Behaviour Change? We’ve got an App for that

I’ve long been of the view that if we want to change people’s behaviour, we have to make it simpler than sticking with their old habits.  Kerb-side collections have increased recycling rates because you have to trip over the box on your way out of the house and no longer have to drive your empties to a facility in Sainsburys car park.   If standby buttons were designed out of some appliances and gadgets, we’d be more likely to simply switch stuff off.  Making a change – and making a difference – has to be easier than the status quo.

And if it can be fun at the same time, then so much the better.   Which is where Dr Paula Owen – Chief Fun Officer at Eco Action Games comes in.  She’s become the go-to person for gamification in the sustainability world – and we’re thrilled to welcome her as a guest blogger for SE² as she launches Eco Action Trumps as an app game!

So, you've had your fill of the frustrating, money-burning addiction that is Candy Crush, and you missed your chance to download Flappy Birds before it flapped off, so how on earth do you pass the time on the daily commute now while at the same time appeasing the nagging guilt you feel for wasting so much time on your phone?

Well, look no further, we have the perfect, eco-friendly gaming solution for you, and it is something that will educate, as well as entertain, you.  And it's totally free!

We back at Eco Trump Towers are on a mission, a mission to show people that it can be fun to save the planet, it doesn't all have to be doom & gloom and 'misery messaging' about what a mess we have made of the world.  Instead if we can show people, in a fun and positive way, that they CAN make a difference, then what's to stop them taking action?

We spent 2013 hosting free eco action pop-up 'playground' events at venues and audiences as diverse as the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, the WI, BT, the Tate, Ernst & Young, BIS, the Festival of Thrift and the Big Lottery Fund.  We entertained, and educated, over 1000 people at our events.  But we also collected a pile of data too – on people’s attitudes, opinions, current stated actions and what they thought they got out of the event.  We then re-contacted them some months later to see what they remembered and whether they had put anything of what they learned at the playground into action.  We were very pleasantly surprised by the results. 

Over 90% enjoyed the events and the games they played.  Nearly 60% agreed or strongly agreed they had learned something new that they could take back home and/or the office. Over half said they were going to take new actions because of what they learned.  When we did re-contact them to find out what they had actually done, we found that the average number of new actions undertaken was 4, with another 2 in the pipeline.  Total carbon emissions saved by each of the respondents was half a tonne per year, and if they completed their other actions – these tended to be bigger, more involved actions such as insulation and heating systems - then that saving would increase to over one tonne per year.

So fast forward to this year, and, to celebrate Climate Week 2014, we have launched our very first digital mobile game, to help extend our reach and hopefully dramatically increase the number of people taking action. 

We have taken the traditional, old-style top trump style game and given it a 21st century eco make-over, digitising it and adding some fun new features. It's not only an addictive, simple game to pass the time; it also houses a clever behavioural change tool that encourages players to take action based on the 'cards' in the pack, showing them just how much they can save, via their own, personal 'eco action dashboard'.

Our main objective with this App is to keep the game completely free to use, with absolutely no In-App Purchases which we believe to be a real pernicious downside to online gaming. We want to unlock more eco themed packs (such as water, waste and even eco-parenting), and continue the journey we are taking our players on.  To achieve this we are looking for sponsors to help us develop new themed packs and to expand to Android and Windows smart phones.

So, if you have an Apple device - iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, please download it and give it a go.  We'd love to hear what you think.  Simply go to the iTunes App store and search for: eco action trumps.  Android and Windows versions to follow soon!

This guest blog was written by Dr Paula Owen, Founder and Chief Fun Officer at Eco Action Games (http://ecoactiongames.org.uk)