APLIKASI GAMIFIKASI TURUN MENGGUNAKAN METODE USER- CENTERED DESIGN UNTUK MENINGKATKAN ENGAGEMENT PENGGUNA

Abstract

The declining motivation among fitness app users, known as 'yo-yo motivation,' is a major challenge in promoting a consistent healthy lifestyle. This research aims to design and develop 'TURUN', a mobile running application that implements location-based gamification to enhance user engagement. Using User-Centered Design (UCD) method integrated into the Agile Scrum development framework, the application transforms running activities into interactive experiences through strategic features such as territory capture and landmark achievement. The result is a functional cross-platform application (Android and iOS) whose usability was measured using System Usability Scale (SUS) with 30 respondents. To demonstrate the impact of gamification on behavioral engagement, a 14-day longitudinal evaluation was conducted using Daily Active Users (DAU), Monthly Active Users (MAU), and 7-day retention metrics. Results show an average SUS score of 75.0, statistically significant above the industry threshold of 68 (t = 2.723; p = 0.011; Cohen's d = 0.497), with a DAU/MAU stickiness ratio of 0.155 meeting the fitness industry benchmark. The territory capture feature was identified as the most influential gamification mechanism (60.0%). The 'TURUN' application is expected to be a concrete solution to address user motivation problems, thereby encouraging enjoyable and sustainable exercise habits.