When Perfect Balance Fails: Lessons in Gamified Design with Alireza Ranjbar | Episode 388 3f1k6i

If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What happens when a perfectly balanced gamification system fails with s? Alireza Ranjbar Shourabi shares this shocking experience and unpacks how cultural nuances, hidden perceptions, and behavioral insights can make or break your engagement strategy. Starting in high school, Alireza used computers as a means to create and play games, first diving into programming and then exploring 2D and 3D art. Eventually, he discovered his true ion in game design, which sparked a deep curiosity about human behavior. With this newfound interest, he went for psychology, sociology, behavioral economics, and persuasive design, continually learning about motivational theories like Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Flow, and the Fogg Behavior Model, as well as every aspect of behavioral economics available. Soon enough, he realized these principles and insights could be applied outside of games as well. This revelation led him to design engagement solutions and gamified campaigns across a variety of fields, including Fintech, E-learning, E-health, Open Innovation, and even offline advertising. With experience in deg for diverse platforms and genres, Alireza has contributed to nearly every area of gamification and game development, from systems design, AI, and UX to marketing and monetization. However, economy and balance—the 'hidden' yet crucial elements of experience design—have always been his primary focus and specialty. For him, design is about striking a balance between a fun, fair player experience and sustainable monetization for a successful business. Above all, he views players as complex individuals with limitless dimensions, constantly seeking to understand and interpret the behavioral data collected from in-game interactions—and beyond. Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.   Guest Links and Info LinkedIn: Alireza Ranjbar Shourabi   Links to episode mentions: Proposed guests: Joris Dormans BJ Fogg Recommended books: Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design by Joris Dormans Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg Favorite game: Journey   Lets's do stuff together! Get started in Gamification for FREE! LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Ask a question 1b6m5d