What web designers can learn from games  I recently ran into a
web designer friend who's developing the user experience for a
new site. She's never worked in the games industry, nor is she a
particularly keen gamer, but she told me that games are a key
inspiration for her work. Web designers eager to draw people
into their sites are keen to understand the processes that lead
to games' phenomenal stickiness. Thankfully, they haven't gone
down the route of creating login forms that will only progress
by collecting coins or solving puzzles; instead, savvy designers
are deconstructing the mechanics of games and applying those
lessons in ways relevant and unique to their services. Games
offer three intriguing features for web design, my friend said:
pacing, story and engagement.  Pacing is probably the most
crucial element, and gamemakers have mastered the art of the
adaptive learning curve. They carefully construct experiences
that take the player from novice to expert, usually at a pace
determined by the player.