Rescuing Princesses: How game design could improve applications

DanC posted a great read (PDF) on how interaction designers might benefit from studying game design.

A brief sample, the Levels pattern:

Levels (aka contexts for mediated learning)

This is the very first screen of Super Mario Bros. It demonstrates the use of a simple constrained environment that lets users build skills around a new tool.

The player is handed a new tool called Mario the first time they see this screen. They don’t know how to use him. The screen gives them a playground where they can try different things.
- Blocks that reward jumping by giving out coins.
- Goomba that rewards successfully learning how to attack. It also teaches the players to avoid Goombas on pain of death.
- Blocks that teach the player how to collect powerups.

There are a couple of interesting points to note:
- The awarding of a new tool is almost always paired with a simple level that lets the player learn the tool in a somewhat safe environment.
- The player cannot pass this section without mastering at least one critical skill, in this case moving and jumping. This sort of gating ensures that the designer can rely upon the user having the jumping skill available at later points in the game.

This is different than most apps. In many apps, you sort through the options and turn on a new feature. There is nothing that is the equivalent of a ‘level’ or learning context to help you build skills associated with the tool.