Empowering Users: UX Lesson from Game Design
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The document discusses the importance of user empowerment in the design of interactive products, emphasizing that empowered users are more likely to have a positive experience and stay engaged with a product. It compares user experience design to game design, highlighting how games maintain user interest through meaningful choices and a sense of control. Practical strategies for fostering user empowerment include designing for user growth, providing meaningful choices, and ensuring that the interface allows full user control.
![Why is it
Important?
• Empowered users are happy users. Creating great and
happy experiences is all about control.
• For the user, control is knowing and understanding the
options and being able to make the “right” decision.
• For us, control is about refining the experience until the
user is always empowered to take the next step.
[http://smashingideas.com/customers-rule-why-the-right-
user-experience-agency-matters/]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/empoweringusers-150916080321-lva1-app6892/85/Empowering-Users-UX-Lesson-from-Game-Design-12-320.jpg)
Empowering Users: UX Lesson from Game Design
- 1. EMPOWERING USERS: A LESSON FROM GAME DESIGN Adityo Pratomo (@kotakmakan) UXID Meetup, 4 September 2015
- 2. About Me • Adityo Pratomo aka Didit • Interaction designer / creative coder • Co-founder of Labtek Indie, a product R&D company, focusing on rapid prototyping as a service • Teaches at Surya University • Current research: UI for gestural input and VR
- 5. Focus of HCI: Useful, Useable, Used • Coined by Alan Dix • Useful: something that fulfils its functions • Useable: something that can be used to accomplish certain goal • Used: something that is actually used by somebody • These are traits that we are looking for at interactive products
- 6. How Long do you want it to be used? • New York Times? (2001 - present)
- 7. How Long do you want it to be used? • Google Wave (May 2009 - August 2010)
- 9. What is it? • Elements that appears by design that empowers users to do something that they can’t previously do • Goes hand in hand with the basic premise of UX, which allows them to use interactive product in a pleasant manner • Looking at the bigger picture, the product’s functionality is then questioned in regards to its value towards society • Caters to long time user of a product
- 10. Why it is important? “What I hope I’m most remembered for… is getting past the idea of user-friendly. I don’t think people want friendly computers. What they want is a sense of power to get their job done.” –Ben Shneiderman
- 11. Why it is important? “The second reason usability is not opposed to fun is that the greatest joy of using computers comes through user empowerment and engagement” –Jakob Nielsen
- 12. Why is it Important? • Empowered users are happy users. Creating great and happy experiences is all about control. • For the user, control is knowing and understanding the options and being able to make the “right” decision. • For us, control is about refining the experience until the user is always empowered to take the next step. [http://smashingideas.com/customers-rule-why-the-right- user-experience-agency-matters/]
- 13. Why is it Important? • You want the user to use the product for as long as it lives and keeps on coming back for more • You want the user to grow with the product • You want the product to be meaningful, a step beyond accomplish certain mission • That’s why your product should aim to empower its user
- 14. Trait of User Empowerment: Meaningful Choices Task Task Task Task Task Task Task Goal Meaningless choice
- 15. Prime Examples • Gmail • Main goal: read and send email • User empowerment: drag and drop attachment, reminder when no attachment is attached, integration with 3rd party service, etc. • Apple Music • Main goal: instant access to any music on the planet • User empowerment: personalised radio station, choice of preferred genre, suggested music, etc. • Street Fighter • Main goal: deplete your opponent energy first • User empowerment: various special moves, special techniques, power bar, etc.
- 16. Types of User Empowerment Feature Level Product Level Society Level Your notes, everywhere Have access to ojek driver from your hand Feature rich product that makes you coming back for more The premise of the product is already empowering by itself Empower the user by looking at the bigger picture (e.g. public transportation) more actions related to digital photo editing
- 17. Learning from Game Design - Why? • Interactive product (website/app) promises functionality to user, to help him/her accomplishes certain goal • Game only promises fun • Game has always been user-centric from the very beginning. Because - Game only promises fun • Thus, it relies heavily on empowering user - to do the unimaginable, to beat increasingly difficult hurdles - so that players always coming back. • In this sense, UX design becomes very parallel with game design
- 18. Ways to User Empowerment (this applies for games/apps/ website) • Design product that makes the user feels powerful and special • Talk to the potential users and try to describe the idea. Is it exciting for them? • Games have story • Apps/websites have strong premise of what problem they try to solve
- 19. Ways to User Empowerment (this applies for games/apps/ website) low risk/ low reward high risk/ high reward player • Apply meaningful choices • Give the user freedom to choose • This makes them feel powerful and appreciated
- 20. Ways to User Empowerment (this applies for games/apps/ website) • Give the user the potential of becoming more powerful • With that, user can reach the goal faster • This doesn’t need to happen instantly - (hence the word power user) • In short, give the user the opportunity to grow with the product, never hinder his/her development
- 21. Ways to User Empowerment (this applies for games/apps/ website) • Watch the flow • The product should give room so that the users can challenge themselves to improve the usage of the product • The product should appreciate and expect the growth in the user’s skill
- 22. Ways to User Empowerment (this applies for games/apps/ website) • Give increasingly growing reward • example: simple statistics (points, number of friends, followers, impressions), badge, voucher, etc. • Or, instant gratification that shows their achievement
- 23. Ways to User Empowerment (this applies for games/apps/ website) • Make sure the interface reflects that the user have full control of what they want to do with/inside the product • Remember, full control = full power
- 24. Summary • User empowerment encourages user to use your product for a long time • Achieve this by giving the user a chance to choose from variety of meaningful choices that helps them achieve the goal • For inspiration, look at the nearest game and how they continuously challenge their player
- 25. Please, make a worthwhile and everlasting product Further discussions are encouraged! • mailto: didit@labtekindie.com • @kotakmakan • adityo.net • linkedin.com/in/apratomo