Layla Osborn's Design, Arts and Technology Capstone Research

One of the key frameworks for understanding TikTok’s popularity is gamification, a concept explored by the first source, Interaction Design Foundation. According to their article on gamification, games appeal to fundamental human motivations such as achievement, challenge, and social connection.  These techniques are not just limited to games, as social media platforms have been using gamification techniques to increase viewer engagement and retention. The Interaction Design Foundation defines gamification as the use of game-like elements in non-game contexts to motivate users. These techniques often include rewards, feedback loops, and progress systems. TikTok’s design reflects this clearly through features such as autoplay, infinite scrolling, personalized feed (highly adaptive algorithm), and unpredictable rewards in the form of viral or highly engaging videos.  Each swipe keeps users entertained as they don’t know what they’ll get next, but the possibility of an entertaini...