Lindemann, LeonieGoldbach, PhilippJochems, Nicole2024-08-212024-08-212024https://dl.gi.de/handle/20.500.12116/44305Gamification, i.e., the use of game elements in non-game contexts, is used in various areas such as education, healthcare or in the context of work to increase users' motivation to perform certain actions. Commonly used game elements are points, badges, leaderboards. But these elements are not generic tools when aiming to increase the motivation and engagement of diverse target groups. The motivating effect of gamification is characterized by various individual facets of the context and the target group and therefore cannot be triggered by a universal setup of game elements. In order to achieve a sustainable effect in terms of long-term use and increased motivation, the individual needs and preferences of the target group should be taken into account in the design process. Within our research, we examined the target group of youth and young adults (aged 14 to 30) in the context of a project, which deals with digital participation processes for the youth. Youth and young adults are characterized by a strong preference for individualization in terms of self-expression and self-realization, which is reflected in their use of technology like apps. Adolescents are in a pivotal phase of discovering their interests and shaping their identities. Progress indicators like points, badges, leaderboards have the potential to enable youth and young adults to set goals according to the exploration of activities, interest and skills. As part of the development of a gamified app to empower youth and young adults engaging in social offers (e.g., leisure activities, participation offers), we examined how commonly used game elements like points, badges, leaderboards can be tailored to the context and target group of youth and young adults.enhttp://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/RestrictedAccessText/Workshop Paper10.18420/muc2024-mci-ws01-173