Progress
Progressive unlock
Effort: Medium
What to notice
Finishing one basic task unlocks and reveals the next feature.
How to build it
- Show only the basics at first.
- Introduce the next feature once the basics are used.
- Let people open every feature themselves from settings.
Measure
- Main metric
- Adoption of key features
- Guardrail
- Support requests asking where features are
When it backfires
Do not hide paid features until after sign-up. State unlock conditions.
Theory behind it
Flow
People become absorbed when challenge matches skill and goals and feedback are clear.
Well supported
Self-Determination Theory
People keep going on their own when they feel autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Well supported
Goal-setting theory
Specific, challenging goals lead to better performance than "do your best."
Well supported
Playable demos
Try the same mechanism in a playable demo.