When you hear the term gamification you probably think of Xbox or Angry Birds or Grand Theft Auto. I think of "addiction" - or the impulse to keep doing something because you subconsciously like it. Research has shown that we are all born with a desire to play games. It’s wired into us. Brands can take advantage of that desire, not by creating games, but by using “game mechanics” to drive certain desired behaviors.
If I had to pick, I would tell you that I’m more of a left-brain thinker than right. I was ready to dive into an art degree in college when the practical side of my brain told me that I had a better sense for business. But I’ve always had a passion for the arts, which has put me at odds with this polarization. Knowing vs believing. Reality vs imagination. Words vs images. Where do I belong?
Have you read Dan Brown’s new book? Inferno is a lot like The Da Vinci Code, only this time all the action swirls around Dante Alighieri, his epic poem The Divine Comedy, and its infamous nine circles of Hell.
I’ve been describing what I call the “mobile imperative” for a few years now. The mobile user experience is not an add-on. We need to deliver websites that will hold up for a few years’ time, that should work on today’s devices and those we haven’t yet seen.
On your way home from work, you stop at the store to pick up some more milk. As you’re walking back to your car, reflexively your iPhone appears in your hand and you swipe through a pile of emails. A clever subject line catches your attention. But what’s this? Who could possibly read this mouse type email content?! You fumble the milk as you try to pinch the screen, almost walking into another car leaving the parking lot. Forget this! You’re at your car and delete the message before you ever had a chance to see what it said.
Walk around the floor of a big orthopedic conference like AAOS and you could easily think you’ve wandered into the hardware aisle at Home Depot. Rows of metal screws, mallets, drills and electric saws are neatly arrayed on display stands. It’s a reminder of just how manual and physically demanding surgery can be.
