Katy Reed
Gamification System
Gamification improved TinyTap’s learning experience by adding a clear progression model, animated feedback, and a collectible reward loop, making gameplay more consistent across creator-built experiences and increasing engagement and session time.
Role
Product Design Lead
TEAM
Scope
Progression, rewards, animations, character system, collectible gallery
IMPACT
+14% games played,
+15.7% completion,
+13.9% time spent,
90% faster character creation
IMPACT
+14% games played, +15.7% completion, +13.9% time spent,
90% faster character creation
YEAR
2022
Progress bar reacts to correct answers.
Business Need
TinyTap’s creator community brings diverse visual styles, so a unified progression layer was needed to create a consistent and motivating experience across all games.
The goal was to increase session length, improve completion rates, and encourage daily return.
Reward path showing when gifts unlock.
Team &
Collaboration
Worked with a product manager, iOS and Android developers, a frontend developer, a product designer for motion and sound, and 2 product designers who built progression and character layers.
Directed the character system work with Animoca’s design team in Hong Kong, including weekly reviews, logic alignment, and delivery of modular components for generative output.
Constraints
Creator built games with different visual styles.
Need to keep gameplay simple and readable for young learners.
Short delivery windows for multiple releases.
Character delivers the score with animated feedback.
Responsibilities
Defined progression logic and reward loop.
Designed the in-game progress bar and animated feedback.
Redesigned the results screen with character-based scoring.
Created the collectible reward system and gallery.
Built the generative character system with a frontend developer, including modular layers, automated combinations, and rarity tiers.
Second bar fills and triggers a surprise card.
Key Decisions
Introduce a simple progress bar that reacts to correct answers.
Use a companion character to deliver feedback and scores.
Add a second bar that fills toward a surprise reward.
Reveal the reward through a short story moment instead of a static pop-up.
Design a themed card gallery that encourages repeated play and collection.
Cards grouped by themes to support collection and replay.
Outcomes
+14% games played.
+15.7% games completed.
+13.9% time spent per session.
Character system produced 10,000+ assets.
Final characters and a glimpse of the design process.
Final characters and a glimpse of the design process.
© 2025 by Katy Reed