Written by Richard Buchanan – SxSWK despatch:

"Gamification is the use of game play mechanics for non-game applications,  in order to encourage people to adopt the applications. It also strives to encourage users to engage in desired behaviors in connection with the applications. Gamification works by making technology more engaging, and by encouraging desired behaviors, taking advantage of humans"

So how is gamification going to save the world? Well, SXSWi provided a broad set of opinions. Some were evangelical others stated that gamification was an over used term. I was able to attend some of the sxswi sessions upon this new way of engaging and challenging behaviour patterns and it seems that there is truth in both arguments…

To read further please visit platform.wk.com

This year the Guardian had a large presence at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. We helped turn their trade stand as a place to relax and with a cafe serving tea and scones and somewhere to charge your laptop.

We also created these stickers with Andrew Bannacker who was the illustrator on the iPhone ad we made earlier in the year. Texas Monthly seemed to like them, which is nice because we wouldn't want to mess with Texas.

Phoographs kindly taken by Blech and E Smith