Thanks XKCD

For better or worse app ratings are very important. It’s been written about extensively—everything from the right way to ask to how Apple can help. Blackbox isn’t doing much that’s particularly novel, but 10,000+ five star reviews with a consistent five star average in under a month warrants examination.

What we won’t admit is killing us

Even with a loyal core audience that loves what you’ve built (paying or otherwise) they cannot be expected to go out of their way to go rate your app on their own time and volition. It sucks, but that’s why you added iRate to your app. You did dial in the constants and tweak the copy, right?

Consider someone has had your app installed for 10 days, seems to have a free moment, and has gotten what you consider a measured amount of utility or amusement—they’re ready to prompt …but before your UIAlertView has even finished fading-in, their trigger finger is winding up for a second go at the bolded “please stfu” button.

Maybe you fare slightly better than that; maybe you’ve asked very nicely and they’re a gracious god who decides to help …but get discouraged and give up when asked for their Apple ID password. This doesn’t work well; we can do better.

Three areas to improve

There are apps I love and use daily but when they ask for a rating I often delay and decline. I thought through why and found three main problems:

Being asked out of the blue for help felt impersonal and needy (even when the app is free 😰).

I didn’t feel motivated enough to follow through (especially when the store would load slowly or I mistyped my password).

I was interrupted or the timing generally felt poor.

Okay so what does Blackbox do?

Progressive disclosure is an idea rooted in reducing cognitive load and confusion by providing only as much information as needed at a given time. This serves a core purpose of creating a more approachable interface that grows with the comfort and skill level of the person using it, but has a beautiful secondary purpose of fueling a curiosity to see what’s in store.

My StackOverflow reputation with my “Next privilege” in sight.

Stack Overflow uses progressive disclosure not only to keep the site approachable but also to meter out trust. I don’t really know what “review queues” are, but I’m looking forward to gaining enough reputation to access them. 😁

Blackbox is a game where progress is entirely driven by curiosity and a desire to fill in little squares (lights). Provide enough incentive and people will do some pretty crazy things to turn an unfilled square filled.

Sam Cornwell on the Scotland/UK border solving a Blackbox challenge :)

When an interface changes, people notice, subconsciously or otherwise. In a stark app like Blackbox any change holds substantial meaning. Features and levels are metered out slowly and the interface deliberately builds around the player as they learn. Players begin to anticipate and look forward to new additions. Even Game Center won’t show up (including its overeager login banner) until it can be assumed that the player is having a good time.

Tapping sends out a ripple that gives glimpses of what’s to come…

For many players the star (faintly seen above: middle-left) is anticipated and desired even when its meaning is suspect. This turns something potentially nagging into something desirable out of a completionist need. It’s a purposeful design element not too different from the Apple Watch’s incomplete fitness circles, which beg for completion. Make something scarce and it will become desired, set something off balance and it will beckon symmetry.

Incomplete circles beg to be completed (source: Apple)

Rather than try to use fairly emotionless metrics like days since install, app opens, or even successful shares to measure engagement, Blackbox takes a more empirical approach. By watching people play I know which challenges are “crowd pleasers” that people love to talk about and smile to themselves upon solving; These are the challenges that trigger revealing the star. Now excited and stoked, players find this little star waiting on the home grid and immediately investigate it…

Imagine how you’d feel if a less-than-close friend asked you out of the blue to help them move. Now imagine if you had first asked your friend what they were up to and they said they were moving and actually could use some help if you were free. This subtle change is the key difference between prompting someone versus waiting for them to “ask”.