Integrating Narratives for User Onboarding in Gamified Information Systems

Abstract

High abandonment rates pose significant challenges for information systems designers and developers, especially with the increasing reliance on subscription-based or advertising-supported payment models. The success of any information system heavily depends on user retention rates. Many software products lose potential users due to an insufficiently compelling first impression during initial interactions. In response to this issue, this thesis explores a novel approach to user onboarding by incorporating the gamification element ‘narrative’ to create more engaging and compelling onboarding experiences for new users. To evaluate this approach, a pilot study was conducted, comparing three different onboarding approaches for the use case Scrumlr, an open-source tool for online collaboration and agile retrospec-tives. The study found that the use of narrative elements significantly improves the perceived ease of learning, perceived ease of use, and system use enjoyment for new users. Moreover, the findings suggest that narratives may positively impact learning outcomes, perceived usefulness, and the intention to use the target system. By utilizing narratives in user onboarding, designers and developers can potentially address the issue of high user abandonment rates, leading to better user experiences and increased success for information systems.