work
about
cv

How might we...

increase engagement in a utility app without eroding trust?

How I designed a scalable ethical gamification system for 21 markets that prioritized delight over dark patterns

How I designed a scalable ethical gamification system for 21 markets that prioritised delight over dark patterns

Want to see screens? Skip to the final designs

Want to see screens? Skip to the final designs

TLDR

Vodafone Group needed to increase engagement in their mobile service app across 21 global markets.

But here's the problem: it's a utility app. People naturally only check it once a month. How do you create more frequent engagement without manipulating users into buying things they don't need?

THE PROBLEM

Naturally low engagement (monthly check-ins). Need more frequent usage without manipulative tactics.

THE INSIGHT

Users want connection over monetary rewards. They're wary of gamification that pushes sales.

THE APPROACH

Modular gamification system using Archetypes framework. Genuine delight mechanics, customisable for 21 markets.

MY ROLE

Squad Lead. Led small UX/UI team, created base concepts, ran workshops, conducted research and testing.

MY IMPACT

SUS score 85 (A) across 100+ users, UK market saw increased engagement after implementing "year in review", contributed to Webby Award for MyVodafone app.

GETTING STARTED

The utility app engagement paradox

The brief: increase engagement for a telco utility app.

Vodafone Group designs for local markets—Vodafone UK, Germany, Turkey, South Africa, and 17 others across Europe and Africa. We created design systems, assets, and journeys that could adapt to fit different market needs. A lot of what we supplied markets was foundational and functional - but there was a big internal push to go beyond function and go into 'fun'.

Here's the problem with that: MyVodafone is a utility app. People check their balance, maybe top up credit, review their bill. That's it. Once a month if they're frequent users. This is completely normal utility app behavior.

But several markets had quite low engagement even by utility standards. And one market—Italy—had found success with gamification mechanics that got users to engage more frequently, explore more services, and buy more products.

The question wasn't "should we do gamification." Italy proved it could work. The question was: how do we scale this across 21 markets with different cultures, needs, and commercial priorities, without manipulating users?

RESEARCH AND CONCEPTS

Gaming Archetypes framework for modular design

One system. 21 markets. Different user types within each market.

I used the Gaming Archetypes framework to create a modular gamification system that could work for different player types:

Rather than building one-size-fits-all gamification, we created mechanics that could be mixed and matched based on what each market's users responded to.

For markets where users skewed toward Achievers: progressive challenges, milestone tracking, completion rewards.

For markets where Socializers dominated: sharing features, connection insights, community stats.

For Explorer-heavy markets: hidden easter eggs, discoverable content, "year in review" storytelling.

This also meant markets could customise for cultural context—religious holidays, local events, market-specific celebrations—without rebuilding the entire system. We created a huge freehand board for our (literally hundreds) of ideas.

RESEARCH AND CONCEPTS

Gaming Archetypes framework for modular design

RESEARCH AND CONCEPTS

Gaming Archetypes framework for modular design

One system. 21 markets. Different user types within each market.

I used the Gaming Archetypes framework to create a modular gamification system that could work for different player types:

Rather than building one-size-fits-all gamification, we created mechanics that could be mixed and matched based on what each market's users responded to.

For markets where users skewed toward Achievers: progressive challenges, milestone tracking, completion rewards.

For markets where Socializers dominated: sharing features, connection insights, community stats.

For Explorer-heavy markets: hidden easter eggs, discoverable content, "year in review" storytelling.

This also meant markets could customise for cultural context—religious holidays, local events, market-specific celebrations—without rebuilding the entire system. We kept these in mind as we continued down our route, and created a huge freehand board for our (literally hundreds) of ideas. By the time we had managed to whittle it down to 7, we started fleshing out how they would function and analysing deeper.

RESEARCH AND CONCEPTS

Rejecting dark patterns: the design principles fight

Early concepts included mechanics I explicitly rejected. My argument: users are already wary. If we confirm their suspicions by using manipulative mechanics, we lose them permanently. But if we build genuine delight, we build trust. And trust creates space for commercial value later—when it's contextual, relevant, and feels like we're actually helping them.

This was a fight with commercial stakeholders who wanted immediate conversion mechanics. But the research was clear: short-term manipulation would kill long-term engagement.


Spinning wheels for rewards

Rejected. Users see these as manipulative. They know it's rigged. It creates distrust.


Tiny discounts that funnel to purchase flows

Rejected. This trains users to see gamification as a sales trap. Opens the app → anxiety about being sold to → avoidance.


Fake progress bars

Rejected. "You're 80% of the way to unlocking this offer!" when they haven't expressed any interest? Manipulation.



APPROACH

What we built: delight over transactions

We build a fully modular system of gamification functions that could be mixed and matched across markets, whilst continually keeping ethics and user trust in mind.



We build a fully modular system of gamification functions that could be mixed and matched across markets, whilst continually keeping ethics and user trust in mind.


KEY FEATURES

Stats and badges

Personalised storytelling about the user's year. Top contacts, communication patterns, data milestones, their story with Vodafone. Not transactional. Just genuinely interesting.

This became the hero feature. Users loved it. UK market implemented it 6 months after we shipped, saw measurable increase in app engagement.

Concetrated triathlete grayscale
Coach explaining something to an athlete

KEY FEATURES

Customizable celebrations:

Framework for markets to create celebrations around local holidays, events, cultural moments. Not pushing products. Just acknowledging "we know what's important to you."

Coach explaining something to an athlete

KEY FEATURES

Easter eggs and delight moments:

Small animations, hidden messages, micro-interactions that made the app feel less corporate and more human. Users specifically called these out in testing: "It just adds a little something extra."

Athlete winning a race

KEY FEATURES

Progressive challenges

Optional challenges that rewarded exploration of app features. But crucially: not forced, not manipulative, opt-in only.


KEY FEATURES

Stats and badges

Personalised storytelling about the user's year. Top contacts, communication patterns, data milestones, their story with Vodafone. Not transactional. Just genuinely interesting.

This became the hero feature. Users loved it. UK market implemented it 6 months after we shipped, saw measurable increase in app engagement.

Concetrated triathlete grayscale
Coach explaining something to an athlete

KEY FEATURES

Customizable celebrations:

Framework for markets to create celebrations around local holidays, events, cultural moments. Not pushing products. Just acknowledging "we know what's important to you."

Coach explaining something to an athlete

KEY FEATURES

Easter eggs and delight moments:

Small animations, hidden messages, micro-interactions that made the app feel less corporate and more human. Users specifically called these out in testing: "It just adds a little something extra."

Athlete winning a race

KEY FEATURES

Progressive challenges

Optional challenges that rewarded exploration of app features. But crucially: not forced, not manipulative, opt-in only.


KEY FEATURES

Stats and badges

Personalised storytelling about the user's year. Top contacts, communication patterns, data milestones, their story with Vodafone. Not transactional. Just genuinely interesting.

This became the hero feature. Users loved it. UK market implemented it 6 months after we shipped, saw measurable increase in app engagement.

Concetrated triathlete grayscale
Coach explaining something to an athlete

KEY FEATURES

Customizable celebrations:

Framework for markets to create celebrations around local holidays, events, cultural moments. Not pushing products. Just acknowledging "we know what's important to you."

Coach explaining something to an athlete

KEY FEATURES

Easter eggs and delight moments:

Small animations, hidden messages, micro-interactions that made the app feel less corporate and more human. Users specifically called these out in testing: "It just adds a little something extra."

Athlete winning a race

KEY FEATURES

Progressive challenges

Optional challenges that rewarded exploration of app features. But crucially: not forced, not manipulative, opt-in only.


SCALE ISSUES

Designing modular systems for 21 markets

This wasn't just "design gamification." It was "design a gamification system that works across 21 different markets with different:

  • Cultural contexts

  • User behaviors

  • Commercial priorities

  • Technical capabilities

  • Regulatory environments

The Gaming Archetypes framework gave us the structure. The modular component system gave us the flexibility. Markets could implement what worked for their users without rebuilding from scratch.

We also built extensive documentation and workshops to help local market teams understand:

  • Which mechanics worked for which user types

  • How to customize for local culture

  • When to use intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation

  • How to avoid manipulative patterns

Using a 'fix flex free' model, we were able to articulate what would work best in each cultural context:

From that we were able to create a clear framework to help global markets evaluate how to employ gamification and engagement tactics:

Impact: Delight that actually worked

USER SATISFACTION

SUS score: 85 (A)

across 100+ users in testing. High usability, positive sentiment.

UK METRICS

UK market implementation

"Year in review" launched 6 months later, saw measurable increase in app engagement.

AWARDS

Webby Award 2021

The MyVodafone app (MVA10) that included this gamification work won a Webby Award. I'm named on it. (not to brag or anything)

ATTEMPTED FRAUD

Fraud attempts eliminated, 5-10 mins doctor time per patient saved, 160+ days of admin time saved

We made this experience better for both patients, doctors, and the patient care team.

KEY LEARNINGS

Ethical gamification: What I learned

Gamification gets a bad reputation because it's often used manipulatively. Spinning wheels. Fake urgency. Dark patterns disguised as "game mechanics."

But gamification isn't inherently manipulative. It's a tool. The question is: are you using it to extract value from users, or create value for them?

We chose the latter. And it worked.

The research insight—that users want community and connection over monetary rewards—completely changed the design direction. We could have built a system that pushed sales in the short term and destroyed trust in the long term. Instead we built genuine delight that opened space for commercial value when it was contextual and helpful.

Designing for 21 markets taught me to think in systems, not features. The Gaming Archetypes framework gave us structure. The modular components gave us scale. And the ethical foundation—rejecting dark patterns—made it sustainable.

Also: sometimes the most strategic thing you can do is say no to stakeholders who want immediate conversion. Building trust takes longer, but it's worth more.

Ready to see more?

Click through to the next case study for more high-octane UX fun

See next case study: ZavaMed Dosage Guide

KEY FEATURES

Stats and badges

Personalised storytelling about the user's year. Top contacts, communication patterns, data milestones, their story with Vodafone. Not transactional. Just genuinely interesting.

This became the hero feature. Users loved it. UK market implemented it 6 months after we shipped, saw measurable increase in app engagement.

KEY FEATURES

Customizable celebrations:

Framework for markets to create celebrations around local holidays, events, cultural moments. Not pushing products. Just acknowledging "we know what's important to you."

KEY FEATURES

Easter eggs and delight moments:

Small animations, hidden messages, micro-interactions that made the app feel less corporate and more human. Users specifically called these out in testing: "It just adds a little something extra."

KEY FEATURES

Progressive challenges

Optional challenges that rewarded exploration of app features. But crucially: not forced, not manipulative, opt-in only.


KEY FEATURES

Stats and badges

Personalised storytelling about the user's year. Top contacts, communication patterns, data milestones, their story with Vodafone. Not transactional. Just genuinely interesting.

This became the hero feature. Users loved it. UK market implemented it 6 months after we shipped, saw measurable increase in app engagement.

KEY FEATURES

Customizable celebrations:

Framework for markets to create celebrations around local holidays, events, cultural moments. Not pushing products. Just acknowledging "we know what's important to you."

KEY FEATURES

Easter eggs and delight moments:

Small animations, hidden messages, micro-interactions that made the app feel less corporate and more human. Users specifically called these out in testing: "It just adds a little something extra."

KEY FEATURES

Progressive challenges

Optional challenges that rewarded exploration of app features. But crucially: not forced, not manipulative, opt-in only.


RESEARCH AND CONCEPTS

Rejecting dark patterns: the design principles fight