About Quote by Jesse Schell
“LinkedIn's got a little progress bar. It wants you to do things like sign up 10 of your friends. It does that near the end. At the beginning it's like, 'You put in your name. 20 percent progress! How about some other information?' People want to fill in that progress bar. They like to complete a task. They like to check a box.”
About This Quote
Source Game Design: The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Jesse Schell, 2008
People are motivated by visible progress indicators that signal task completion, encouraging them to continue engaging with a system.
In simple terms: Progress bars boost motivation by showing how close you are to finishing.
Key Takeaway
Use clear progress cues to keep users engaged.
Themes
motivation
user experience
behavioral design
Mood
engaged
curious
optimistic
Type
motivational
instructional
When to use this quote
- onboarding
- social sharing
- task completion
- user retention
Key Concepts
gamification
psychology of reward
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance progress feedback with meaningful content?
- What other cues can sustain engagement after the bar is filled?
A Different Perspective
Progress alone may not guarantee quality of engagement; users might focus on the bar rather than the content.
