Mobile Gamification
Crowdtap 2023
Problem & Context
Crowdtap’s core model rewards users for answering brand surveys with redeemable points for gift cards.
Problem: Retention was dropping: users would complete one survey then disengage, reporting no reason to return.
Users needed a clear, repeatable reason to re-engage and see progress early on.
Business Goal: Increase 7-day user retention by 13% on Crowdtap’s mobile app.
Solution & Process
I led a co-creation workshop with PMs and stakeholders to brainstorm engagement strategies, prioritizing ideas based on impact vs effort.
Key Concept: “Streaks”
Incentivized daily participation with incremental point bonuses
Built positive habit loops over 7 days
Reinforced value through visual progress and reward anticipation
My Role:
Facilitated workshop and idea prioritization
Designed 2 concepts and prototype flows
Conducted remote usability testing with active and lapsed users
Findings:
Strong sentiment toward habit-based rewards
Users requested additional gamified paths to earn points faster
Team opted to ship a simple MVP to validate impact quickly due to resource constraints
v1 Simple: Users are tasked to log in daily and answer a question for 7 days. After completing a 7 day streak, users are incentivized 150 points.
v2 Points each day: Users are tasked to log in and answer 5 surveys daily to earn 100 points each day. After completing a 7 day streak, users are incentivized bonus points.
Results & Impact
Result:
+8% increase in 7-day retention
+16% increase in day-14 retention
Impact:
Early evidence that habit loops drive repeat participation
Set foundation for future gamification streams (e.g., “bonus missions,” leaderboards)
Provided data to reframe Crowdtap’s retention strategy around behavioral motivation instead of pure reward accumulation