Engaging Users Through Design: How UX Design and Gamification Can Boost Mobile and Web App Success

When designing an app, there is no one-size-fits-all approach – as we have consistently found when working with different clients.

UX design for some is all about enhancing the journey, and guiding users to features (and perceived value) quickly, efficiently, and enjoyably!  

While other businesses lean on the internal mechanics of an app to turn customer activity and interaction into tangible and trackable data. In this article, we’re looking specifically at the customer side of apps and how gamification and clever UX design enhances their experience.

What does UX design look like?

When we look at UX design across mobile and web apps, we tend to focus on the customer journey. The reality is that UX starts the very first time the see or interact with your brand.

Whether your app is the first step of their journey or represents a later stage when they are already familiar with your brand and business, the app needs to be concise in its messaging and easy to use.

Typically, a great app will make engagement fun for users. Not only that, but it will drive continued and consistent engagement, building a loyal customer base with high levels of retention.

So, what does this look like?

• The experience should get users to where they want to be efficiently and intuitively (and of course, where you want them to be in your product)
• The visual aspects of the app complement your branding and physical business premises, it must reflect your values
• Friction is reduced, with intuitive actions designed to drive customer engagement
• Personalisation is an integral part of keeping users interested and excited
• Simplicity is bridged with innovation, creating a memorable user interface

In short, UX design is what impresses your users and gives them something fresh and exciting to interact with, while keeping the app easy to use. What you do with that app will vary from client to client, but the need for seamless design and a concise layout remains the same regardless of the business.

How gamification enhances user retention

Gamification is what takes an app to the next level and encourages engagement through reward, personalisation, and interactive elements.

Previous work with a retail store saw the Tappable team build gamification into the store’s desire to increase footfall – literally turning shopping into a game.

The overarching aim of this is no different to any other game: we want to make sure that customers keep playing and keep coming back for more. When the compelling nature of a game is embedded into the shopping experience and the interaction with a store or business, the user’s interaction with the business increases by association.

Gamification is not longer ‘put games in my app’ or ‘put in a leaderboard’, it’s deeper, it’s about visual rewards, progressive experiences, and a sense of achievement and often inward competition.

In short, the business is deemed more fun, engaging, and exciting through its gamified app, even though users may be not be able to explain why!

Best practice for implementing UX design and gamification

So, how do you make it all work in one seamless app?

It all comes down to who you work with.

The right app development partner will be able to turn your vision into a compelling and seamless app, combining your ideas with their own expertise and knowledge. In our experience, there is no business or industry that’s excluded from the benefits of gamification if done right. You can literally turn any kind of user interaction into a game, provided you exercise the right level of creativity.

The right app developer will find a way to make this work for your business and your customer base, presenting a sustainable app experience that will keep users coming back for more.

We do all of this, while also embedding the must-dos of UX design which include navigating fonts and layout, device optimisation, clickable buttons, user journeys, feedback and reward loops and so much more.

Why Tappable is your ideal app development partner

At Tappable, we have worked with clients across all sectors to deliver apps that cover gamification of your business, that enhance user experience, and that are tailormade to your customer base.

Starting with that all-important end vision, working our way backwards as we identify the look of the app and its core functionality, we work collaboratively with businesses to deliver the app that works for them.

A big part of this, especially when encompassing UX design and gamification, means finding new and creative ways to showcase your business, products and services. We invite all our clients to share their ideas, combining them with our expertise to bring to life a cohesive, user-friendly, and highly engaging app that will stand the test of time.

Let’s build an app your users will love. Get in touch.