What would good design be if we did not look to other arenas to help us craft the worlds within which we interact. Reading Level Design Patterns by Simon Larson, I was struck with the awsome corelations.

The icons below exemplify the following design patterns (same order):

1. Multiple paths: Each path must be supplemented by one or more paths in order to overcome bottlenecks.
2. Local fights: Break up the level in smaller areas that are more or less closed of the rest of the level.
3. Collision points: The paths of opposing players must cross at some point to create tension in the level.
4. Reference points: Always provide reference points in your level to help navigation.
5. Defense areas: Aide the players or team defending objects by making the architectural layout of the level work to their advantage.
6. Risk Incentive: Access to wanted objects in a level must be connected with some element of risk

Now let’s apply these concepts to user interaction design in applications. These concepts can apply equally to a store layout, a web-site or any other software applications. We are reapplying concepts to change the experience of the user/consumer (the two will be used interchangably in this article). This is important since we are desiring to captivate our users, even in the most mundane corporate application.

1. Multiple paths: Some functions are so important that they can be accessed from multiple paths. This will avoid bottlenecks and purposeless, time consuming searching.
2. Local fights: This is where the heavy lifting gets done in your application or environment. There are times to navigate and times to stop and get work done (enter data, buy something, etc). These areas should be appropriate concentrations of functionality. Not too complex, but not too simple. Often times screens and displays are designed around how we perceive what the consumers are trying to do, and the user is driven to a level that is too simple and disconnected from the way the information or experience is actually needed.
3. Collision points:  Instead of colliding with the enemy, let’s have the user collide with one of the four desired connections. Bring them to the people that can help them, the tools, parts, books, documents or even desires of the heart at the appropriate moment. Don’t make the user search for the information, have them collide with it.
4. Reference points: This is unchanged. Make it clear to the user where they are and how they can recognize it when they come back.
5. Defense areas: Help the user get their job done and protect them from the lurking enemies. These can be session timeouts, data loss while navigating the back button, excessive product choice, items to large for a normal cart, or whatever the troubles that the user may encounter. This can be the creation of save points, persisting data, larger bags, rolling carts, help buttons that send a stockboy or other such tactics to protect the user.
6. Risk Incentive: In a user application or storefront, we don’t necessarily want a risk incentive, just an incentive. We must provide our users an incentive to use our applications and shop our isles. This is the most important when we role out corporate applications. Too often the corporate applications present a value to corporation or a single department, but the user and consumers of the products have no reason to use the system. Or at the very best, they are reluctant to use it.

Maybe if our products, stores and programs were more like video games, we would find greater acceptance and return on investment. And after all, that is what helps us continue to deliver to the consumer.