It is well known that gamification is often used in software development to increase customer engagement and retention. However, in relation in particular to non-profit foundation websites, a gap has been identified in its use and in the evaluation of its actual impact. This thesis describes the development workflow of a non-profit website: Fondazione Acutis, a recently founded non-profit organization that assigned the development of its website to Crispy Bacon Srl, the company I am working for. The project was developed following the Double Diamond process, established by the British Council in 2005 (figure 0.1). Starting from a wide expert evaluation and competitive analysis on non-profit websites, heuristics rules specific to this business field were identified. These rules were then used to conduct a benchmark analysis, that pointed out the scarce use of gamification and online communities in the non-profit context and the absence of effective evaluations on their impact. Consequently, a wide research on gamification and online communities was carried out. Once the general picture of the non-profit market and best practices was acquired, the foundation's target audience and their customer journeys were analysed. As outcome of this last research, new user requirements were merged with Acutis Foundation ones and consequently prioritized. To identify solutions for the new requirements, brainstorming ("How might we...") and brainwriting exercises were carried out and, as a result, gamification was uncovered as a possible solution to be proposed for end-users’ engagement. However, due to lack of time and resources, this proposal and its evaluation were not developed for the delivered Fondazione Acutis website. As such, with this thesis, it was possible to complete the proposal and its evaluation by measuring the effect of gamification on a non-profit website, to find an answer to the question: “Can digital communities and gamification develop users’ empathy towards no-profit organizations?” The hypothesis of this thesis is that gamification will help develop more empathy and interest. As such, to explore this hypothesis, given the lack of data and measurement on the impact of gamification in this area, two concepts were developed for the foundation site, one with gamification and one without. The development of these two concepts led to the construction of two information architectures and, subsequently, the development of two wireframes prototyped at high fidelity using a tool called Figma. Based on the wireframes, a Design system was developed and applied to the interfaces in Figma, in order to build a consistent site integrated with the brand image of the foundation. As a consequence, two working and navigable graphical prototypes were developed. The two prototypes were then used in an A/B test in which the sample users, after performing three tasks on the prototype, had to answer a shortened version of the user experience questionnaire (UEQ) and ten tailor-made questions according to the Likert scale. The test was performed on Useberry, a tool to analyse clicks and heatmaps. Once the test was completed, the results of test A and test B were analysed and compared for evaluation purposes. Data were collected from a sample of thirty users for test A (without gamification) and other thirty users for test B (with gamification). The final results of the UEQ questionnaire shows that the concept with gamification (B) received highest scores on hedonics qualities (1,567 (B) vs 0,833 (A)). Furthermore, specific questions, relevant to the non-profit world, received higher scores as well in concept B, given the higher density of positive responses. Moreover, a qualitative evaluation on heatmaps and clicks is provided to validate quantitative results, as mis-click rate can be considered insignificant, given the users’ sample selected. Mis-click rate can be considered insignificant, given the users’ sample selected. Moreover, heatmaps and click-maps shows more participation and engagement in concept B, proving the research question. Confirming the initial hypothesis, the quantitative evaluation indicates that gamification can better engage and stimulate affection in users. However, given that the users’ samples had less users than the recommended number for these kinds of tests, to increase the confidence of the quantitative results, also qualitative results (i.e. heatmaps and click-maps) were used and, once again, they confirmed the positive answer to the research question. Nevertheless, further investigation is recommended to directly obtain confident quantitative results.
È noto come la gamification sia spesso usata nello sviluppo di siti web per aumentare il coinvolgimento e la loyalty dei clienti. Tuttavia, in relazione ai siti web delle fondazioni non-profit, è stata identificata una lacuna nell’impiego della gamification e nella valutazione del suo effettivo impatto sulla fondazione. Questa tesi descrive il flusso di sviluppo del sito web di Fondazione Acutis, una organizzazione non-profit appena nata che ha affidato lo sviluppo del proprio sito web a Crispy Bacon Srl, la società per cui lavoro. Il progetto è stato sviluppato seguendo il processo Double Diamond, stabilito dal British Council nel 2005 (figura 0.1). A seguito di un'ampia valutazione esperta e da un'analisi competitiva sui siti web non-profit, sono state identificate delle regole euristiche specifiche per questo settore. Queste regole sono state poi utilizzate per condurre un'analisi di benchmark, che ha evidenziato lo scarso utilizzo della gamification per coltivare comunità online nel contesto non-profit, nonchè l’assenza di valutazioni sul suo impatto nel caso di donazioni. Di conseguenza, è stata condotta un'ampia ricerca sulla gamification e le comunità online. Una volta acquisito il quadro generale del mercato delel non profit e le sue best practices, sono stati analizzati il target della fondazione ed i relativi customer journey. Come risultato di quest'ultima ricerca, i requisiti degli utenti sono stati fusi con quelli della Fondazione Acutis e, conseguentemente, sono stati classificati per priorità. Per identificare le soluzioni ai requisiti, sono stati svolti esercizi di brainstorming ("How might we...") e brainwriting e, come risultato, la gamification è stata identificata come una possibile soluzione da proporre per il coinvolgimento degli utenti. Tuttavia, per mancanza di tempo e risorse, questa proposta non é stata sviluppata per il sito web della Fondazione Acutis. Con questa tesi, è stato possibile completare la proposta e la sua valutazione misurando l'effetto della gamification su un sito web non-profit, per trovare una risposta alla domanda: “Può la gamification stimolare le comunità online e l'empatia degli utenti verso le organizzazioni no-profit?" L'ipotesi di questa tesi è che la gamification aiuti a sviluppare più empatia ed interesse. Data la mancanza di dati e misurazioni sull'impatto della gamification in questo settore, per ottenere una valutazione comparativa, sono stati sviluppati due concepts per il sito della fondazione, uno con gamification e uno senza. Lo sviluppo di questi due concepts ha portato alla costruzione di due architetture informative e, successivamente, allo sviluppo di due wireframes prototipati ad alta fedeltà utilizzando lo strumento Figma. Sulla base dei wireframes, è stato sviluppato un Design system, poi applicato alle interfacce in Figma, al fine di costruire un sito coerente e integrato con l'immagine del marchio della fondazione. Dunque, sono stati sviluppati due prototipi grafici funzionanti e navigabili. I due prototipi sono stati poi utilizzati in un test A/B in cui utenti campione, dopo aver eseguito tre task sul prototipo, hanno dovuto rispondere a una versione ridotta dello “User Experience Questionnaire” (UEQ) ed a dieci domande con la scala Likert costruite appositamente per le non-profit. Il test è stato eseguito su Useberry, uno strumento che, oltre a permettere all’utente di eseguire task e rispondere a questionari, fornisce una serie di analitiche, come analisi di click e heatmap. Una volta completato il test, i risultati del test A e del test B sono stati analizzati e confrontati per la valutazione. I dati sono stati raccolti da un campione di trenta utenti per il test A (senza gamification) e altri trenta utenti per il test B (con gamification). I risultati finali del questionario UEQ mostrano che il concept con la gamification integrata (B) ha ricevuto punteggi più alti sulle qualità edoniche (1,567 (B) vs 0,833 (A)). Inoltre, le domande specifiche, rilevanti per il mondo non profit, hanno ricevuto punteggi più alti nel concept B, data la maggiore densità di risposte positive. Infine, una valutazione qualitativa sulle heatmap e sui click viene fornita per validare i risultati quantitativi. Il tasso di mis-click può essere considerato insignificante, dato il campione di utenti selezionato. Inoltre, le heatmap e le click-map mostrano una maggiore partecipazione e coinvolgimento nel concetto B. Confermando l'ipotesi iniziale, la valutazione quantitativa indica che la gamification può coinvolgere e stimolare l'affetto negli utenti in modo positivo. Anche i risultati qualitativi (cioè heatmap e click-map) hanno confermato, ancora una volta, una risposta positiva alla domanda di ricerca. Infine, si raccomanda un'ulteriore indagine per ottenere più risultati quantitativi sicuri.
Gamification integration assessment in a non-profit foundation's website. Fondazione Acutis website
ALESSANDRELLO, MICHELA
2020/2021
Abstract
It is well known that gamification is often used in software development to increase customer engagement and retention. However, in relation in particular to non-profit foundation websites, a gap has been identified in its use and in the evaluation of its actual impact. This thesis describes the development workflow of a non-profit website: Fondazione Acutis, a recently founded non-profit organization that assigned the development of its website to Crispy Bacon Srl, the company I am working for. The project was developed following the Double Diamond process, established by the British Council in 2005 (figure 0.1). Starting from a wide expert evaluation and competitive analysis on non-profit websites, heuristics rules specific to this business field were identified. These rules were then used to conduct a benchmark analysis, that pointed out the scarce use of gamification and online communities in the non-profit context and the absence of effective evaluations on their impact. Consequently, a wide research on gamification and online communities was carried out. Once the general picture of the non-profit market and best practices was acquired, the foundation's target audience and their customer journeys were analysed. As outcome of this last research, new user requirements were merged with Acutis Foundation ones and consequently prioritized. To identify solutions for the new requirements, brainstorming ("How might we...") and brainwriting exercises were carried out and, as a result, gamification was uncovered as a possible solution to be proposed for end-users’ engagement. However, due to lack of time and resources, this proposal and its evaluation were not developed for the delivered Fondazione Acutis website. As such, with this thesis, it was possible to complete the proposal and its evaluation by measuring the effect of gamification on a non-profit website, to find an answer to the question: “Can digital communities and gamification develop users’ empathy towards no-profit organizations?” The hypothesis of this thesis is that gamification will help develop more empathy and interest. As such, to explore this hypothesis, given the lack of data and measurement on the impact of gamification in this area, two concepts were developed for the foundation site, one with gamification and one without. The development of these two concepts led to the construction of two information architectures and, subsequently, the development of two wireframes prototyped at high fidelity using a tool called Figma. Based on the wireframes, a Design system was developed and applied to the interfaces in Figma, in order to build a consistent site integrated with the brand image of the foundation. As a consequence, two working and navigable graphical prototypes were developed. The two prototypes were then used in an A/B test in which the sample users, after performing three tasks on the prototype, had to answer a shortened version of the user experience questionnaire (UEQ) and ten tailor-made questions according to the Likert scale. The test was performed on Useberry, a tool to analyse clicks and heatmaps. Once the test was completed, the results of test A and test B were analysed and compared for evaluation purposes. Data were collected from a sample of thirty users for test A (without gamification) and other thirty users for test B (with gamification). The final results of the UEQ questionnaire shows that the concept with gamification (B) received highest scores on hedonics qualities (1,567 (B) vs 0,833 (A)). Furthermore, specific questions, relevant to the non-profit world, received higher scores as well in concept B, given the higher density of positive responses. Moreover, a qualitative evaluation on heatmaps and clicks is provided to validate quantitative results, as mis-click rate can be considered insignificant, given the users’ sample selected. Mis-click rate can be considered insignificant, given the users’ sample selected. Moreover, heatmaps and click-maps shows more participation and engagement in concept B, proving the research question. Confirming the initial hypothesis, the quantitative evaluation indicates that gamification can better engage and stimulate affection in users. However, given that the users’ samples had less users than the recommended number for these kinds of tests, to increase the confidence of the quantitative results, also qualitative results (i.e. heatmaps and click-maps) were used and, once again, they confirmed the positive answer to the research question. Nevertheless, further investigation is recommended to directly obtain confident quantitative results.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/186843