17th May, 2021 • 5 min Read
Introducing Gamification Concepts into the EasyLive Product
This chapter analyzes EasyLive using the Octalysis Framework for gamification. The missing elements in EasyLive will be planned for optimization in the upcoming Koo.live 2.0 product, aiming to enhance the previously insufficient elements and boost users' motivation to engage with the platform.
Gamification ≠ Game
Gamification design is essentially "human-centered," aiming to enhance participants' motivation, experience, and engagement by incorporating game elements and concepts.
What is an octagonal frame?
A gamification expert from Taiwan, Yu-Kai Chou, introduced the Octalysis Framework, which he believes is not only applicable to games but also represents the elements that drive us to do everything.
The Octalysis Framework is based on findings from psychology and behavioral economics, supported by extensive case studies. It identifies eight core drives that attract people to games: Epic Meaning and Calling, Empowerment of Creativity and Feedback, Social Influence and Relatedness, Unpredictability and Curiosity, Loss and Avoidance, Scarcity and Impatience, Ownership and Possession, and Development and Accomplishment.
EasyLive octagonal frame
Based on the above analysis, EasyLive leans towards left brain core drives, emphasizing white hat factors. Users take action to obtain something they want, which doesn't create a sense of urgency but can increase interaction with fans, helping to understand your audience better and strengthening customer relationships to generate more orders.
However, since EasyLive is more of a functional app, it lacks right brain core drives and doesn't inherently motivate users to engage from the heart. Incorporating some black hat elements could help stimulate user fascination or even addiction.
Black hat gamification Black hat core drives make us feel fascinated, anxious, and addicted. While they are powerful in motivating behavior, they can lead to long-term discomfort as we may feel a loss of control over our actions.
Octalysis Core Drives Analysis
EasyLive is a tool-oriented platform primarily designed to assist merchants with live streaming and order management. As such, the core drive of Epic Meaning and Calling has a relatively minor influence on this platform. Users are unlikely to feel a strong sense of "mission-critical" motivation to use it.
Development and Accomplishment is the highest core drive in EasyLive and is relatively easier to achieve. It can be analyzed from two perspectives: operational display and actual performance.
To help users advance, refine their skills, and achieve challenges, the design of "challenges" is crucial. Adding elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and progress bars can enhance this drive. These are currently lacking in the EasyLive platform and could serve as a strong motivation for users to engage more.
This core drive also scores relatively high in EasyLive. Live streaming is a vibrant and dynamic activity that allows for self-control. By incorporating various activities (such as raffles, auctions, and bidding) or engaging in mini-games with fans, users can create their own unique streaming style and approach. Combining these with marketing activities can make the live streams more entertaining, encouraging fans to spend more time watching. This naturally increases the conversion rate for orders. EasyLive can further support this by providing mentors who offer guidance to users who are less experienced with live streaming, and by developing new interactive games and activities to enhance interactions between merchants and their fans.
This core drive can be enhanced by incorporating more data analytics into the platform. For instance, analyzing fan demographics, identifying the best-selling products, and tracking repurchase rates can help merchants gain insights into their customer base. With access to this data, merchants can better adjust their marketing strategies and product offerings.
Additionally, creating customized features for VIP customers, or implementing elements such as a badge system and rank titles, can give users a sense of exclusive ownership and reward. This provides them with unique privileges or incentives compared to others.
The EasyLive platform is primarily designed for merchants, so currently, there is limited interaction with the audience. To enhance this, the platform could increase interaction between merchants and viewers, which would improve user retention. For example, incorporating more interactive mini-games, sound effects, and engaging elements during live streams can make the experience more enjoyable and dynamic.
From the merchant's perspective, establishing a platform for merchants to communicate or form alliances could be beneficial. Encouraging collaboration within the same industry and creating a mentorship system could help those who are unfamiliar or new to the field to get up to speed quickly. Additionally, motivating merchants to share their successes and marketing stories can help build their brand image and increase visibility.
The score for Scarcity and Impatience is the lowest among the core drives. Since there are other live streaming and order management platforms in the market, merchants may not necessarily choose our platform, reducing the sense of scarcity. To address this, we can offer customized or premium features for brands to create a distinct market presence.
Since the platform is a functional app, it can use marketing activities and design elements to generate user interest and encourage registration. By incorporating features such as unlocking exclusive badges, new functionalities, or rewards, we can leverage curiosity to boost user engagement and retention.
By using black hat elements, we can inform users that if they don't use our platform or decide to leave, they will miss out on certain benefits and potentially lose everything they have gained so far. Designing game elements and combining them with marketing activities can make users aware that inaction might result in permanent loss of opportunities, which can be a key factor in driving their engagement.
EasyLive is a functional platform where the essential service functions must be well-established before incorporating gamification concepts and design elements to motivate users. By leveraging gamification effectively, user engagement and conversion rates can be significantly improved. Combining both white hat and black hat elements can enhance conversion rates. However, the primary motivation for using the product is more important than the game elements or mechanisms themselves. Game elements are merely tools to achieve the intended goals. Setting clear objectives and using gamification concepts to advance the product to a new level can transform a tool into something that sparks different interactions and innovations.