Search LinkedIn for"gamification" and you'll see thousands of posts about points, badges and streaks. This article is not that.

Gamification often gives us metrics without meaning, rewards without skill-building, and “fun” that isn’t actually fun. I could do a whole talk about the time my mom cheated her way to completion on Duolingo, negating her original goal in pursuit of the streaks and points that the app told her to care about. The points are not the point.

At SXSW, I’ll be hosting a Core Conversation on why these approaches fall short, and how product teams candraw from real game mechanics instead of surface level‑ tricks.

I'll be leading the audience in somehands-on exercises about making serious products fun. Here's a preview of the framework I've created based on my years in both product design and game development:

🎯 Challenge (competition, urgency, and/or problem-solving)

🔄 Feedback (inputs leading to different and interesting results)

🎉 Frivolity (creating a "Magic Circle," or a low stakes place for experimentation)

🎲 Unpredictability (sprinkling in just the right amount of randomness)

If we want people to love the products we build, we have to stop 'hooking' people (sorry in advance to Nir Eyal) and start designing experiences worth engaging with. Products can be powerful, delightful, and even fun when we borrow the right lessons from games.

If you’ll be in Austin on March 18, come join the conversation. I promise it will be serious(ly) fun!