How can gamification and behavioral design shift students YouTube / social media habits from passive Shorts consumption to active learning through a collectible card reward system.
My Role
Ideation and Concept Development
Behavioral Research and Analysis
Design of Reward System and Collectible Cards
Time
3 Months
Overview
In this project, we tackled the addictive nature of YouTube Shorts by designing an intervention that turns educational content into a rewarding experience. Through research, behavioral analysis, and iteration, we developed a system that rewards users with collectible cards after watching educational videos—cards they can share and trade with friends.
3 Primary Problems
1. Addiction
The endless scroll of YouTube Shorts encourages compulsive viewing and makes it hard to stop.
2. Passivity
Users consume content without actively engaging or retaining meaningful information.
3. Engagement
Educational content often feels too demanding or boring compared to fast-paced entertainment, leading users to avoid it.
Opportunity
By combining gamification, social motivation, and behavioral design, the system turns mindless scrolling into consumption of educational content making it fun, meaningful—encouraging healthier digital habits over time.
Iterations
Final Concept
A system that rewards users with collectible cards for watching educational YouTube videos, transforming passive consumption into an engaging, self-driven learning experience.
Reflection
I think this project was really interesting because it is really relatable for a lot of people especially my age have this digital behavior of wasting a lot of time on their phone. During this project I learned a lot about customer journeys and how nudges and instant gratification play a big role in behavioral design and are ment to keep customers in a loop through dopamine-driven engagement. Which explains why fast-paced short-form content is often more appealing than slower, educational alternatives.
Portfolio by Thijmen Gast 