Increasing User Engagement: Bringing Data to Life Through

One of our recent projects, Run:ED, is an app designed to make fitness fun and promote healthy habits from an early age by gamifying running in UK schools. By logging their activity, students track their progress, unlock rewards, and stay motivated - all while having fun!

The Challenge

In a University of Connecticut study, 76% of students reported that digital tools - like animations, videos, and interactive visuals - make learning more engaging, reinforcing the value of visual content in keeping students motivated.

Run:ED needed a way to turn large volumes of student activity data into a format that was clear, interactive, and fun. A simple leaderboard wouldn’t cut it - students needed a visual journey that showed their progress in real time.

The solution had to:

Make progress clear and exciting.
Highlight key milestones to keep runners motivated.
Support customisation for mascots, themes, and different challenges.
Work smoothly across all screen sizes, from classroom smartboards to mobiles.
Be lightweight and fast, even with high data volumes.

Our Solution

To build an interactive map that tracks progress along a set route, using key milestones to create an engaging experience.

To ensure performance, flexibility, and scalability, we’d use SVGs, allowing for smooth animations, fast load times, and rich clean visuals at any size.

We’d also make it fully customisable - so schools can create their own challenge routes, from running through Paris for the 2024 Olympics to bespoke virtual races. Teams can also choose their own mascots, adding a fun and competitive element.

A showcase of some of the Run:ED mascots.

How We Built It

Performance was a priority. We structured the map into three layers to create the illusion of depth and smooth scaling across different window sizes. SVG symbols were used to optimise rendering, reducing file sizes while keeping visuals sharp.

The Impact

We transformed a complex data challenge into a simple, engaging, and scalable visual experience that keeps students moving.

Run:ED and its map have been a hit, and we’re already looking at what’s next - expanding the range of maps, adding more dynamic elements, and bringing in extra animations to make it even more immersive.

The goal? To keep pushing engagement forward and make physical activity something students look forward to.

Martin Dick

Co-Founder, mmtm

Want to make progress feel more rewarding?

We've spent the last 10+ years building bespoke web applications that turn complex workflows, data and user journeys into products people actually want to use.

If you're trying to improve engagement, visualise progress, motivate users or make an existing platform feel more useful, I'd be happy to share some practical ideas!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is gamification in a web application?

Gamification in digital products means using elements such as progress tracking, rewards, milestones, challenges or friendly competition to make a user journey more engaging. Done well, it boosts engagement.

How can gamification improve user engagement?

Gamification can improve user engagement by giving people clearer feedback, a sense of progress and a reason to keep participating. Visual milestones, achievements and interactive journeys can help users understand what they've done, as well as look forward to what's next.

Can data visualisation help with user engagement?

Yes! Data visualisation can turn complex or repetitive activities into something that's easier to understand and more rewarding to follow. Progress maps, dashboards, charts and visual milestones can help users see the value of their actions without having to interpret raw numbers.

Increasing User Engagement: Bringing Data to Life Through Gamification