The 6D framework: Define business objectives

The 6D framework is a model by Werbach & Hunter for creating effective gamified systems that achieve business goals and satisfy user needs.^[1] The first step, defining business objectives, involves identifying what you want your gamified system to achieve. Business objectives can be anything, such as increasing sales, improving user engagement, or getting more customer feedback. For example, imagine a company wants to use a gamified system to boost customer feedback. To define this clearly, the company would:

• List goals: For example, increase customer feedback, improve product ratings, and enhance customer loyalty.
• Rank goals: Customer feedback is the top priority, followed by product ratings and loyalty.
• Justify goals: For example, more feedback helps improve products, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.
• Delete irrelevant mechanics: Identify which game mechanics support your objectives and remove those that don't. For example, earning badges and unlocking levels can encourage feedback. However, adding a complex storyline where users follow a treasure hunt might be engaging, but is irrelevant to the goal of increasing feedback, as it distracts from the primary task of providing product reviews.

It’s important to distinguish between actual business goals and gamification features. A business goal is not something like “create a leaderboard system.” A leaderboard is a game mechanic or a tool you might use to support a goal like boosting engagement or increasing repeat visits. But on its own, it doesn’t represent a business outcome.