GM Motors - Gamified Safety Training

GM Motors - Gamified Safety Training

A national RCT proved standard reminders don't change behavior. So I designed a world where every safe drive unlocks a new island grounding behavioral science in something people actually want to open.

My Role

Lead Designer

My Role

Lead Designer

Project Type

Gamification, Mobile App

Project Type

Gamification, Mobile App

Tools

FIgma, Miro, Framer

Tools

FIgma, Miro, Framer

LEVEL 01

THE PROBLEM

A compliance problem
disguised as a habit problem.

A compliance problem
disguised as a habit problem.

A compliance problem
disguised as a habit problem.

GM connected-vehicle data revealed a stubborn pattern: even drivers who knew the risks showed inconsistent seatbelt use on short trips. The problem wasn't knowledge it was motivation. Punishment-based reminders were creating resistance, not habits.

1.2 M

1.2 M

1.2 M

People die globally each year from road traffic crashes

50%

50%

50%

Of US crash fatalities involve unbelted occupants

-26%

-26%

-26%

Reduction in unbuckled drives with shared-pot behavioral intervention.

"How might we help drivers build seatbelt use as a daily habit not because they're told to, but because the app makes every drive feel like part of a bigger journey?"
"How might we help drivers build seatbelt use as a daily habit not because they're told to, but because the app makes every drive feel like part of a bigger journey?"

LEVEL 02

RESEARCH

Built on a published
clinical trial not intuition.

Built on a published
clinical trial not intuition.

Grounded in Ebert et al. (2025) a peer-reviewed study in the American Journal of Public Health. Tested 4 interventions across 1,139 GM customers. Key takeaway: behavioral engagement alone didn't work. Pairing it with shared-pot incentives produced sustained change even after the study ended.

FINDING 01
FINDING 01
Punishment doesn't build habits

Warnings create annoyance, not compliance. The design had to be reward-first from the very first screen.

FINDING 02
Shared rewards beat individual lotterie

The RCT validated cooperative mechanics over competitive ones a core design principle throughout.

FINDING 03
Streaks + gain-framing sustain behavior

Weekly streak feedback combined with positive language produced lasting change even post-intervention.

Weekly streak feedback combined with positive language produced lasting change even post-intervention.

The Pre-Gamification Exercise

The Pre-Gamification Exercise

Mapping the status quo revealed exactly what needed to change and why.

STANDARD SAFETY APP VS. GAMIFIED APPROACH

BEFORE GAMIFICATION

Repetitive warning popups

Dismissed in under a second. Creates friction, not behavior change.

Compliance scores & dashboards

Abstract numbers with no emotional resonance. No motivation to improve.

Negative reinforcement only

Loss-framing creates guilt. Drivers learn to tune it out entirely.

No social connection

Drivers feel surveilled, not supported.

AFTER GAMIFICATION

Island exploration via safe driving

Every 10 safe miles unlocks a new island. The map IS the progress bar.

Story-driven progression

Safety becomes identity you're a Sky Guardian, not a rule-follower.

Gain-framing throughout

Your skypath awaits. Reward-first always.

Invite-only friend circles

No public leaderboards. Friends share milestones quietly.

LEVEL 03

PLAYER PROFILE

Designing for Ava
the Explorer who resists rules.

Designing for Ava
the Explorer who resists rules.

Primary player type: Explorer / Achiever. Wants discovery and personal expression, not direction and scoring. Designing for the most resistant user forced every mechanic to earn its place.

PRIMARY PERSONA · EXPLORER / ACHIEVER

Ava Carter

24 - Literature Student, Austin TX

Imaginative

Curious

Playful

Creative

Adventure Seeking

92

Rule Resistance

85

Social Motivation

68

Creative Engagement

96

"How might we help Ava feel buckling up as a habit rather than a rule?"

WHAT FRUSTRATES HER

Repetitive reminder kill her vibe

She resists being told what to do. Progress that feels like obligation rather than achievement makes her disengage immediately. Competitive leaderboards would alienate her entirely.

WHAT SHE NEEDS

A journey, not a checklist

Progress that feels relaxing and personal. Not a corporate safety app with compliance scores. She needs to feel like she's choosing this.

DESIGN IMPLICATION

The constraint made the product better

The player profile directly eliminated warnings, compliance scores, and public rankings replacing them with curiosity-driven design at every touchpoint.

LEVEL 04

DESIGN PROCESS

Gamification as a design
system, not a layer on top.

Gamification as a design
system, not a layer on top.

Applied the 6-step gamification design process from For the Win (Werbach & Hunter). Each phase directly informed what got built and what got cut.

01

Define

Objectives

Strategy

02

Map

Behavior

Research

03

Describe

Player

Persona

04

Design

Activities

System

05

Add

the Fun

Play

06

Deploy

Tools

Mechanics

01
STEP 01
Define Business Objectives
Four objectives ranked: increase seatbelt usage, reduce distracted driving, build positive habits, improve long-term behavioral change. Brief: fun app, stories, rewards — no punishments.
Ranked objectivesPunishment-free brief
02
STEP 02
Map Target Behaviors
Mapped behaviors across 4 phases: Discovery, Onboarding, Scaffolding, Endgame — each with entry actions, feedback loops, and exit criteria.
4-phase journeyBehavioral mapping
03
STEP 03
Describe Your Players
Explorer / Achiever, not the safety-conscious commuter. Key insight: she wants to feel safe but not bossed around. This eliminated leaderboards, warnings, and compliance scores entirely.
Player type frameworkMotivation mapping
04
STEP 04
Design Activities & Progression
Core engagement loop + full progression staircase. Boss Fights every 3rd island (7-day streak challenge), Rest Zones, and Sky Guardian identity unlock.
Engagement loopBoss fights
05
STEP 05
Don't Forget the Fun
Mini-games in every island. Weekly mystery events: The Island Vanishes in 48 Hours. Creatively named collectibles — never generic trophies. Worth opening even when not driving.
Mini-gamesMystery eventsNamed collectibles
06
STEP 06
Deploy Behavioral Tools
5 mechanics chosen from RCT data: in-app currency, unlockable islands, named achievements, invite-only social layer, and gain-framed notifications.
5 mechanicsGain-framingSocial layer
Core Engagement Loop
The feedback cycle that drives every safe drive
Repeating Cycle
Motivation
🎯
Unlock Island
🏝️ New island preview
🎮 Play mini-game
✨ Earn coins
TRIGGERS
Action
🚗
Drive Safe
🔒 Buckle up first
📍 10 miles driven
🚫 No distraction
GENERATES
Feedback
⚡
Progress Fills
+1 safe drive
🏆 Badge earned
🗺️ Map expands
↩ Loops back to motivation ↩

LEVEL 05

THE SOLUTION

Where every safe drive
unlocks a new world.

Where every safe drive
unlocks a new world.

A GM-connected mobile app using telematics data to detect real-time seatbelt use and mileage. Each safe, buckled drive earns progress toward a new island on a personalized map.

Splash Screen
Theme Setting
Onboarding
Home Page
Explore Map
Play Area
Account Section
Story Mode
Game Play
Awwards
Leaderboard
Boss Fight
Invite Friends
Achievements
Splash Screen
Theme Setting
Onboarding
Home Page
Explore Map
Play Area
Account Section
Story Mode
Game Play
Awwards
Leaderboard
Boss Fight
Invite Friends
Achievements

LEVEL 06

RESULTS

What the research and design
delivered.

What the research and design
delivered.

ACHIEVEMENT

+28%

+28%

+28%

Increase in safety training recall scores from the GM engagement program

RCT RESULT

-26%

-26%

-26%

Reduction in unbuckled drives in the randomized controlled trial

BEHAVIOR

91.3%

91.3%

91.3%

Buckling rate with shared-pot behavioral intervention vs. 88.3% control

JOURNEY

4

4

4

Full gamified journey phases, Discovery through Endgame

DESIGN

6

6

6

Gamification design steps applied from objectives to behavioral tools

SUSTAINED

5wk

5wk

5wk

Behavior change held through post-intervention follow-up lasting habits formed

LEVEL 07

LEARNINGS

What this project taught me.

What this project taught me.

01

01

Gamification fails when it's a layer, not a foundation

Points and badges bolted onto a compliance app don't fix the underlying problem. The framework had to define what got built from the very first decision.

Points and badges bolted onto a compliance app don't fix the underlying problem. The framework had to define what got built from the very first decision.

02

02

Research doesn't just inform design it validates risk

The RCT gave me confidence to make bold, counterintuitive choices: remove all punishment mechanics, eliminate competitive leaderboards, reject individual incentives. Without peer-reviewed data, those would have looked like preferences. With it, they were defensible principles.

The RCT gave me confidence to make bold, counterintuitive choices: remove all punishment mechanics, eliminate competitive leaderboards, reject individual incentives. Without peer-reviewed data, those would have looked like preferences. With it, they were defensible principles.

03

03

The resistant user needs the most thoughtful design

Designing for someone who actively resists being told what to do forced every touchpoint to earn its place. When the most resistant user finds it compelling, everyone else will too.

Designing for someone who actively resists being told what to do forced every touchpoint to earn its place. When the most resistant user finds it compelling, everyone else will too.

04

04

Identity is the strongest long-term motivator

The Sky Guardian endgame worked because players wrote their own "Drift Code." When compliance becomes part of how someone sees themselves, you've created a habit that doesn't need an app to sustain it.

The Sky Guardian endgame worked because players wrote their own "Drift Code." When compliance becomes part of how someone sees themselves, you've created a habit that doesn't need an app to sustain it.