● Playable Systems Design
Participation should change what becomes possible next.
A customer journey is usually a string of touchpoints. A playable system remembers what you did and responds, so each interaction makes the next one worth more.
One line through every layer.
Hover or tap a layer. The dotted line is continuity: what people did on one layer shows up on the next.
What strong participation needs.
- 01
Agency
People can make meaningful choices and influence what happens next.
- 02
Legibility
People understand the system, their role, and the consequences of action.
- 03
Progression
Taking part creates a sense of movement, growth, or expanding possibility.
- 04
Belonging
People feel connected to others, a shared identity, or something larger than themselves.
- 05
Reciprocity
The relationship gives something back when people invest time, attention, or effort.
- 06
Contribution
People can add something that matters to the system, community, or outcome.
- 07
Recognition
The system notices what people do and reflects their participation back to them.
- 08
Continuity
Identity, progress, context, and value persist across time and touchpoints.
Better participation shows up in the business.
- 01
Design the conditions
Build in agency, legibility, progression, belonging, reciprocity, contribution, recognition and continuity.
- 02
Change behavior
Give people stronger reasons to take part, return, contribute and move deeper into the relationship.
- 03
Create value over time
Turn disconnected interactions into a relationship that compounds instead of resetting at every touchpoint.
Products, platforms, places and worlds.
- A
Entertainment and IP
Connect stories, games, creators, communities, products and physical experiences around one audience relationship.
- B
Brands and loyalty
Move past points and promotions toward systems that recognize identity, progress and contribution.
- C
Physical and digital
Make places, products, events and screens behave like parts of one connected system.
Where is your experience breaking apart?
Want a first read on your own system? Try the Participation Quotient