Gamification - The Octalysis Framework

The Octalysis Framework, created by Yu-kai Chou, is a human-focused engagement and gamification design framework that is designed to analyze and improve user engagement in various products, services, and experiences by applying the principles of game design. The term “Octalysis” is derived from the eight core drives that motivate human behavior, which are represented as an octagon. These eight core drives are:

1. Epic Meaning and Calling: People are motivated when they feel they are part of something greater than themselves or when they believe they are contributing to a larger cause.

2. Development and Accomplishment: Users are driven by the sense of progress, growth, and achievement they experience while engaging with a product or service.

3. Empowerment of Creativity and Feedback: People are motivated when they have the freedom to create, experiment, and see the results of their actions.

4. Ownership and Possession: Users become more engaged when they feel a sense of ownership and control over something, whether it’s tangible or intangible.

5. Social Influence and Relatedness: Human beings are social creatures, and they are motivated by interactions, relationships, and competition with others.

6. Scarcity and Impatience: People often desire things more when they are limited, exclusive, or hard to obtain.

7. Unpredictability and Curiosity: The element of surprise and the desire to uncover the unknown can drive engagement and keep users coming back.

8. Loss and Avoidance: People are motivated to avoid negative outcomes, such as losing progress, status, or possessions.

Octalysis has identified more than 150 different gamification techniques— like leaderboards, progress bars, and easter eggs —and mapped them to these eight core drives. It helps designers and developers to identify which core drives are relevant to their specific context and then to create engaging experiences that tap into these drives. By understanding and leveraging these core drives, products and services can better engage, motivate, and retain users. 

A key premise of the Octalysis Framework is that systems are designed, like factory processes, to do a job quickly and well—but that human beings are not machines. Rather, they are governed by irrational factors such as emotions, fears, and rationalizations. A system designer must account for human irrationality by incorporating experiences from the Octalysis Framework that drive Engagement. 

Octalysis emphasizes the balance of White Hat (purpose) with Black Hat (addiction) and Right brain (creativity) with Left brain (facts). Engagement is most successful when a system touches and balances each of these aspects.

Octalysis is the best and most comprehensive gamification and engagement framework we’ve seen. It is increasingly found across industries, from product design to education to healthcare. More than a billion users globally touch products designed with Octalysis. Properly used, it has been shown to increase ROI, employee motivation, product design, and - importantly - Engagement.