Interview with Lauwerens: Gamification as a game changer

To get a better understanding of gamification and behavioural change in practice, Hilal Aksoy (Student Communication at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences) spoke to Lauwerens Metz, the CEO of Innovattic. Below is an excerpt from the article.

The gamification spectrum

According to Metz, gamification can be seen as a spectrum. ‘At the very beginning of the spectrum, you have a ‘dry’ application, such as Microsoft Word, in which no game elements are incorporated. Then you have software with some game elements, such as LinkedIn. For example, you can take your profile from 90% to 100% to complete it. Then you get applications like liking posts, where people try to collect as many likes as possible. Eventually, you end up with a ‘serious game’,’ Metz explains. Serious games are games that are not intended (only) for entertainment, but often aim to transfer knowledge or encourage behavioural change (Mediawise, 2021).

Innovation in autism treatment

At Innovattic, they work on smart solutions to complex problems. ‘I think gamification starts with understanding how people work,’ explains Metz. One of their most unusual projects is the ‘PEERS’ app, developed specifically for children with autism. Metz explains: ‘We created an app that teaches these children to understand the unwritten rules of society. They watch videos of situations and indicate whether the behaviour is socially and ethically correct. If they get a good result, they can move on to the next level in their therapy. This ensures that people last longer in therapy and enjoy it more.’ However, it is important that children receive guidance from a practitioner in addition to the app. ‘These apps only work well if a good supervisor is involved,’ Metz stresses. This shows that gamification in a strategy for sensitive audiences, such as children or people with autism, must make it clear what is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ behaviour. It has to be both fun and educational, explaining right and wrong actions. The PEERS app has been a great success, including internationally. The creator of the original PEERS programme in the United States now wants to add US content to the app, which is great recognition for Innovattic's work (Peers App, s.d.).

I think gamification starts with understanding how people work.

Lauwerens Metz, CEO of Innovattic

The maths gaming experiment

So is there any example of a failed project? Metz laughs. ‘Once we had the idea of making our own game around maths. This was at the time when Wordfeud was very popular. In our game, you could do maths against each other. If you did it fast enough, you won.’ It proved a great success in Delft, where Metz himself studied. ‘We were convinced it would be a hit, but when we released it, nobody liked it.’ To investigate why it didn't work, they had people play the game on the street in different cities. ‘Hardly anyone wanted to play it at all,’ says Metz. ‘Then it turned out that many people don't like maths at all, except for people in Delft. After all, that's where the technical colleges and universities are.’ This project highlights how important it is to do good research on the target group beforehand and to test the product in different locations. What is popular in a specific group may not always work for a wider audience.

Incorporating gamification effectively into campaigns

Gamification can be an effective way to change behaviour, but it is important that the game elements are a good fit for the target audience. As shown by the failed maths game experiment, it is important to test whether the game elements work for the target audience. Metz thinks there are more examples of gamification strategies that have not worked than have. He stresses that you need people who are creative and experienced to create a successful project. ‘He also indicates that it is important to first ask the questions: ‘Who are you doing it for? How do you want to influence them, and what are they sensitive to?' In addition, Metz argues that people always need appreciation, to be engaged and to feel like they have finished something.

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