Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 about Motivation on Tuesday 15th March

Suffering from "game fatigue" yet? While many sites have slapped on badges and points to make things more engaging, the companies that "get it" have a better understanding of the psychology behind motivation. They know how to design sites that keep people coming back again and again.

So what are the secrets? What actually motivates people online? How do you create sustained interest in your product or service? We'll look at everything from game design to learning theories to neuroscience to understand what motivates--and demotivates--people over the long haul.

NOTE: This is a follow-up to the 2010 SXSW presentation "Seductive Interactions" where I focused primarily on initial engagement. Where that presentation discussed "getting to first base" with our users, this one looks much farther out at how to create "lifelong love and devotion."

LEVEL: Intermediate

One minute you're the next big thing, the next you're dead in the water. Things are looking bleak. Your latest "big" project went from being a Facebook-killer to yesterday's news. The company's stock price is at an all-time low. You scour Alley Insider each morning just to see if you still have a job. You start shining up your resume and portfolio, only to find there are no jobs. Your entire industry is struggling to stay afloat.

Sure, your day-to-day efforts may seem like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, but there are plenty of advantages to working with a company - or in an industry - that's seen better days. These companies are hungry to turn things around and need to people like you to help them do it. They need innovation and that rarely comes from the top. At a castaway company, opportunities abound.

If you're lucky enough to find yourself working for one of these formerly all-star stalwarts, take heart. It might not always be smooth sailing -- grumblings and petty politics take priority over work, and layoffs are forever looming in the distance -- but the potential rewards of staying aboard might just keep you afloat.

LEVEL: Beginner

Me: So you want to save the world, right?
You: Totally. What's your plan?
Me: We build an app that uses game design to motivate people to do good: conserve energy, change their behavior, etc.
You: Perfect. Let's copy Foursquare! Points, badges — people love that shit.
Me: Be careful — games can be gimmicky. Points and badges are only a superficial aspect of what makes Foursquare successful. Plus, they quickly tire on you.
You: Huh.
Me: I'm not talking FarmVille either. It's not about games for the sake of games, but thinking about how to use different game mechanics, how they are right for different audiences, and in different social contexts. Some users want to play for the sake of playing; others like competition; still others like to work together.
You: Got an example?
Me: I was recently part of a design challenge for reducing paper cup waste. We wanted to get people involved in saving trees without forgoing their morning cup o' joe. But the solution won't be another reusable mug — people forget those all the time. Instead, we tried to change behavior using a game. We'll explain more on the panel but you get the idea.
You: So the Drive Less Challenge to encourage alternatives to driving alone is another example?
Me: You got it! The goal of this panel is consider a variety of games and game aspects for the design of a common good. And to think about how the user base and social dynamics of the community affect the decision to pick one kind of game over another.

LEVEL: Intermediate