace the role of a teacher to provide training, assessment, and record scores and performance. Currently, it is being used in 500+ schools, encouraging the first trend of “Smart Physical Education“ in schools.
The Problem
Because students in schools share 1-2 machines, the Funsport system is lacking a “Student Center“ that reflects individual progress and performance for students. Student are having a hard time tracking their own records.
The Solution
As the product design intern, I collaborated with PMs, engineers, and sales, and developed a student dashboard that provides each student a space to track training records, as well as personalized training incentivization. The MAU increased by 6% after the feature was shipped.
Major Information Displayed upon Landing
Combining User and Business Goals
Funsport is a product sold to the schools but used by students. Therefore, the design needs to consider both of our stakeholders’ needs and goals. In my user and customer analysis, students’ primary goals are to have fun training experience, while schools mainly want to improve PE exam performances.
The Design Goal
Creating a training experience that is both rewarding and effective.
Findings from Competitive Analysis
Setting goals and challenges encourage consistent engagement
Awarding badges and unlocking achievements increase emotional satisfaction
Listing quick action items help with activation
The Early Concept of the Student Dashboard
Based on stakeholder analysis and competitive analysis, I created the first version of the student dashboard, including 2 major parts. As I presented this to the product team during development, 2 key questions gradually surfaced.
How Might We satisfy a school’s training target?
The Challenge
Because the schools’ goals are to increase performance and training engagement, they are looking to quantify a number for students to reach. The student dashboard feature needs to satisfy the needs of setting target, and visualizing each student’s progress in completing the numbers.
Comparing Individual Flexility and Effectiveness
I explored different versions of the reward mechanisms. The best solution should be effective in reaching timely goals, while leaving space for students to train at their pace and preferences. After comparison, I chose the mechanism that leaves out room for individual pace and preference, while effective at activation.
Landing on the Dashboard
The final layout of the dashboard allows users to immediately see their goals, tasks, current progress, and training performance, fulfilling the design goal.
How Might We sustain a long-term training engagement?
The Challenge
After the reward mechanism was decided, the next question was to sustain the engagement for students in the long term. I need to make sure the badge system keeps playing the charm in the upcoming semesters, even in 2-3 years. The practical question is, what badges do we award to students and how do they connect in the system?
Themed Badges: How Feasible and Fitting Are They?
Using 1 year as a timeline, I thought about different themes that could change and sustain a novel and fun experience for a year. Coming up with 3 strongest options, I compared the feasibility with UI designers and theme fit with PM and the product lead, and the travel theme won by creatively cost efficient, and most relevant with our training goals.
Connecting the Travel Theme with the Training Tasks
To connect the training tasks and goals with the travel theme, I decided to use the concept of “Global Travel“ to contextualize the goals and tasks — setting monthly goals in different countries, and badges representing 3 cities in each country every month. In this solution, students get to understand the context and progress immediately, and collecting all city badges and even for every country, will be a giant motivator for their persistent training.
Optimizing Performance Analysis
The Challenge
Lastly, with the performance reports provided for student performance reflection, and school metrics tracking, I needed to find out the most effective information organization to provide relevant and accessible data.
Exploring Data Organization
Comparing different information displayed on the landing page, and between switching tabs or opening up detailed reports, I chose a structure that highlights most pertinent performance data, and leads to detailed report on a new page, reducing cognitive load.
The Data Flow
Comparing different information displayed on the landing page, and between switching tabs or opening up detailed reports, I chose a structure that highlights most pertinent performance data, and leads to detailed report on a new page, reducing cognitive load.
Shipping the Feature
A solution that drove monthly engagement rate by 6%, and promoted sales to school customers.
One tap to start a training, and see immediate feedback.
Get key performance scores and detailed reports.
Enjoy collecting travel themed badges every month.
Lessons learned.
Driving Growth Through Design
This design project is strictly tied with the business strategy of Funsport.The goal is not only to improve user experience, but also increase growth. In this experience, I learned how to incorporate behavioral principles and gamification to realize engagement growth, and how to collaborate with cross-functional teams to measure reception and impacts.
Gamification and Collaborative Use
As my internship concludes, the development of this feature will keep going. Future development I proposed was to refine the detailed interactions in the badge map section, and envisioning collaborative training. For example, if student accounts can be interconnected to show comparative ranking, achievements, or cooperate to train together, more growth are expected.
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