But there are possibilities for innovation. Momentarily there is a huge trend going on, called ‘Gamification’. Trend might not be the right term, since I believe that the gamification of products or services really works. Through gamification it is possible to motivate certain people. Motivate to perform actions that they would otherwise not do. This can of course be used for good or bad. A great case to show the right use of gamification principles into product design, is the case of the trash bin, called Robobin.

Last year I was involved in a project for ‘Stichting Nederland Schoon‘, which is a foundation performing projects to make and keep Holland a clean place. This certain project was about the idea of developing child friendly trash bins for outdoor use. Together with product design agency designgoed, we rethought this product and its context.
Currently trash bins are thought to be dirty and are usually put away in corners of schoolyards and playgrounds. While on the other hand we also ask children to throw away their garbage. How can we expect this behavior if these children are not even aware of the existence of these bins?
Creating awareness for products for children can be done by creating products children like and by creating products children can adopt to their imagination. Therefore we asked a lot of children how their favorite trash bin would look like. We said everything was possible. Great ideas came from this and together with the children we decided to develop a robot looking trash bin.

The Robobin is the outcome of this project and is not just a trash bin. Yes, of course, it is a bin, but it is also a new friend to play with. In contrast to the old situation, this bin is not placed in corners of schoolyards or playgrounds. This bin is positioned right next to the school entrance. Children are playing with the Robobin and are made aware of the existence of a trash bin and therefore made aware of throwing away their garbage. The new product has changed the context and therefore the people.

The Robobin is just an example how gamification principles can ensure the behavioral change of people. I call this ‘design to motivate’. If you want any advice on how to apply gamification on to your products or services, just consult my company.