Below you will find three hypothetical design projects, each in need of a GS designer. These projects span a range of different type of clients, including:
1. Your city zoo.
2. A national chain of supermarkets.
3. A major record label.
You are being asked to craft a gamified system for at least one of these clients.
To begin, read the profiles of each potential client, and the primary goals they have identified for their project. They will also tell you about the audiences that they are targeting. In addition, they will let you know about any constraints or parameters that need to be kept in mind as you go through the process.
Once you understand the needs of your client, it is time to begin your research.
Use the information provided in this chapter to better understand the audience and to begin to envision an appropriate system. As you go through the rest of the chapters in this book you will continue to develop and revise your initial plans.
Clients in need of a great GS designer:
Your city zoo Your city zoo wants to create a system to encourage more residents and tourists to visit. They are also looking to give visitors something fun and interesting to do while they are at the zoo. Nearly all visitors come with their mobile phone on them, and many use their phones to take pictures of the animals. The zoo has over ten animal areas, which can be accessed by foot or by the special zoo train.
It prides itself on the treatment of its animals and the opportunities visitors have to experience them. There is a large gift store, many ice cream stands, and a restaurant surrounded by a glass wall that looks on to the penguin habitat. The zoo also employs specialists who educate visitors every hour about the many species and habitats on site. These tend to coincide with a particular animal’s feeding time.
• Audience profile: Children between the ages of five and ten are the primary audience for this group. The secondary audience are the grown-ups who are chaperoning them for the day, most of whom are parents.
• Primary constraints: The system you create must have a digital component and an analog or printed component so that visiting school and camp children can also play.
National supermarket chain A national supermarket chain is trying to retain its customers and compete with specialty markets and other stores more commonly associated with organic food and healthy lifestyles. At the same time, they are trying to reach out to other customers who are looking for easy-to-make affordable meals that are alternatives to fast food restaurants. The company has over 2,000 stores throughout the United States, and has over 700 convenient stores.
• Audience profile: The supermarket chain’s primary target audience is women between the ages of thirty and forty-five. Most have a family income averaging at about $75,000 annually. The majority are mothers with at least two children at home. They are comfortable using mobile devices, and tend to favor smart phones.
• Primary constraints: The system you create must have a digital component. It should also be appealing to children so that they can encourage their mothers through social networking or communication technologies to purchase their favorite foods. The company is also open to generating revenue from advertising products sold in the stores.
Major record label This client is a large, respected record label with shrinking profits. The company is interested in exposing its audiences, particularly college students, to up-andcoming bands. By doing this, the label hopes to increase music download purchases and live performance ticket sales. In addition, because it has had to reduce its number of music scouts, it is looking for a new method for identifying promising talent and exposing them to the audience.
• Audience profile: College students between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four are the primary audience. They are extremely comfortable with technology, often setting trends in usage and uptick of new applications and devices.

• Primary constraints: The implementation has to appeal to a hip, trend-setting crowd that embraces DIY (Do-It-Yourself) and experimentation. They do not want to have anything to do with the idea of the music label as a corporation.
They need to have a sense of ownership over the direction of the project.
You have the freedom to include or feature any of their more famous artists.
You should also find a way to direct players to venues, shows, festivals and concerts.
Perform initial tasks: