September 21, 2021 • 10min

Breakthrough Lessons: Apply Game Design to Business Software

Pattern Breakers

This episode explores how incorporating game design principles into business software can create more engaging and enjoyable user experiences. The host, Mike Maples Jr., discusses insights from Rahul Vohra, founder of Superhuman email app, on how game design has been crucial to their success in reimagining email. The episode argues that as B2B software adoption increasingly happens bottom-up through end user delight rather than top-down sales, game design principles are becoming essential for software startups to succeed. It outlines key elements of game design that can be applied to business products.

0:00

-0:00

Key Takeaways

Game design principles can make business software more engaging and enjoyable to use, moving beyond just "gamification" to create intrinsically motivating experiences
Key elements of game design for software include:
- Evoking positive emotions
- Setting concrete, achievable goals
- Incorporating fun "toys" to play with
- Using rapid, responsive controls
- Creating a state of "flow"
Successful B2B software is increasingly winning through bottom-up adoption by delighting end users, rather than top-down sales to budget owners
Superhuman email app is highlighted as an example of effectively using game design principles to make email more enjoyable and productive
Creating a state of "flow" is crucial - balancing challenge and skill level, making next actions obvious, and removing distractions
Game design can be a key differentiator for startups to create more engaging products that users want to use rather than have to use

Introduction

This episode explores how incorporating game design principles into business software can create more engaging and enjoyable user experiences. The host, Mike Maples Jr., discusses insights from Rahul Vohra, founder of Superhuman email app, on how game design has been crucial to their success in reimagining email.

The episode argues that as B2B software adoption increasingly happens bottom-up through end user delight rather than top-down sales, game design principles are becoming essential for software startups to succeed. It outlines key elements of game design that can be applied to business products.

Topics Discussed

The Shift from Top-Down to Bottom-Up Software Adoption (01:27)

Traditional model: Business software sold top-down to budget owners, making users secondary
New model: Successful B2B companies now win through bottom-up adoption by delighting end users first
Individual user satisfaction is now crucial for software to spread organically within organizations

Game Design vs. Gamification (01:48)

Gamification (adding points, badges, etc.) was a trend 10 years ago but largely didn't work
Game design is about using emotions, goals, toys, controls and creating flow
Focus on intrinsic motivation (inherently satisfying) rather than extrinsic motivation (external rewards)
"If the reward ever disappears, the user will perform the activity even less than if they'd never been rewarded in the first place."

Emotions in Game Design (02:52)

Games create nuanced, targeted emotional states in players
Superhuman example: Evokes optimism, hopefulness, pride, and triumph
Lyft example: Created surprise (quick ride arrival) and camaraderie (fist bump greeting)
Emotion creates possibility even in business products
Improving emotional state in "hated" activities can create championship products

Goals in Game Design (03:47)

Well-crafted goals are concrete, achievable, and rewarding
Superhuman example: "Inbox zero" as the goal
- Rewarded with beautiful nature picture
- Made achievable through personalized onboarding
If users are unengaged, examine if you've offered proper goals

Toys in Game Design (04:31)

Toys are items users enjoy playing with, fun on their own
Superhuman example: Time autoometer for email reminders
- Allows playful exploration (e.g. typing "never" or mashing spacebar)
Other examples: Google's "I'm Feeling Lucky", Tesla's interface toys
If no parts of your product are fun, how can users enjoy it?

Controls in Game Design (05:29)

Games employ rapid, robust controls with minimal lag
Superhuman example: Every interaction under 100ms, works online/offline
Dating app example: Swiping left/right as intuitive control
Instagram example: Input during upload to feel faster
Aim for controls that feel seamless and fast

Creating Flow in Software (06:44)

Flow: Mental state of intense focus and immersion
Activities in flow become intrinsically motivated
Key elements to create flow:
- Make next action obvious (limit choices)
- Remove interruptions
- Balance challenge and skill level
Superhuman example: Automatically showing next email after archiving
Avoid information overload, segment options into focused workflows

Balancing Challenge and Skill (07:55)

Too hard = annoyed/anxious; Too easy = bored
Users need to perceive high challenge matched by high skill
Superhuman examples:
- Making email easier by removing counters
- Increasing challenge through keyboard shortcuts
Many business products have too high initial challenge
Match perceived skill to challenge at every step

Superhuman's Game Design Strategy (09:06)

Targeted initial customers with intrinsic email motivation (CEOs, boards)
Incorporated game design into company structure and product
Enables "playing offense" while most software just "skates by"
Makes product inherently interesting and engaging

Conclusion

The episode emphasizes that incorporating game design principles into business software is becoming crucial for success, especially as adoption shifts to bottom-up, user-driven growth. By focusing on creating intrinsically motivating experiences through emotions, goals, toys, responsive controls, and flow states, startups can differentiate themselves and create products users genuinely want to use.

Superhuman's success with reimagining email through game design principles is highlighted as a prime example of this approach. The key takeaway is that by applying these game design concepts, software companies can "play offense" in their markets and significantly increase their chances of achieving greatness.

The episode concludes by encouraging founders to embrace these principles, letting "the games begin" in their product development to create more engaging and successful software experiences.