Dare to do it Different http://dtdid.com Wed, 30 May 2012 08:04:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 Offline Gamification http://dtdid.com/blog/offline-gamification/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=offline-gamification http://dtdid.com/blog/offline-gamification/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 17:29:58 +0000 Niels http://dtdid.com/?p=115 Most gamification talked about (online) is also that: online. Online gamification is very interesting as it makes use of technologies of the web and mobile phones. But the concept of gamification is old and so there are great examples of offline gamification (probably a topic for a later post), but I was introduced to a very interesting “new” example of offline gamification during one of the Hub Istanbul Social Innovation Roundtable events.

The young and talented designer Cansu Akarsu was challenged with a problem to get kids to use soap when washing their hands and researched what the motivating behind behavior was that kids performed (not washing their hands with soap). She learned that kids tend to find that behavior a waste of time since it takes away the quality playing time and time to spend with their friends. Washing hands with soap is a non-social and boring experience.

So the solution needed some creative thinking and good design. The result was using PLAY to give incentives to kids to wash their hands.

Check out her page to see more of her amazing work.

]]> http://dtdid.com/blog/offline-gamification/feed/ 0 Business Models http://dtdid.com/blog/business-models/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=business-models http://dtdid.com/blog/business-models/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:00:50 +0000 Niels http://dtdid.com/?p=1 Business models are a great driver for innovation and allowing businesses to come up with new ways to offer value in a sustainable way. The era of just buying low and selling high is over. Ok, it’s not over; if I go to my supermarket I will still be able to just buy my milk, bread and eggs at a marginal higher prices then the cost of the supermarket to sell it and behind this is a basic value/supply chain going back to the producer of the products. However more and more businesses are looking at a more complex structure of value proposition and revenue.

Business models allow us to rethink the way we present value to a customer and find new ways to be rewarded for offering this value.

The Business Model Canvas, as described in the book Business Model Generation, is a great way to start playing with the building blocks that make up a business model. 9 building blocks in this case:

  1. Customer Segments
  2. Value Propositions
  3. Channels
  4. Customer Relationships
  5. Revenue Streams
  6. Key Resources
  7. Key Activities
  8. Key Partnerships
  9. Cost Structure

I highly recommend you to get this book if you are interested in business strategy and new opportunities to build a sustainable business. Check out the first 72 pages of the book. And join the Business Model Hub to share ideas.

 

]]> http://dtdid.com/blog/business-models/feed/ 0 Gamification http://dtdid.com/blog/gamification/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gamification http://dtdid.com/blog/gamification/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:00:10 +0000 Niels http://dtdid.com/?p=11 I’ll start my first post about gamification with some definitions, plus a summary of what gamification is NOT!

“Gamification is the use of game design techniques and mechanics to solve problems and engage audiences.” [wikipedia]

“Gamification is the infusion of game mechanics, game design techniques, and/or game style into anything.” [gamification.org]

Gamification is not
- GAMES
- PRIZES
- BADGES & REWARDS

It’s not about turning the user experience into a game, but using game mechanics to help the user to get an even better user experience. Help the user to discover the site or show the progress the user has booked performing a task, in absolute sense (completion levels) or in a relative sense, via a leaderboard. These are just some of the examples in which gamification can power a process.

One of the most important aspects of gamification, in order to make it work, is to use correctly. When added well to a good running process, it can have a incredible impact. When added incorrectly, it can disrupt the original well running process. And… it simply doesn’t fix a broken process. It’s not a miracle drug.

]]> http://dtdid.com/blog/gamification/feed/ 0 About Me http://dtdid.com/blog/about-me/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=about-me http://dtdid.com/blog/about-me/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:00:24 +0000 Niels http://dtdid.com/?p=24 My name is Niels van der Linden and I’ve been living and working in Istanbul for the last 5 years. I have close to 15 years experience in both mobile telecommunication and internet related products and services, both in my native country, The Netherlands, as working with and for mobile and internet startups in Istanbul.

DTDID | Dare to do it Different is a blog about my personal interests. Ranging from innovation and business models via startups and entrepreneurship to gamification. I’m currently active as local business developer for international (internet) startups looking for a way to enter the Turkish market, but I also help local startups with business and product strategy.

I live in Istanbul, where I enjoy finding my way through the emerging Turkish startup scene. Feel free to drop me a message or leave a comment.

]]> http://dtdid.com/blog/about-me/feed/ 0 The Stuff I Consume (2012) http://dtdid.com/blog/the-stuff-i-consume-2012/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-stuff-i-consume-2012 http://dtdid.com/blog/the-stuff-i-consume-2012/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:01:15 +0000 Niels http://dtdid.com/?p=81 Books
Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
Predictably Irrational – Dan Ariely

Business Model Generation – Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur
Business Model You – Timothy Clark
Lean Startup – Eric Ries
Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works – Ash Maurya
Reworks – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson

Gamification by Design: Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps – Gabe Zichermann & Christopher Cunningham
Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World – Jane McGonigal
The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses – Jesse Schell

Favorites // Books from the past
Crossing the Chasm – Geoffrey A. Moore
The Innovator’s Dilemma – Clayton M. Christensen

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