Experts Exchange
A gamification system, PRD to GTM.
Competitive research, behavioral model, full design system, cross-functional rollout.
Role
Head of Marketing
Year
2024
A community that forgot how to reward its people.
Experts Exchange had a 25-year history of rewarding contributors. Then it stopped. In 2016, the company shifted to a “professional” strategy, stripped visibility from the points system, and eliminated physical rewards entirely. Engagement cratered.
Legacy users were vocal: “I used to love EE when they gave out T-shirts, now I don't see the point in using it anymore.” New users arriving from organic search had no hook to keep them engaged beyond their initial question.
This project wasn't assigned to me. I identified the gap, built the business case internally, and led the entire initiative from concept through launch.
Five phases. Zero downtime. No big-bang launch.
Each phase introduced new functionality while preserving stability. The PRD I wrote sequenced the work so every release layered cleanly on the last, and the team could show internal wins at every step.
- Phase
Points & Rewards
Dashboard, progress bars, level icons, physical rewards, point tracker UI, toast notifications for level-ups. The foundation everyone sees first.
- Phase
Achievements & Challenges
Achievement badge system, seasonal challenges with bundled tasks, time-limited rewards, per-achievement progress tracking.
- Phase
Certifications & Activity
Topic certification badges with new tiers (Novice through Legend), activity log, overview dashboard, expanded levels page.
- Phase
Social & Trophy Room
Two-click social sharing from the dashboard. Standalone trophy room page for external sharing on LinkedIn, X, and resumes.
- Phase
Profile Integration
New React profile page showcasing accomplishments. Gamification dashboard replaces the legacy home page as the default entry point.
175 levels. 7 tiers. 25 unique icons per tier.
Icons reset every tier so milestone moments happen 7 times, not once. Physical rewards attach at every tier. The only technical community offering real swag to all contributors, not just top performers.
Tier 01
Bronze
Levels 1-25
Tier 02
Silver
Levels 26-50
Tier 03
Gold
Levels 51-75
Tier 04
Amber
Levels 76-100
Tier 05
Platinum
Levels 101-125
Tier 06
Diamond
Levels 126-150
Tier 07
Emerald
Levels 151-175
Milestone moments
Every 25 levels, the visual resets.
Seven recurring celebrations across the full 175-level arc, instead of one terminal finish line. Each reset hands users a fresh icon vocabulary and a new physical reward.
Level
1
Level
25
Level
50
Level
75
Level
100
Level
125
Level
150
Level
175
Twenty topic credentials, built to travel.
Each topic gets a 20-tier climb from bronze through iridescent. Designed for LinkedIn, X, and resume use so every earned badge keeps working outside the platform.
Tier 01
Tier 02
Tier 03
Tier 04
Tier 05
Tier 06
Tier 07
Tier 08
Tier 09
Tier 10
Tier 11
Tier 12
Tier 13
Tier 14
Tier 15
Tier 16
Tier 17
Tier 18
Tier 19
Tier 20
Seven interconnected components, all in Figma.
Wrote the PRD, led the competitive research, designed every screen in Figma, coordinated with engineering through dev, and owned the phased GTM rollout.
175-level progression
25 unique icon designs across 7 tiers. Icons reset with each new tier to create recurring milestone moments.
Physical reward ladder
T-shirts, hats, hoodies, mugs, backpacks, portable monitors, Funko Pops, framed 1M-point certificate. 15+ tiers of actual swag.
Overview dashboard
Single page consolidating level progress, global/country rank, Expert Status, activity log, endorsements. Tabbed for depth.
90+ achievement badges
Hexagonal pixel-art badges with tiered progression (Advisor → Tutor → Teacher → Mentor). Native to the developer aesthetic.
Seasonal challenges
15-day time-limited achievement sets with exclusive completion rewards. Startup challenges permanent, seasonal rotates.
20-tier topic certifications
Metallic badges designed for LinkedIn, X, and resumes. Bronze to iridescent gradient as tiers increase.
Trophy room
Dark, cinematic standalone sharing page. Carousel navigation, tabs for Certifications / Levels / Achievements / Awards.
Eight surfaces from the shipped system.
Figma to dev to live. The dashboard users see when they log in, the levels page, the achievement grid, seasonal challenges, topic certifications, the trophy room built for external sharing, the physical reward ladder, and the moment-of-earn toasts.
Surface 01
Overview dashboard
The landing surface. Level progress, global and country rank, Expert Status, activity log, endorsements, all one scroll.
Surface 02
Levels page
Every tier in one place. Points remaining, next physical reward, reset icon reveal at each threshold.
Surface 03
Achievements
Ninety-plus hexagonal pixel badges with four-tier progression (Advisor, Tutor, Teacher, Mentor). Native to the developer aesthetic.
Surface 04
Seasonal challenges
Time-limited achievement bundles with exclusive completion rewards. Startup challenges permanent, seasonal themes rotate.
Surface 05
Topic certifications
Twenty-tier metallic badges per topic, designed to travel to LinkedIn, X, and resumes. Bronze through iridescent.
Surface 06
Trophy room
A dark, cinematic standalone page built for external sharing. Tabs for Certifications, Levels, Achievements, and Awards.
Surface 07
Physical rewards
T-shirts, hats, hoodies, mugs, backpacks, portable monitors, Funko Pops, a framed 1M-point certificate. Fifteen-plus tiers of actual swag.
Surface 08
Toast notifications
Real-time level-up and achievement pings. Designed to land hard on the moment of earn without stalling the user flow.
“I already need an answer, I might as well get something out of it if I can. After asking my two questions, I realize that not only am I getting a free shirt, but this is also a pretty solid resource.”
What it delivered after rollout.
+25%
Overall user activity
+20%
Account reactivations
5
Phases, zero downtime
Outcome 01
Clearer participation path
Users could see where they stood, what they had achieved, and what they could work toward next. Passive scorekeeping became visible progression.
Outcome 02
Reduced complaints to near-zero
The old system generated consistent complaints about lack of recognition. After launch, those complaints effectively disappeared.
Outcome 03
System remains live
The gamification system continues to drive engagement on the platform today, long after the initial launch.
A senior PMM, growth, or head of marketing seat where the function is mine to own.
Available immediately. Remote-first, open to Chicago onsite. Targeting healthtech, B2B SaaS, and cybersecurity at Series B through public.