In my project, I attempt to make people collaborate better in teamwork situations. The project aims to do so through the use of game elements. It results in behavioral changes, like increase of work efficiency, collaboration and empathy between the team members in an organization. I think this is one of the strong aspects of games – they can steer and motivate people’s behavior in a specific, systematic way. The research is focused on the conscious change. A system is created where players feel more freedom to explore different ways of behavior.

In the first phase of the project I want to learn how implicit game rules can steer the way that people compete or cooperate. By reflecting and learning from what happened in a casual multiplayer game, I hope to understand and be able to change the real system accordingly. Then, the gamification of the real world will help creating a more direct influence on people’s behavior. This second phase will be the gamification of team meetings; using implicit game rules to provoke competition or cooperation and improve the collaboration within a teamwork situation.

text by Malgorzata Pawlak