A study on gameful experiences in design: Activity trackers as an examplar

It is observed that by emergence of smart devices, a product of Information Revolution, different design dynamics were formed. Technological advances have transformed product, design and production processes and information communication technology embedded smart devices started to meet the needs and demands of the users in a single device. Thus design of services used through an interface adds different functions to the smart devices, achieving a multifunctional structure. Preferences, habits, relations and interactions with the device and experience of the users started to determine the products at the design phase.Therefore, user focused design researches has picked up speed to better analyze the user-product relation. These researches analyze the cognitive conditions of the user to conclude that user focuses on her interactions and experience with the product.Games, one of the oldest cultural elements, draw individuals to almost a magical area voluntarily and create a recreational pursuit. Moved into the digital platform with the information age, games have become more popular and began to be played worldwide and simultaneously. The recreational and occupying aspects of game have been first tried in sales and marketing applications. In that period games have increased the motivation of sales and marketing teams and contributed to the formation of customer loyalty programs. This research focuses on game concept through activity trackers under industrial design discipline.In the first part of the field study, sportive experiences, reasons motivating them and user experience on products and materials of the participants in three different periods have been researched. Study has been conducted through a research, including observation, survey and interviews with the members of the Antalya Runners group that actively organize running activities in Antalya province voluntarily. Face-to-face interviews have been conducted with 9 persons experienced in gameful activity trackers and continue running activities in the field study. It has been found that there are fundamental differences in motivation for sports, training methods and strategies, device and accessory usage and preferences. Finally, the connections between these experiences and games have been revealed and several design proposals are made. Key words: Industrial product design,play and game, playful and gameful design, gamification, activity trackers, recreation run. Key words: Industrial product design,play and game, playful and gameful design, gamification, activity trackers, recreation run.