1. unNiched(micro):
Scratch, Sniff and Learn
“Toward the Storification and Gamification of Health”
Michael Spitz, VP Engagement | Ignite Health
October 25, 2011
New York, NY

2. Overview
• Scratch It!
– “Gamification” relevance and definition
• Sniff It!
– “Health gamification” application and examples
• Learn It!
– Brainstorm and riff on health gamification
• Imagine It!
– Ideas about the future of health gamification

3. Scratch It!

4. Scratch It!
• Why is “Gamification” relevant?
 $10.5 billion in revenue in 2009, with latest
stats suggesting double that
 Average age is about 35, with genders split
roughly equally
 60% of all adults play several hours a week,
averaging 10K hours before age 21
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5. Scratch It!
• What exactly is “Gamification”?
 Use of game design techniques and
mechanics to connect and engage with
audiences in an otherwise non-gaming
environment
 Transforms basic messaging and campaigning
to encourage users to make decisions and
participate in desired behavior
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6. Scratch It!
• “Gamification” prerequisites
 Emotionally connects with the user through
compelling storytelling, incentives, and
feedback
 Enables continuous advancement, and fosters
connectivity to user competitors/peers
 Ultimately results in premeditated user
behavioral modification
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7. Scratch It!
• “Gamification” best practices
 Effective gamification finds a balance between
engaging game mechanics and creation of an
experience designed to modify behavior
 Too much emphasis on gaming aspect will engage
users but compromise behavioral change
 Too much emphasis on outcome will reduce
engagement and ultimately also compromise
behavioral change
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8. Sniff It!

9. Sniff It!
• What is “Gamification” for health?
 Taking otherwise tedious, repetitive, boring, or
even painful routines and transforming them
into an engaging gaming experience
 Revitalizes basic messaging and campaigning
to encourage users to make decisions and
participate in desired behavior for the
betterment of their health and wellness
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10. Sniff It!
• Some “Gamification” categories in health
 Cognitive and emotional health
 Participatory health
 Active gaming and fitness (“exergaming”)
 Rehabilitation games
 Medical education, training, and simulation
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11. Sniff It!
• Some “Gamification” examples in health
• http://www.breakawaygames.com/serious-games/solutions/healthcare/
– Training simulations, pediatric pain managements
• http://www.humanagames.com/#/home/
– Famscape and HorsePower Challenge social gaming
• http://healthmonth.com
– Improve diet, fitness, and emotional health through social gaming
• https://www.superbetter.us/
– Increase personal resilience through competitive play with friends
• http://gameful.org/
– “Metagame” teams to learn more about gaming and create own
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12. Sniff It!
• Check out this demo of a gamified experience
for Type 1 diabetics…

13. Sniff It!
• Let’s get “hands on” with some health
gamification examples…
“Ben’s Game” PC “Iron Invaders” iPad
http://www.sfwish.org/site/pp.asp?c=bdJLITMAE&b=81927

14. Learn It!

15. Learn It!
• Group brainstorm part 1
 Are these true examples of the “gamification”
of health? Which ones educate, and which
ones actually change behaviors?
 What qualities of the examples we’ve seen
make for a particularly good gaming
experience?
 How might these examples be improved to
heighten engagement while still facilitating
behavioral change?
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16. Learn It!
• Group brainstorm part 2
 Let’s choose a hypothetical audience and
imagine gamifying their reality
 Do we start with the game mechanics or the
intended behavioral change?
 How do we find the right balance between
engagement dynamics and behavioral modification?
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17. Learn It!
• Group brainstorm part 3
 What are some health areas where
gamification would be applied?
 Learning about treatment options
 Managing side effects
 Complying and adhering to a medication
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18. Imagine It!

19. Imagine It!
• Ideas about the future of health
gamification…
– Integration with #mhealth could create real
time interactivity with biosensors
– Near field communications (ultra-short wifi)
could eliminate boundary between worlds
– Evolution of privacy could open more doors to
social gaming and sharing

20. Thank You!
Michael Spitz
VP Engagement
Ignite Health
@SpitzStrategy