Summary
Gamifying Recruitment - A Sudoku-Inspired Challenge for IBM
As part of IBM’s Design Challenge, I was tasked with creating a modern, Sudoku-like game for The Daily Digestive. The goal? To craft an engaging, brand-aligned digital experience that works seamlessly across devices—turning casual readers into engaged subscribers.
Gamifying Recruitment - A Sudoku-Inspired Challenge for IBM
As part of IBM’s Design Challenge, I was tasked with creating a modern, Sudoku-like game for The Daily Digestive. The goal? To craft an engaging, brand-aligned digital experience that works seamlessly across devices—turning casual readers into engaged subscribers.
Results
I designed a seamless, mobile-first game interface, ensuring intuitive navigation across devices. The layout balanced usability with brand identity, using a professional color palette and typography. To enhance engagement, I introduced subtle interactive elements, making the experience both dynamic and easy to explore. The result? A user-friendly, visually engaging game that encouraged repeated play and deeper interaction with the newspaper’s digital content.
Insights
A mobile-first strategy is key to engagement, and subtle interactive details enhance usability, making the experience more engaging and repeatable.
A mobile-first strategy is key to engagement, and subtle interactive details enhance usability, making the experience more engaging and repeatable.
Tools used
Miro | Balsamiq |
Miro | Balsamiq |
My work
Research | Define | Ideate | Prototype |
Research | Define | Ideate | Prototype |
RESEARCH CRAFTING AN ENGAGING EXPERIENCE
To design a game that truly engages users, I analyzed how leading news platforms use games to enhance reader interaction. By examining The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, I explored how they integrate interactive experiences while maintaining their brand identity.
Key Insights
Understanding player needs: Interviewed real Sudoku players and conducted an AI-assisted interview to uncover motivations and frustrations.
Efficient research methods: Relied on Google searches and ChatGPT due to time constraints.
Gamification best practices: Wordle’s success—simplicity, daily challenges, and social sharing—inspired a user-friendly and engaging approach.
These insights shaped my approach: creating an intuitive, accessible, and engaging game that seamlessly fits into The Daily Digestive’s digital experience.
Efficient research methods: Relied on Google searches and ChatGPT due to time constraints.
Gamification best practices: Wordle’s success—simplicity, daily challenges, and social sharing—inspired a user-friendly and engaging approach.
These insights shaped my approach: creating an intuitive, accessible, and engaging game that seamlessly fits into The Daily Digestive’s digital experience.
DEFINE FRAMING THE CHALLENGE
Building on my research and project goals, I formulated key "How Might We" statements to guide the design process:
Enhance Engagement: Make the digital platform more interactive through games.
Ensure Accessibility: Design a seamless experience across all devices.
Appeal to a Broad Audience: Create a game that resonates with diverse users while reflecting the newspaper’s identity.
Innovate & Differentiate: Introduce unique features that set the game apart.
Align with Business Goals: Increase engagement and revenue without compromising user experience.
To focus the design, I identified different user types and prioritized non-subscribers and Sudoku-playing subscribers, ensuring the game meets their needs and encourages deeper interaction with the platform.
IDEATE GENERATE SOLUTIONS
To explore potential solutions, I developed an ideation mind map, focusing on key design considerations:
Enhancing Engagement: Introduce daily streaks to encourage habitual play, along with social features that foster a sense of community, recognition, and reward.
Appealing to a Broad Audience: Ensure the game feels neutral and engaging for both non-subscribers and existing subscribers.
Prioritizing Accessibility: Implement intuitive navigation, audio support, color contrast,
size adjustments, and cross-device compatibility for an inclusive experience.
size adjustments, and cross-device compatibility for an inclusive experience.
Driving Innovation: Incorporate daily challenges to help players maintain streaks and stay engaged.
Aligning with Business Goals: Design an addictive yet inclusive gaming experience that encourages repeat visits, strengthens brand loyalty, and drives conversions and referrals.
By structuring my ideas around these principles, I aimed to create a game that is engaging, accessible, and seamlessly integrated into The Daily Digestive’s digital experience.
PROTOYPE BRINGING THE CONCEPT TO LIFE
During prototyping, I adopted a mobile-first approach, ensuring a seamless user journey inspired by The Washington Post. Users can easily navigate from The Daily Digestive’s homepage to the games section or access the Daily Sudoku game directly via online searches. To encourage engagement, a standard login and account creation process was integrated.
Key Aspects of the Prototype:
🔹 Mobile-First Navigation
Users can access the game through the menu or directly via online searches.
🔹 Design Choices
A neutral and brand-aligned aesthetic ensures broad appeal.
Inspired by Wordle and The New York Times Sudoku to balance simplicity and engagement.
Inspired by Wordle and The New York Times Sudoku to balance simplicity and engagement.
A clean, distraction-free layout keeps the focus on gameplay while allowing
easy return to news content.
easy return to news content.
🔹 Accessibility Features
Prioritized color contrast adjustments and audio support for improved usability.
Used a Color Contrast Analyzer to meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards.
Considered color blindness accommodations to enhance inclusivity.
Used a Color Contrast Analyzer to meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards.
Considered color blindness accommodations to enhance inclusivity.
🔹 User Engagement & Gamification
Login required to save stats and track progress.
Pop-up messages acknowledge achievements in daily challenges.
Non-subscribers cannot recover missed streaks, encouraging subscriptions.
Subscribers can recover one streak per week, adding exclusivity.
Pop-up messages acknowledge achievements in daily challenges.
Non-subscribers cannot recover missed streaks, encouraging subscriptions.
Subscribers can recover one streak per week, adding exclusivity.
🔹 Community Features
Streak rankings create a sense of community.
Local & global leaderboards offer exclusive insights for subscribers, allowing them to compare stats regionally or globally.
Local & global leaderboards offer exclusive insights for subscribers, allowing them to compare stats regionally or globally.
🔹 Desktop Wireframes
The desktop design follows the same UX principles as mobile, ensuring a
consistent experience across devices.
consistent experience across devices.
