How Can You Use Gamification to Boost Innovation?

Gamification can help at different phases in the innovation process

Companies are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of gamification. It promotes disinhibition, reduces prejudice, encourages cross-disciplinary teamwork and co-creation, helps groups with very different profiles to speak the same language and achieves a level of engagement that drives participants to go one step further. These benefits are particularly important when it comes to ensuring success in creative thinking and innovation.

In countries where companies have already made gamification part of their day-to-day, they know that it can bring specific benefits beyond having a bit of fun and simple teambuilding.

Gartner studies highlight that 70% of companies on the Forbes Global 2000 list are currently using gamification techniques and that 50% of innovation processes will be gamified in the coming years.

At what stage in an innovation process can you bring in gamification?

To optimise creative sessions. The benefits listed above are essential for boosting creativity. You can find different sets of idea generation cards, like IDEO Method Cards, or a game like Binnakle The Expedition, covering all phases of the creative process.

To optimise co-creation. Playing is a tool that lets you eliminate hierarchies and foster collaboration between very different profiles. Serious games use the universal language of playing and methodologies that allow people with very different profiles to collaborate and understand each other.

To start an innovation project. Gamification can be used to kick off a project by identifying, defining and agreeing on challenges. It also helps players find new avenues to explore.

To improve innovation hackathons. Nothing motivates members of a group more than getting them to play with a shared challenge. And if they are competing, the results will be even better. A serious game for a kick-off activity with a group will also generate the balance you need between motivation and practical results.

For an innovative training format. People are tired of classic training formats. Including a serious game for innovation to train people on creativity and innovation makes them more motivated to learn the methodology and helps them better assimilate the concepts involved.

To identify profiles for innovation projects. When someone is playing, they lose all pretence. People let themselves go and show you their real profile, which may be hidden in a formal meeting. Serious games for innovation can help you identify the most ground-breaking profiles, empathy and leadership skills, strategic thinking and more. That way, you can put each person in the right role in the innovation process.

In short, serious game based on innovation methodologies can be an extremely useful tools at different phrases of implementing innovation in a company.

Philippe Delespesse
Founder and CEO Binnakle Serious Games to Innovate (www.binnakle.com/en/)
Binnakle Serious Games help companies drive innovation and transformation combining proven methodologies and gamification.
Founder and CEO Inteligencia Creativa
Expert and speaker on Innovation and Creative Thinking