This is a presentation from a recent UX ID meetup, where I pointed several lesson from game design that any UX designers can learn from in terms of empowering the user of their products

1. EMPOWERING
USERS: A
LESSON FROM
GAME DESIGN
Adityo Pratomo (@kotakmakan)
UXID Meetup, 4 September 2015

2. About Me • Adityo Pratomo aka Didit
• Interaction designer / creative coder
• Co-founder of Labtek Indie, a product R&D company,
focusing on rapid prototyping as a service
• Teaches at Surya University
• Current research: UI for gestural input and VR

3. I Learn UX
from
Interactive
Art
Installation

4. Interactive
Art, Game,
Website,
App
User comes first

5. Focus of
HCI:
Useful,
Useable,
Used
• Coined by Alan Dix
• Useful: something that fulfils its functions
• Useable: something that can be used to accomplish
certain goal
• Used: something that is actually used by somebody
• These are traits that we are looking for at interactive
products

6. How Long do
you want it to
be used?
• New York Times? (2001 - present)

7. How Long do
you want it to
be used?
• Google Wave (May 2009 - August 2010)

8. User
Empowerment
to the Rescue

9. What is it? • Elements that appears by design that empowers users
to do something that they can’t previously do
• Goes hand in hand with the basic premise of UX, which
allows them to use interactive product in a pleasant
manner
• Looking at the bigger picture, the product’s
functionality is then questioned in regards to its value
towards society
• Caters to long time user of a product

10. Why it is
important?
“What I hope I’m most remembered for… is
getting past the idea of user-friendly. I don’t
think people want friendly computers. What
they want is a sense of power to get their job
done.”
–Ben Shneiderman

11. Why it is
important?
“The second reason usability is not opposed
to fun is that the greatest joy of using
computers comes through user
empowerment and engagement”
–Jakob Nielsen

12. Why is it
Important?
• Empowered users are happy users. Creating great and
happy experiences is all about control.
• For the user, control is knowing and understanding the
options and being able to make the “right” decision.
• For us, control is about refining the experience until the
user is always empowered to take the next step.
[http://smashingideas.com/customers-rule-why-the-right-
user-experience-agency-matters/]

13. Why is it
Important?
• You want the user to use the product for as long as it
lives and keeps on coming back for more
• You want the user to grow with the product
• You want the product to be meaningful, a step beyond
accomplish certain mission
• That’s why your product should aim to empower its user

14. Trait of User
Empowerment:
Meaningful
Choices
Task
Task Task
Task Task
Task
Task Goal
Meaningless choice

15. Prime
Examples
• Gmail
• Main goal: read and send email
• User empowerment: drag and drop attachment,
reminder when no attachment is attached,
integration with 3rd party service, etc.
• Apple Music
• Main goal: instant access to any music on the planet
• User empowerment: personalised radio station,
choice of preferred genre, suggested music, etc.
• Street Fighter
• Main goal: deplete your opponent energy first
• User empowerment: various special moves, special
techniques, power bar, etc.

16. Types of User
Empowerment
Feature Level Product Level Society Level
Your notes,
everywhere
Have access to ojek
driver from your
hand
Feature rich
product that
makes you coming
back for more
The premise of the
product is already
empowering by
itself Empower the user
by looking at the
bigger picture (e.g.
public
transportation)
more actions
related to digital
photo editing

17. Learning
from Game
Design -
Why?
• Interactive product (website/app) promises
functionality to user, to help him/her accomplishes
certain goal
• Game only promises fun
• Game has always been user-centric from the very
beginning. Because - Game only promises fun
• Thus, it relies heavily on empowering user - to do the
unimaginable, to beat increasingly difficult hurdles - so
that players always coming back.
• In this sense, UX design becomes very parallel with
game design

18. Ways to User
Empowerment
(this applies for
games/apps/ website)
• Design product that makes the user feels powerful and
special
• Talk to the potential users and try to describe the idea. Is it
exciting for them?
• Games have story
• Apps/websites have strong premise of what problem they
try to solve

19. Ways to User
Empowerment
(this applies for
games/apps/ website) low risk/
low reward
high risk/
high reward
player
• Apply meaningful choices
• Give the user freedom to choose
• This makes them feel powerful and appreciated

20. Ways to User
Empowerment
(this applies for
games/apps/ website)
• Give the user the potential of becoming more powerful
• With that, user can reach the goal faster
• This doesn’t need to happen instantly - (hence the word
power user)
• In short, give the user the opportunity to grow with the
product, never hinder his/her development

21. Ways to User
Empowerment
(this applies for
games/apps/ website)
• Watch the flow
• The product should give room so that the users can
challenge themselves to improve the usage of the
product
• The product should appreciate and expect the growth in
the user’s skill

22. Ways to User
Empowerment
(this applies for
games/apps/ website)
• Give increasingly growing reward
• example: simple statistics (points, number of friends,
followers, impressions), badge, voucher, etc.
• Or, instant gratification that shows their achievement

23. Ways to User
Empowerment
(this applies for
games/apps/ website)
• Make sure the interface reflects that the user have full
control of what they want to do with/inside the product
• Remember, full control = full power

24. Summary • User empowerment encourages user to use your
product for a long time
• Achieve this by giving the user a chance to choose from
variety of meaningful choices that helps them achieve
the goal
• For inspiration, look at the nearest game and how they
continuously challenge their player

25. Please, make
a worthwhile
and everlasting
product
Further discussions are encouraged!
• mailto: didit@labtekindie.com
• @kotakmakan
• adityo.net
• linkedin.com/in/apratomo