Encourage continuous skill upgrading and enhance employee onboarding
Employers invest in employee upgrading and improved onboarding to boost overall performance, productivity, and adaptability to industry changes. These initiatives accelerate new hires' integration, reduce learning curves, and contribute to higher satisfaction and retention rates.
I was part of the team to create and enhance Hilton's current learning experience for the internal training portal to drive learning uptake and reduce the need for human intervention in support requests.
CLIENT & BRIEF
BACKGROUND INFO
Hilton
Hilton is a renowned hospitality company that has 18 brands across different market segments. It has more than 46,000 employees operating across 12 brands in 22 countries and territories in APAC region.
Role
UX Designer
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User Flows
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Wireframes
Background
In 2019, Hilton approached us to create an easily accessible internal training portal that can help provide a seamless onboarding and upskilling experience for various teams across APAC region while reducing the need for human intervention in support requests. The new Hilton Training Portal supports and encourages self-learning through connecting experiences across multiple devices and app, enhances interactions via gamification, promotes continuous learning through bookmarking content and pushing mandatory and recommended content based on individual employee’s job function.
Team
1 UX Designer (Me)
1 UI Designer
1 Design Lead
2 Developers
1 Project Manager
1 Account Manager
The New Brief (2023)
As part of the new enhancements in 2023, the client came to us with a very specific ask, they want:
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Badge
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Leaderboard
Timeline
12 weeks per game (2023)
WHAT CLIENT ASKED FOR
Badge
Leaderboard
WHAT CLIENT ACTUALLY WANTS
✨ Increase portal adoption
✨ Encourage platform & employee engagement
✨ Enhance learning experience
✨ Cultivate healthy & competitive environment
✨ Support learning progress tracking
Hence, that began our quest of redefining the approach and looking outside of the ask and propose solutions that focus on client's and user's actual needs and wants
We are very pleased with the results of the gamification, which is a first-in-Hilton. These games were well-received by our hotel teams and the engagement has been very encouraging and positive.
MARKETING & COMMERCE TEAM - HILTON
GOALS
Approach problems with these anchors
Before we go into solutioning, we've set up and grounded our approach in the following 3 key pillars to ensure enduring solutions that evolve with future needs and continue creating an enjoyable learning journey and seamless integration into the current system and workflows.
Longevity & Scalability
Design for adaptability, ensuring scalability for future growth and enabling administrators to create games of varying complexities.
Fun & Engaging
Foster an enjoyable learning experience for all proficiency levels, promoting user retention and consistent return for both play and learning.
Seamless Integration
Prioritize smooth integration with Drupal, overcoming limitations to seamlessly embed gamification features into the Hilton ecosystem.
PROCESS
As we are tight on the timeline and budget, so we strategised in finding the pain points, insights and opportunities.
And with that, we came up with some potential solutions and proposed them to the clients
PROPOSED SOLUTION #1
INTEGRATED GAMIFICATION STRATEGY
Utilising gamification that involves integration game-like elements into non-game contexts to enhance user engagement, motivation and participation. This approach aims to foster user loyalty, encourage specific behvaiours, and create a more enjoyable and immersive environment for users interacting with Hilton Training Portal.
INVESTMENT
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COMPLEXITY
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
LONGEVITY
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PROPOSED SOLUTION #2
INTERACTIVE GAMES
Enhance learning by breaking down complex concepts into digestible elements, fostering better comprehension, and incentivising active participation and knowledge retention. The gamified structure promotes regular use and cultivating a culture of continuous learning, ultimately improving the overall effectiveness of the training program.
INVESTMENT
⭐️⭐️⭐️
COMPLEXITY
⭐️⭐️⭐️
LONGEVITY
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PROPOSED SOLUTION #1
INTEGRATED GAMIFICATION STRATEGY
DEFINE THE PROBLEMS
Examine the current system
First, we looked into the existing system to find out what is being done currently, and what are the gaps and current pain points of the users to distill opportunities.
How it's being done currently
Upon completion of every class, this will be accumulated towards earning a honour badge
Based on the job function, each learner has different mandatory and recommended classes to complete
Each badge has a set of predetermined classes that learners need to complete before they can earn that badge (the required classed can be from different class categories, e.g. content management, marketing etc)
Gaps in current experience
Bias towards certain job function learners - The type of classes required to complete to earn a badge is specific towards learners of certain job functions (i.e. marketing)
Lack of transparency - Learners are not informed as to what type of classes and how many classes they need to complete to earn a badge.
Unfair for new portal joiners - Class badges earned are maintained even when new classes are added to the badge requirement list
EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES
Look into some of the best-in-class examples
It's intuitive to go with the first solution that popped into my mind, but I wanted to explore if there are any existing ideas and best practices that are already employed by other companies and even competitors and see how they've done it, why it works for them and why they've designed it this way.
💡HOW IT WORKS
✅WHY IT WORKS
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Visual elements like progress bars, circles, and weekly summaries.
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Users can earn XP through actions, tasks, lessons, and practice, advancing on the leaderboard.
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Gamification elements for user promotion/demotion.
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Bonus incentives and special badges for streaks.
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Continuous micro-rewards and encouragement for user motivation.
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Breaks goals into manageable chunks for skill growth.
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Provides visual progress updates, motivating learners to continue through courses.
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Awards points for repeated classes, promoting consistent practice.
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Utilizes a leaderboard for gamification, fostering competition and encouraging regular return for practice.
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Quick contribution through selecting predetermined report types.
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Points earned via likes and comments on reports.
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Gamified progression through levels based on points.
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Leverages social validation as a powerful motivator.
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Offers quick, interactive feedback on user actions.
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Fosters a sense of acceptance, importance, and usefulness—a powerful motivator for a contribution-based product.
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Establishes a sense of accomplishment through a badge reward system.
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Utilizes a leaderboard for social comparison, tapping into the human desire to compete, driving increased user activity on the app.
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Simple games for easy participation.
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Visual elements like a progress circle, steps and calorie burnt counter.
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Progressive challenges to continuously engage and challenge users.
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Consistent micro-rewards and encouragement for sustained motivation.
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Social interactions fostering healthy competition for increased motivation.
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Direct correlation between goal completion rate and increased product usage and adoption.
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Automatic recording of results without requiring user input for participation conversion.
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Instant feedback on goal progress.
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Utilization of intrinsic motivation for physical health improvement.
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Integration of social interaction to boost motivation and accountability.
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Implementation of progressive goals to cultivate habits and maintain motivation throughout the journey.
Key Insights
✅
Visual Appeal
Emphasis on the importance of visual elements to enhance user experience and engagement.
✅
Consistency is Key
Encouraging consistent user participation through points for repeated actions or consistent practice is a shared best practice.
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Gamification Dynamics
Gamified elements such as points, leaderboards, and badges are common strategies to motivate users and foster healthy competition.
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Social Interaction
Utilizing social interaction, be it through competition or validation, proves effective in enhancing user motivation and engagement.
OUR RECOMMENDED APPROACH
Leaderboard + Point Systems
Simple & familiar scoring system for learners
Clear-cut mechanic to rank learners
Tap on existing mechnics in place for quizzes
Immediate feedback and progress tracking and measurement
Accumulation of points provides motivation for learners to participate
Leaderboard ranking and movement encourages healthy competition
Add variability spices up game and encourage continuous engagement
Allows scalability in the future
Multiple ways to earn points give learner autonomy over how they are rewarded for their effort
Client loves it and wished to explore further into this idea and hence, it brought us to our next conversation and task to define the rules and logic.
DEFINING THE RULES & LOGIC
Mapping the points and badge metric, and the scenarios
Before we dive into designs, it's important to lay down the foundation of the logic & and structure. We started by defining the point system and badge attainment metrics, then followed by mapping every possible scenario to test if the logic and metrics work with the current system and learner behaviors. Not to mention, by introducing a point system, we want to make sure existing learner's efforts and achievements are properly recognised while continuing to motivate both existing and new learners to complete classes and keep learning. Hence, we also spent a good amount of time working on the reimbursement and leaderboard logic.
All of these works were done with close collaboration with the clients.
Point-based system metrics & badge metrics
Reimbursement of points based on past achievements for existing users as form of recognition of their investment and performance
Scenario mapping for non-active user vs super active user based on newly defined points & badge metric
Scenario mapping for new user vs existing user based on newly defined points & badge metric
Close collaboration with client on finding opportunities and mapping scenarios and logic
Challenges & Breakthrough
Navigation the intricacies of defining the badge metric and leaderboard logic definitely was challenging, especially when aligning the reimbursement logic with existing data points. The challenge laid in pinpointing the most relevant and applicable data and overcoming the gaps in the existing system set up.
To overcome this, we brainstormed alternative approaches, ensuring we didn't veer away from our proposed rules and scenarios and documented these challenges as part of our ongoing tech enhancement efforts. This back-and-forth process was key in fine-tuning the badge metric and leaderboard logic for smoother integration into the platform.
As this enhancement requires massive backend and tech work, we weren’t able to execute this piece of work due to budget constraints. However, the client loves this and has been actively securing the budget. This has been part of our conversation every year.
PROPOSED SOLUTION #2
INTERACTIVE GAMES
DEFINE & DEVELOP
Research into potential & practical game ideas
Having to work around with client's limited budget and strong preference for incorporation gamification to enhance the interactive and exciting aspects of learning, we researched into the potential gamification ideas while focusing on aligning the ideas with the developing leaderboard/point systems to ensure the enhancement is both impactful and cost-effective.
Researching into potential games and ideas
Proposing game and give examples on how it can be applied and integrated into the platform. Scorings were given based on different criteria.
Proposing how ways to elevate entire learning experience in longer term.
Cater to different learner level
Ease of maintenance
Material Adaptability
Ensuring flexibility in design allows for seamless customisation, tailoring the game experience to the diverse proficiency levels within the user base which promotes inclusivity and also optimises user engagement by providing a challenging yet accessible learning journey.
Prioritise solutions that are straightforward to manage and streamline the overall uptake of the gamification features, it helps to benefit the system's efficiency and also empowers admins with user-friendly tools for designing and updating game questions effortlessly.
Ensuring the gamification features can be effortlessly reconstructed or reconfigured to align with different educational content enhances the platform's overall utility which enables accommodation of a wide range of education materials and subjects.
PRIORITISATION
Rating and ranking ideas to help client pick the game efficiently
With the list of potential ideas, we then rated and ranked them based on the value it brings to users (both learners & admin), the development effort as well as the investment required so to help with the decision-making process for the client.
Consolidate ideas into table for clear overview and give our initial recommendation.
CHOSEN IDEAS
✅ Tinder-style game
✅ Crossword Puzzle
DESIGN PROCESS
User flows
Designing the user flows involves a meticulous process, starting with:
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Determining the optimal game entry point within the current site architecture
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Create a flexible structure that accommodates scalability, catering to scenarios of single-game and multiple game releases with varied unlocking times
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Induce a sense of urgency by limiting the number of attempts, hints and the incorporation of timers
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User flows of how user can enter the game, complete one/multiple game to re-attempting the game.
Wireframes
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Game entry point on dashboard
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No. of games completion overview
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Game duration & end-of-game countdown timer
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Guide on how to play the game and different features of the gamification
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Games available during the launch period (distinguish based on lock-unlock times)
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How-to-play guide (trigger onboarding & game tutorial)
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Lining up of all the questions in a stacked card format
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User can click on the buttons to make selection and answer the question
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End-of-game countdown timer
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Attempts overview & highest score recorded
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Hint - user can receive a character hint (with a capped)
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Clear All - user can clear all the filled answer instantly and restart again
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Clue box - split based on keywords that are spanning across horizontally and vertical, user can refer to the clues and answer the puzzle
Users can swipe the question card left or right to answer the question. The question card will be highlighted as Yes/No as user swipes the card towards a specific direction.
Prototype
#1
Kickstart the game
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Game feature is prominently positioned above the fold upon login, ensuring users don't miss it
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User gain quick overview of the total games available, with a focus on the current one
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Users are introduced to the knowledge being tested, given an overview of attempts left, and informed of their highest score - providing a well-prepared entry into the gaming experience
#2
Guided experience
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First-timer players receive a detailed onboarding experience to familiarise them with the game's mechanics
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Users who may have forgotten how to play can easily initiate the onboarding tutorial for a quick refresher
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Beyond traditional buttons, the game also incorporates interactive swiping gestures
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Swiping gestures provide a clear indication of whether users are responding with a yes or no
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This intuitive design minimises the effort required to remember the gestures, ensuring a user-friendly gaming experience
#3
Game interface
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Provide an intuitve navgiation between different clues
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Get a hint of particular character
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Easy wipe off of all answers and restart the puzzle again
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Allowing exiting of the game without taking up an attempt
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Upon completion, user can submit the puzzle and recieve the score
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User can submit incomplete answer and receive the score
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As the countdown timer runs out, user will be prompt to restart the game (if there's any attempt left)
We are very pleased with the results of the gamification, which is a first-in-Hilton. These games were well-received by our hotel teams and the engagement has been very encouraging and positive.
MARKETING & COMMERCE TEAM - HILTON
RETROSPECTIVE
Final thoughts & takeaways
01
Dig deeper into the actual needs & wants
It's easy to take the brief and start solutioning right away. But I remind myself to always look beyond the ask and see what the users (or client) actually want to achieve to find the right problem to tackle. This project was exactly that and I was glad we were able to go in the right direction and came to the solutions that met the user's objectives. This will always serve as the reminder to look beyond the surface issue and dig deep into the actual problem.
02
Mutual wins through collaboration
From working on the metrics & and logic to shortlisting and ranking of ideas, this project brought our relationship with the clients to the next level. It was great to build a two-way channel, especially working with clients. This has helped to gain greater buy-ins and nailed down on deriving the solutions we were both satisfied and successfully maintained a positive relationship.
03
Mitigating system limitations through early collaboration
As we knew there were significant system limitations, we opted to work closely with our developers right from the start (even during the research idea phase) and that was the right decision. This helped to avoid coming up with ideas that were not implementable. As I was designing, having a close check-in with the developers also helped to steer towards designing feasible features without compromising the experience. All these ensured a smooth development process and minimised the post-design communication effort as we are all aligned, right from the start.