Gamifying Ecosia

01. Context & Intent

"How can I make the user’s contribution visible and emotionally meaningful, so that their experience reflects Ecosia’s environmental purpose?"

Investigating Business and User Needs

I identified three main KPIs that align with their environmental mission: Churn Rate Reduction, Search Volume per User, and Long-term Retention Rate.

These metrics directly link user behaviour to environmental outcomes by measuring how effectively Ecosia converts user engagement into tree-planting revenue.

For future validation it was important to establish how I'm going to measure success, so it was important to carpture all posible data types:

Gamification Comprehension ( Nominal data; aim >= 90%)
Emotional Engagement (Ordinal data; aim >= 80%)
Feature Discoverability (Ratio data; aim >= 95% find key features within 60 seconds)
User Value Perception (Interval data; aim >= 85% rate impact tracking as "very valuable")

Data Discrepancies

🧩 Initially, I treated Emotional Connection and Gamification Comprehension as separate metrics. However, I realized the data markers were misaligned. Comprehension should have been nominal data, while appeal required ordinal measurements. This led me to merge them into Emotional Engagement, allowing for accurate data collection through user-reported emotional connections and engagement with the gamified system.

02. Design Response

This mockup is a visualization of the Ecosia Impact Dashboard

I designed a gamified Impact Dashboard — a personalized space where users could track how their search activity contributes to real-world reforestation.

Reflection guided every decision. Rather than introducing arbitrary “points” or “levels,” I focused on authentic motivators like personal growth and contribution. The dashboard translated abstract data into relatable cues: growing a digital forest, earning achievement badges, and tracking CO₂ savings compared to mainstream engines. Key design components included:

Tree Visualization — an evolving 3D island metaphor representing trees planted through searches.
Achievement System — challenges and milestones reinforcing consistency and community effort.
Sustainability by Design — dark mode by default and optimized assets, reducing energy use by up to 60% on OLED displays.

This stage was deeply iterative. I constantly reflected on whether each design choice served the mission: does it inspire meaning, or simply add noise?

The flagship "Tree Visualisation" feature - an isometric 3D island model that aims to create meaningful user connection through experiential value

03. Testing and Analysing

“It’s really sweet and wholesome — I can see what my searches are doing,” one participant remarked, capturing the desired affective response.

Data collecting Methods

Once the prototype was complete, I conducted mixed-method user testing to validate both usability and emotional impact.

Quantitative: surveys with 14 participants measured satisfaction and comprehension using 5- and 7-point scales.
Qualitative: think-aloud sessions with 5 users captured spontaneous reactions and emotional responses.

Across all groups, the strongest emotional reactions occurred when users saw their forest grow — confirming that visualization was the primary driver of engagement. However, comprehension issues around impact metrics showed that clarity was as crucial as creativity.

Each method was chosen deliberately — quantitative data for measurable confidence, and qualitative feedback for behavioral depth.

Data-Driven Insights

The findings confirmed my initial hypothesis: users engage longer when impact is visible, intuitive, and emotionally resonant. I learned that reducing cognitive friction (simplifying impact metrics and terminology) directly improves emotional connection and intent to return.

Engaged Advocates understand the interface elements and form emotional connections to their environmental impact, while Unconvinced Detractors struggle with comprehension and remain emotionally disconnected.

🧪 Interval data since each point represents equal increments, allowing for calculation of averages.

While 85.7% of users found features easily, the wide confidence interval (67.5%-100%) prevents conclusively meeting the 95% benchmark for feature discovery within 60 seconds. This challenge is particularly pronounced among Unconvinced Detractors, suggesting a need for targeted UX improvements for this user segment.

🧪 Ratio data since time measurements have a true zero point and can be compared proportionally (60 seconds is twice as long as 30 seconds).

Users struggled to understand environmental metrics, with only 60% comprehending tree planting and CO₂ data without help. Complex terminology and unclear search-to-tree conversion rates hindered engagement. Simpler explanations and contextual help would benefit less environmentally-aware users.

🧪 Nominal data since it categorises user responses into distinct groups without ranking or measuring the degree of understanding.

When analysing rating scales, I have considered the distribution of responses, as the median alone may mask polarized opinions where users either strongly liked or disliked the features. In such cases, segment respondents to better understand user preferences.

🧪 Ordinal data since emotional responses can be ranked by intensity but lack equal intervals between levels.

04. Outcome & Final Reflection

When purpose is made visible, engagement becomes sustainable — for both the user and the business.

The Ecosia Impact Dashboard revealed how translating environmental metrics into personalized visual feedback can meaningfully improve user engagement. While not every benchmark was met, the project provided critical insight into balancing sustainability goals with intuitive product design.

This project strengthened my belief that sustainable technology design thrives on adaptability, iteration, and data-informed empathy. Each challenge refined my approach as a product designer who aligns user motivation with measurable business outcomes.

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1/4 • The context

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2/4 • Disign Thinking

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3/4 • Testing and Analyzing

4/4 • Outcome & Final Reflection