The article was initially published on Vilmate Blog.
Gamified features in traditionally non-game spheres have become more than a trend, as their positives on end-products exceed all expectations.
Let’s look at some basic gamification principles and cover a couple of instances from the fintech industry where they managed to hit the target to the full.
Implementing gamification: The basics
Of course, an online bank or an expense tracker app is not the same as a first-person shooter and Minecraft universe. Nevertheless, when one decides to apply some product gamification strategy, it’s easy to spot a few similarities even in such patently incomparable things.
Let’s spot some features that you’ll inevitably stumble upon, regardless of the genre, style, or target audience of a product to be gamified.
- You’ll have to complete missions (destroy an alien spaceship, defend a tower, uncover the picture of a nonogram)
- You’ll get some rewards for your success (open some new weapons, get a high score, see that friggin picture)
- Your brain will get some dose of dopamine (‘I saved mankind on a hard level!’; ‘I beat all my friends’ high scores, maybe it’ll help me find a girlfriend:)’; ‘Now I know what’s in that picture so I can burn it!’)
See? The caliber and complexity may vary immensely, but the base remains.
Applying gamification in fintech
To clear things up regarding fintech, it’s time to look through a couple of cases where gamified solutions successfully boosted their efficiency.
Monobank
Monobank is a good example of creative design from Ukraine. It managed to score 4.9 on Google Play thanks to its user-friendly interface and frisky service design.
The app is supplemented with a quirky catch-avoid space-rocket game and a big set of stickers of an emoji cat that salutes your financial activity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XM24EYVVAM
Another service called ‘Banka’ (Ukrainian for ‘jar’) helps you set goals for savings and turn the painful economic process into a pleasing gaming achievement.
Related reading: Why enhance user interface with illustrations
Robinhood
Robinhood is an app that serves as an online tool for making zero-commission orders on the stock exchange. Plus, it excludes the brokerage delays of about 20 minutes, which increases the chance of making a profitable investment.
Stock exchange bids may sound like something only for Wall Street residents who have access to some kind of secret data, and not for an average person like you and me. But the Robinhood app (with the name hinting at ‘taking from the rich’) disproves this myth.
Its playful color palette and quaint animation following successful bids make the effect of a lottery in a win-or-lose game.
Further reading: How to Create a Free Stock Trading App like Robinhood
Final words
Obviously, the future of gamification is quite bright and promising. If you want to know more and see other examples of implementing gamification features, don’t hesitate to read the full article here: Bringing Fintech into Play: The Future of Gamification.
Also, stay tuned with Vilmate! And remember — life is a game, and we’re all players :).
