Overview of an idea on how gamification could be used to help alleviate the issue of homeless people. Created for Level 2 Certification in Gamification of the Engagement Alliance.

1. No reproduction without author’s written permission – some images with Creative Commons license

2. PhotobyFoto_Michel
578’424
Homeless people in the USA (Jan 2014)
30.7%
Unsheltered

3. PhotobyJaviVelazquez
57’849
Homeless veterans in the USA (Jan 2013)

4. 1 in 50
Children go homeless some nights in US
1 in 30
In 2013 (2.5 million)
PhotobyThomasHawk

6. Our Goal
To encourage more people to help
the homeless by using gamification
PhotobyDru!

7. Our Solution
Take a gamified approach to solving the issue of homeless
people with the support of a smartphone app
PhotobyKhaled
How it works
- When using the app, participants
receive challenges to help the
homeless, with a progressive
level of difficulty.
- Local charities and centres for the
homeless distribute a card to the
homeless, which people helping
will be allowed to scan when they
help.
- By letting you scan his/her card,
the homeless person allows you
to prove you responded to a
given challenge.

8. Target audience
Core: 25-35 years old, higher education, live in cities,
medium to high revenue, sensitive to social issues
Potential barriers to action
Lack of issue awareness
Lack of time
Not knowing how to help

9. Attraction
Solve the lack of awareness
& knowing how to help
issues and attract people to
participate
Onboarding
Progressively introduce the
app’s interface, provide
initial easy challenges &
signal what you can do next
Laddering
Provide increasingly
difficult challenges,
immediate feedback &
regular appointments
Loyalty
Profile expert players
(fame), allow them to
coach newbies & lead
groups

10. Attraction
(integrated
communication
campaign)
Campaign
website &
SEO
Film introducing
the story of a
homeless person
& a call for
people to help
PR at
national &
regional
level
Online
advertising
campaign
(AdWords,
Facebook)
Mailing to
charities &
existing
volunteers
Social media with
regular content
creation &
community
management
Goals
• Raise issue awareness
• Show how one can help,
even with little spare time
• Encourage app download

11. Mechanics Phase Core
motivations
Player type
focus
After registering in the app, first time participants receive a
thank you letter from the campaign committee with a “A
home for All – I’m helping” sticker (Stuff reward)
Onboarding Community Socialisers
Introduce the user-interface of the app progressively and
provide some easy initial challenges with immediate XP
rewards and positive encouraging feedback
Onboarding Autonomy All
The app “learns” participants’ preferences regarding usage
schedule/frequency/duration and preferred challenge type in
order to provide tailored recommendations, appointments &
challenges
Onboarding n/a All
Provide participants with XP (experience points) after helping
a homeless person (see “what can we do” slide) when they
scan the person’s card to prove they solved a challenge (e.g.
“buy a homeless person some breakfast”)
Onboarding,
Laddering &
Loyalty
Meaning,
Autonomy &
Mastery
Achievers
Suggesting new ways to help the homeless (in app or on
campaign website)
All Meaning &
Autonomy
Explorers
Provide a leaderboard (in app & on campaign website) with
top participants & 5 participants above & below a given
player. Also provides indications on how to progress and
exhibits decay (encourages player loyalty)
All Mastery Achievers

12. Mechanics Phase Core
motivations
Player type
focus
Encourage participants to promote the app by sharing posts
via social media & email. By doing so, players receive Karma
points which reinforces their social standing in the community
and also trophies for special efforts (Social status rewards)
All Community Socialisers
The app provides regular challenges the player can take on,
with suggestions on how to solve the issue (but player can be
creative). Their difficulty increases with the player’s level and
the participant receives variable rewards for fulfilling each
given mission (proof by scanning homeless person’s card)
All All Achievers &
Explorers
Move to next level as person has managed all challenges at
current level and reached a certain XP level (Access reward)
Laddering Mastery Achievers
Allow participants to share the location of homeless people
using smartphone GPS & in-app map. Finding new locations is
rewarded with Karma points (to reinforce community
recognition, a Social Status reward)
Laddering Community Socialisers &
Explorers
Give players a sense of choice (choice perception) by
suggesting one of two possible challenges at a given time
Laddering Autonomy All
Limit the number of challenges a participant can respond to in
a given day with an invitation to return the next day (creates a
desire to pursue the action)
Laddering Mastery &
Autonomy
Achievers

13. Mechanics Phase Core
motivations
Player type
focus
Provide challenges in the app for which the player can either
commit to some action to solve them or donate some funds
to help. Because of this anchored juxtaposition, people will
often do both
Laddering Mastery &
Autonomy
Achievers
In app progress bar shows the distance in XP for the player to
reach the next level and obtain access to new, more difficult
challenges
Laddering Mastery Achievers
Provide special “high reward” challenges which players can
take on to receive extra XP amounts. These are limited in time
with expiry countdown timers (creates sense of urgency)
Laddering Mastery &
Autonomy
Achievers
Provide badges & trophies for solving specific challenges, for
participation frequency & duration, for being the first to
manage something or doing something specific frequently.
Awarded without prior notice (unexpected)
Laddering &
Loyalty
Mastery Achievers
Highlight the “players of the week” in the app and on the
website, based on XP and Karma point progression
Laddering &
Loyalty
Mastery &
Community
Achievers &
Socialisers
The app encourages ongoing participation by signalling new
opportunities to help, setting appointments to ensure success
by returning to the app, communicating to other players
about a player’s status, sending reminders to the player
Laddering &
Loyalty
Mastery &
Community
Achievers &
Socialisers

14. Mechanics Phase Core
motivations
Player type
focus
Encourage participants to share content they create about
“special moments” via the app when the help homeless
people (photos, video…)
Laddering &
Loyalty
Meaning &
Community
Socialisers
Players at advanced levels can offer help to new players
(coaching process) and receive Karma points for doing so
(Social status reward)
Loyalty Mastery &
Community
Achievers &
Socialisers
Allow participants to select a specific homeless person they
want to follow & help over a given period of time. The app
allows the player to define & track the homeless person’s
needs with appointments (creates monitoring attachment)
Loyalty Mastery &
Autonomy
Achievers &
Socialisers
Players at advanced levels in the campaign can create groups
of participants (teams) within the app and become their
action leader. Teams can choose to cooperate or compete in
challenges provided by the app.
Loyalty Mastery &
Community
Achievers &
Socialisers
Feature the most successful participants in app & on website
(Status reward)
Loyalty Community Achievers &
Socialisers