The Birth of Gamification
Ever wondered how Bill Gates, became Bill Gates? How can one human revolutionise the world we know! Who came together in this to create a plan? How did this idea evolve? Well, thanks to the pandemic our team to have experienced just the power that solving a problem can have on the direction of a start-ups company’s future.
Like most of the world, the pandemic hit both us and our clients hard from March 2020, and our original plans of a global roadshow introducing Microsoft Teams to the different regional teams was cancelled. Whilst this meant the travel plans had been cancelled, it still left us needing to support them and ensure we could find a way to actively excite and equip them in a way to ease the adoption of this new tool … but … remotely and online!
Having a fresh youthful team, at the time Travisha and Anna, enabled us to present the challenge to them and watch them create a way to make a fun engaging game related to the Teams. It was an enjoyable experience, giving the team some specific objectives, sitting back, and watching them build an idea that would see the creation of a product that eventually was rolled out as an adoption game to a global firm.
The team created Catch me if you can (no pun intended relating to Covid of course). A find the breadcrumb clues game embedded into Microsoft Teams that introduced people to the product in a non-evasive or intimidating way. The objective was to work as a spy and find the espionage that had infiltrated the system and left clues bout their identity. The benefits meant that the individuals had to find their teammates, and then work through the system, learning how to navigate and work this complex system in a way that became fun to learn. We also had a team of trainers online during this game to support colleagues during the game, to help with any worries the players may have experienced.
This worked great and the team had created an amazing game in a short space of time that could be benefited from any company going through a team’s migration. But as it would turn out this was just the start of an idea that now needed the direction and encouragement from Mobinergy and several beta tests with other clients to truly evolve to the product we find ourselves with today.
Meeting Charles and the Mobinergy team, we had the opportunity to demonstrate this to a company advancing their services in the world of Google Chrome OS. It was then that they suggested a similar concept for helping their clients onboard their staff to the simple yet large changes that the shift to Chrome operating systems presented. It was a challenge accepted.
Firstly, we knew that from our CMIYC game, we needed to make sure this was an automated game so that we could scale quicker. We also knew that we needed a concept that added even more advantages to playing it that was above and beyond a typical training session. It also had to be a game that was easy and engaging for 5 generations to be able to enjoy in their own way. So, we purchased a Chromebook, handing it to our growing team and asked them to work out how to use it, and how to explain it.
“To be honest, it was daunting at first Nic, but actually the Chromebook reminds me of my phone, and the settings and navigation is actually very similar as a concept” Anna
We knew at this point that Anna and Travisha would be able to start creating yet another great concept, that would continue to do what we here in Simplify Change do, help people adapt to change.
So, 3 versions later, several companies testing the product, Google themselves approving its concept and promoting it to their clients … and we are finally ready to tell the world all about our adoption game: From Home to Chrome. Chromebook adoption guaranteed.
Now we don’t want to reveal all until the official launch date of 23.08.21, so let this be a little tease to wet your curiosity and join us for the official launch next week.
Until then, keep changing, keep evolving and may your Bill Gates lightbulb moment be round the corner!
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