Gamified Learning
Boosting responses with emoji-powered rewards.
As the first designer at Kigulab, I collaborated with the leadership team to build a brand-new learning platform from the ground up, aiming to create an engaging, gamified experience for pre-teens that supports their metacognition.
Client:
Kigumi Group
My Role:
UI/UX Designer
Year:
2025
I helped build the learning platform from scratch, and while there were many challenges, this one became a personal favorite to solve. The core experience involved micro video lessons for kids, with reflection questions built into the flow:
Baseline Platform Flow
During school testing, Mila noticed something surprising. Kids were typing gibberish just to skip through. They had gamed the system. Our product depended heavily on thoughtful answers, as those reflections would later generate personalized posters. The challenge was clear:
We revisited the data, read through real responses from students and teachers, and saw the pattern. Kids weren’t resisting learning, they lacked motivation to give quality answers.
One teacher even shared that she gives away free stationery to encourage participation, proving that recognition and small rewards can go a long way in motivating students.
Even though we had a reward system at the end of each lesson, it wasn’t enough.
We needed motivation beyond just getting rewards for completing the task. So we researched:
What do kids already love doing?
What platforms do they use most?
What kinds of rewards feel native, not forced?
During testing, one student mentioned they were active on Reddit communities. That was the spark. We studied Reddit’s Collectibles and Award System. People did not just post for karma, they posted for recognition, for badges, for something to flex.
We wondered: What if students were rewarded not just for answering, but for how they answer?
Reward-Driven Learning Flow
We mapped a new feedback loop:
Assign emojis based on quality of answers
Different emojis for different types of thinking
Emojis fill a Wisdom Meter
Unlock collectible badges based on cognitive depth
Collectibles can be flexed or gifted on the community page
We created a model inspired by four types of thinking:
Memory
Exploration
Insight
Future Vision
Every answer earned an emoji linked to one of these categories. As students collected emojis, they saw their Wisdom Meter rise, unlocking digital collectibles. Just like Reddit, they could gift these collectibles to their favorite community answers.
Gamification Model (MDA Framework)
We turned answering reflection questions from a tedious step into a moment of pride. Students were no longer just completing lessons, they were expressing themselves, getting recognized, and enjoying the process.
And the best part? It all fit into our existing gamified loop without a major rebuild.
