The Lens of Intrinsic Skill Atoms: A Method for Gameful Design
Open accessAbstract
The idea that game design can inspire the design of motivating, enjoyable interactive systems has a long history in human-computer interaction. It currently experiences a renaissance as gameful design, often implemented through gamification, the use of game design elements in nongame contexts. Yet there is little research-based guidance on designing gameful systems. This article therefore reviews existing methods and identifies challenges and requirements for gameful design. It introduces a gameful design method that uses skill atoms and design lenses to identify challenges inherent in a user’s goal pursuit and restructure them to afford gameplay-characteristic motivating, enjoyable experiences. Two case studies illustrate the method. The article closes by outlining how gameful design might inform experience-driven design more generally.
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Too much choice may lead to cognitive overload during the experience, which is one of the most frequently reported AR design challenges.
“In parallel, too much choice may lead to cognitive overload during the experience, which is one of the most frequently reported AR design challenges [48], [85], [86].”
From Extracting Design Guidelines for Augmented Reality Serious Games for Children (2022) · cites this paper as [48]
Autonomy should not be equated with the mere presence of choice.
“However, SDT research also highlights that autonomy should not be equated with the mere presence of choice [48].”
From Extracting Design Guidelines for Augmented Reality Serious Games for Children (2022) · cites this paper as [48]
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- Authors
- Deterding, S.
- Affiliations
- Northeastern University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Deterding, Sebastian
- ORCID
- Deterding, Sebastian
- Venue
- Human–Computer Interaction
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-05
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3-4
- Pages
- 294-335
- ISSN
- 0737-0024 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7051
- OpenAlex
- W2237209076
- Cited by
- 525
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 34 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 69 · 2020: 55 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 58 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 101.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Human-Computer Interaction (publishedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Figshare (cc-by)
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Funders
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/M023265/1)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Innovative Human-Technology Interaction
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Games and Media
- Keywords
- gameful design, gamification, game elements, motivation, enjoyment, goal pursuit, design methods
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