UX/UI Badge Zone
PROBLEM: Users on natgeokids.com were following the same path: They were coming to the homepage, searching for a specific topic and then exiting the site.
SOLUTION: We used an out-of-the-box API (GIGYA) to add badges to gamify exploring the site. This allowed kids to sign-in, select an avatar and earn badges for completing goals that involved going to multiple pages. Another goal was to achieve deeper user engagement which would lead to more compelling sponsorship opportunities. I wire-framed and designed the prototypes in Axure RP and then provided the css to an internal development team. As a second step, we took the opportunity to expose the navigation and turn off infinite scroll. (See project here.)
TUTORIAL
After users signed up for an avatar, a tutorial would lead them through the various sections of the badges hub and show them how to earn more badges.
ALERTS
Once users were signed in, they could see if new challenges were posted to lead them to come back.
RESULT
As a result of adding this API, kids had a gamified experience on the site and we saw an increase in time spent across a variety of pages. Next we moved onto a navigation project that further solved user issues.