In the early stages of my career, I developed a mobile app designed to streamline task management and foster productivity. The innovative feature was a gamification mechanic where users earned rewards for achieving productivity milestones. The design was intuitive and had a friendly, game-like interface. Unexpectedly, it became incredibly popular, especially among teenagers and young professionals who used it extensively for tracking daily achievements, from chores to work tasks.
What I didn’t anticipate was how this concept of gamifying personal responsibilities would explode beyond intention. Users began to apply the app’s principles to a broader range of life activities, often leading to obsessive behavior focused on collecting rewards rather than fostering genuine productivity. It became less about personal growth and more about chasing points and badges. Some people even reported stress and anxiety from not hitting their daily targets, which was the opposite of my goal of reducing stress and increasing efficiency.
Now, with hindsight, I somewhat regret how this gamification trend has permeated many productivity apps and tools, potentially overriding intrinsic motivation with extrinsic rewards. It brought awareness to the importance of considering the psychological impacts of technology solutions and highlighted the need for a balanced, user-centered approach in design.
