Gamification and Reward Framework
Microsoft 365
PORTFOLIO PROJECT
Undertaken by Pulak at Microsoft payroll (Not affiliated with OWL)
YEAR
2022
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Microsoft 365 wanted everyday work to feel a little more rewarding. My brief was to design a gamification and reward layer — points, badges and progress — that sat naturally inside the app, nudging people toward the actions that make the product more useful without ever getting in the way.
My work spanned the whole system: a reward framework that maps ordinary tasks to a sense of progress, the illustrated badges and assets I designed to carry it, and the motion that makes each small win feel earned.
Rewarding the everyday
Opening a Word file, scanning a document, checking in day after day — each is a small, repeatable action. My idea was to recognise those actions the moment they happen, turning routine into a gentle sense of momentum.
A reward layer, not a distraction
I wanted the visual language to belong to Microsoft 365 while feeling playful enough to celebrate. The tactile, illustrated style I chose gave the reward card its own character — warm and expressive, yet quiet enough to live beside real work.
Grounded in behaviour
Before shaping the rewards, I studied how people actually use the app — which actions correlate with deeper engagement, and how often they recur. That data told me which tasks were worth rewarding and the pace at which progress should feel achievable.
The reward framework
I hung everything off a single journey. From the first visit, actions across File Open, Me controls and Scan feed a tiered path — Brave Beginner, Experienced Explorer, Aspirational Achiever, Determined Doer. I made each tier a clear, reachable next step, so progress always has somewhere to go.
The asset kit
I built every reward from one consistent kit — stars and point pills, a quest icon for each task, and four collectible badges that mark the journey from Brave Beginner to Determined Doer. I drew them once, and they carry the whole system.
Designed to spec
I drew every element to the pixel — card gradients and strokes, the points chip, badge sizes, type and colour. My detailed redlines let engineering rebuild each piece faithfully across light and dark, in both layover and tap states.
The screens
In the product, I surfaced rewards where the work is: a badge on the Rewards home, points earned inline as files are opened, and a celebration when the final achievement lands.
In motion
For me, motion is where a reward becomes a moment. Points count up, badges settle into place, and progress fills — small, satisfying beats I tuned so each action feels worth taking.
When recognition meets people in the flow of everyday work, I watched routine actions gain a quiet sense of momentum — and the product become something people wanted to return to.