We recently worked on a concept for an app that rewards users for using it. The idea of gamifaction is widely used nowadays to drive user engagement. We ended up in a heated discussion: Should the user should be punished for neglecting the app by decreasing his chances to get rewarded?

The problem with punishment is that it could easily lead to frustration. Not only about an app but also about a brand. As a user you should always be rewarded for engaging with your brand. You never know why a user neglects your app. It could be because of family reasons, health reasons or simply a matter of time.

If I would get hit by a car on my way home, had to stay in hospital for a few days and then get punished by [PUT BRAND NAME HERE] for not engaging with their app I would be very annoyed. There should rather be a reward for engagement at all and - if a user was neglecting the app - there should be a possibility to catch up.

If someone is just lazy or uninterested in your app and neglects it he´s likely to give a s**t about your punishment (if he´ll ever notice he got punished).