Towards more effective gamification: Does deploying semiotics help design better perceivable badges?

Context: By definition, gamification is the application of game design elements in non-game contexts. This deployment of gamification usually induces a further layer of complexity on top of the current task. Thus, to minimize the caused cognitive load, we argue that taking account of the gamification aesthetics is as important as deploying different and elaborated gamification mechanics. Objective: In this paper, we deal with the cognitive overload made by the deployment of gamification in serious contexts such as education, health and work. We thereby emphasize on the importance of applying established design theories such as semiotics (the signs theory) in reducing the caused cognitive load. Method: We have therefore designed a quantitative study, to which we have invited participants with different ages and backgrounds. The study consists of a series of puzzles (taken from a prior study of ours), to which two achievement systems with different badges (icons) were designed. The participants have afterwards to answer various weighted questions related to their perceptions of both achievement systems. Hypothesis: In this work, we argue that badges, whose icon design takes consideration of the signs theory are better perceived than badges, whose design did not follow this theory.