Designing Reward Systems for Real People
When I started thinking about how to keep people engaged in Purpose-Built’s training program, the answer didn’t come from digital dashboards or gamified points. It came from real life. I thought about the moments in past jobs when I felt recognized, or when progress felt visible. Those are the memories that stay with you, not because of what you earned, but because someone noticed the effort behind it.
That idea became the foundation for the progress system I designed for this program—something small, genuine, and visible.
Making Progress Visible
The modules already had quizzes and evaluations, but those lived online. Once a learner finished a video or quiz, it disappeared. There was no sign of accomplishment, no trace of how far they’d come. I wanted to bring that progress out into the open.
Each store received a progress poster for their backroom wall. Every employee’s name was listed, and when they completed a module, they added a sticker next to their name. Over time, the wall filled in with color and movement. It turned learning into a shared effort rather than an individual task.
It sounds simple, but it shifted the energy. Teams started checking on each other, asking who was caught up, and celebrating when everyone finished a series. That sense of progress became its own motivator.
Recognizing Effort in Everyday Work
To give each step a little more weight, I also created enamel pins for each completed module. They were small—boot icons, safety cones, simple symbols that connected to the material—and employees added them to their lanyards. It wasn’t about collecting things. It was about having something to show for what they learned, something that felt personal.
Why It Mattered
Progress that can be seen or held is easier to believe in. In psychology, it’s sometimes called the progress principle, but you don’t need research to understand it. Anyone who’s worked on a team knows that seeing movement—checking a box, finishing a section, earning something visible—keeps people engaged.
In a work environment where most training happens through screens, these small physical gestures gave the program warmth and presence. They helped the learning feel grounded in the same way Purpose-Built’s products are: built to last, built with care, built for real people.
Designing for Real Conditions
The materials were designed to be affordable and practical to reproduce. The pins were small, the stickers could be printed in bulk, and the posters were easy to replace. That accessibility was part of the design logic. Engagement shouldn’t depend on budget; it should depend on thoughtfulness.
Seeing photos later of teams with lanyards full of pins and walls covered in stickers made it clear that the idea worked. It wasn’t flashy, but it resonated. The design gave people something they could touch and point to—a reminder that learning isn’t just something you complete. It’s something you build, together.