E-Commerce
Reimagining Loyalty Through Gamified Engagement
We gamified Daraz Coins with a user-centered approach, turning passive rewards into daily interactions that boost engagement, retention & repeat purchases.
In the hyper-competitive e-commerce landscape of South Asia, Daraz—a leading online marketplace—sought to strengthen customer loyalty and drive repeat engagement through its native rewards system: Daraz Coins. However, despite its potential, the existing program suffered from low user participation, minimal emotional connection, and a lack of dynamic earning mechanisms.
As part of Daraz’s broader strategy to enhance customer lifetime value and digital stickiness, our mission was to transform the Coins Program from a passive reward feature into an active, engaging loyalty engine.
Working closely with Daraz’s product, marketing, and engineering teams, we applied a user-centered design approach to redefine how users earn, track, and redeem coins—embedding gamification, behavioral psychology, and visual delight into every touchpoint. The goal: increase retention, boost daily engagement, and turn casual shoppers into loyal advocates.
In the hyper-competitive e-commerce landscape of South Asia, Daraz—a leading online marketplace—sought to strengthen customer loyalty and drive repeat engagement through its native rewards system: Daraz Coins. However, despite its potential, the existing program suffered from low user participation, minimal emotional connection, and a lack of dynamic earning mechanisms.
As part of Daraz’s broader strategy to enhance customer lifetime value and digital stickiness, our mission was to transform the Coins Program from a passive reward feature into an active, engaging loyalty engine.
Working closely with Daraz’s product, marketing, and engineering teams, we applied a user-centered design approach to redefine how users earn, track, and redeem coins—embedding gamification, behavioral psychology, and visual delight into every touchpoint. The goal: increase retention, boost daily engagement, and turn casual shoppers into loyal advocates.
Turning Routine Actions into Rewarding Experiences
With mobile commerce dominating user behavior, we recognized that habit-forming mechanics were essential to sustain engagement. Inspired by global leaders like Lazada and AliExpress, we introduced a suite of interactive, goal-oriented features designed to reward consistent interaction.
With mobile commerce dominating user behavior, we recognized that habit-forming mechanics were essential to sustain engagement. Inspired by global leaders like Lazada and AliExpress, we introduced a suite of interactive, goal-oriented features designed to reward consistent interaction.
Through in-depth user interviews, behavioral analytics, and competitor benchmarking, we identified three core opportunities:
Users wanted more ways to earn coins beyond purchases.
The experience lacked visual feedback and progress tracking.
There was no emotional hook—coins felt transactional, not rewarding.
We responded by designing:
✅ Daily Check-Ins – Simple, consistent actions that build habit loops.
✅ Missions & Challenges – Time-bound tasks (e.g., “Browse 3 categories”) that encourage exploration.
✅ Coin Cashback on Purchases – Immediate, tangible value tied to spending.
Each feature was wrapped in micro-interactions, celebratory animations, and progress bars to create moments of delight—turning routine app usage into a playful, rewarding journey.
While many loyalty programs overcomplicate redemption or hide value behind tiers, we took a radically simple approach tailored to Daraz’s diverse user base across Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Myanmar.
We restructured the information architecture of the Coins hub to prioritize:
Clarity: “How many coins do I have?” and “How can I earn more?” answered instantly.
Accessibility: One-tap access from the homepage and cart.
Transparency: Real-time updates on mission progress and redemption eligibility.
Visual design leaned into vibrant yet clean aesthetics—using Daraz’s brand colors with energetic accents, bold typography, and intuitive iconography. Even on low-end devices, the interface remained fast, legible, and joyful.
Crucially, we localized microcopy to resonate emotionally—using phrases like “You’re just 2 coins away from a discount!” instead of generic prompts—making the system feel personal, encouraging, and human.
From day one, we embedded measurable KPIs into the design process. Early prototypes were tested with real users across five countries, revealing key insights:
Users ignored missions if rewards weren’t visible upfront.
Animation delays caused perceived lag on older devices.
“Coin balance” needed to appear in multiple contexts (cart, profile, homepage).
We rapidly iterated—simplifying flows, optimizing load states, and surfacing rewards earlier. A/B tests confirmed that users who completed their first mission were 3.2x more likely to return within 48 hours.
Post-launch, we partnered with Daraz’s data team to implement behavioral tracking—monitoring mission completion rates, coin redemption velocity, and DAU correlation—ensuring continuous optimization.
True loyalty isn’t built on points—it’s built on feeling valued. To humanize the experience, we infused emotional design throughout:
A celebratory confetti animation on coin earnings.
Personalized milestone messages: “Wow! You’ve earned 500 coins this month—keep going!”
Dynamic progress indicators that “fill up” with satisfying motion.
These subtle touches transformed the Coins Program from a functional feature into a source of daily joy—reinforcing Daraz’s brand promise of being “for the people, by the people.”
25%
Increase in repeat purchases
+15%
Improvement in 30-day retention
+84%
Surge in Daily Active Users
+2.1m
missions completed weekly