The Context: GoNoodle runs in 96% of US public elementary schools. Kids love it — but engagement was uneven. Teachers defaulted to familiar videos, missing the platform's depth. The challenge: how do you increase engagement and encourage genuine exploration without it feeling forced?

My Role: Solo Product Designer, 2024–early 2025. I identified the opportunity, proposed the Trophy Case concept, and owned it entirely — research, UX, UI, design system, animations, sound design, mobile/tablet adaptation. All of it.

The Solution: I evolved GoNoodle's existing Transmogrifier system into a full gamification ecosystem — the Trophy Case. Two entry points: a lightweight Mini View always accessible on the platform, and a full Trophy Case Page for deep progress exploration. Three core pillars:

🏅 Badges — Standard, Premium, and Sponsored, each with a distinct reveal animation and sound designed to make achievement feel real

📅 Monthly Challenges — structured motivation that also opened a branded sponsorship revenue stream for GoNoodle's partners

📊 Premium Statistics — actionable learning insights for educators, turning engagement data into classroom decisions

Badges were intentionally never locked or grayed out — every achievement is visible from day one, making the experience rewarding rather than discouraging.

The Outcome: 1M+ badges earned in 2025. 4,392,719 Champs graduations in the school year. A new monetization channel through sponsored badges and challenges. And a living system — Streaks, Leaderboards, and Easter Egg Games already in the pipeline.

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