All Work

Reviving Swiggy Genie: How Gamification Fueled Activation, Redefined a Category, and Built Recall.

As the Design Manager at Swiggy, I led the transformation of Genie by applying principles of behavioural design and gamification to address stubborn growth and engagement barriers.

Genie, often perceived narrowly as a convenience for urgent deliveries, faced tough competition and lacked strong brand recall.

Challenge Overview

The Swiggy Genie team approached us with a simple ask to launch a discount campaign that could drive growth for the category and encourage users to explore other use cases. But before jumping into promotions, we wanted to pause and understand why users weren’t already doing that.

Digging into user behavior revealed an interesting pattern most people saw Genie as a service for sending only selective items. For instance, users who once used it to send clothes often repeated that same use case, while many others who tried the service once never came back.

When we looked at the data with the business team, it became clear that entire categories were going untouched. This led us to form a few hypotheses: perhaps users weren’t comfortable sending certain types of items, or maybe they were turning to alternatives like Dunzo for those needs.

Ultimately, this pointed to a deeper challenge not just about discounts, but about perception and engagement.

Key Challenges

Low Activation: Many first-time users never returned, showing a need for more engaging onboarding and clearer value.
Limited Perception: Genie was seen as a one-time, transactional service.
Weak Recall: Competing platforms like Dunzo dominated the space for quick delivery needs.

Strategic Design Approach

Now, the goal was not to run yet another discount coupon, but to actually make people remember Swiggy Genie when they needed it most. Because let’s face it when you’ve forgotten your charger at home or left your keys at a friend’s place, you’re not thinking about saving ₹20, you’re thinking “Who can fix this right now?”

We wanted to move beyond transactional nudges and instead build meaningful, memorable experiences rooted in human behavior — the kind that spark intrinsic motivation and a little emotional connection.

Pick-up and drop is a pure need-based service, and in those rushed moments, users don’t go hunting for discounts they go with the first name that pops into their head. That’s exactly where we wanted Genie to live: in that split-second of recall, right when the need hits.

So, instead of shouting “offer!”, we decided to whisper “remember me?” — through design, gamification, and small moments of delight that made Genie stick in people’s minds (and hopefully their muscle memory too)

Educating Users, One Laugh at a Time

The idea with this was to show users what all weird stuff you can send with Genie, and what you absolutely cannot. Instead of telling people through long lists or FAQs, we thought, why not make it fun?

So, in a lighthearted way, we educated users through humor showing that yes, you can send your friend’s charger or a forgotten tiffin, but no, Genie won’t deliver your dog, goldfish, or emotional baggage. The playful copy made people laugh, and more importantly, remember what Genie could actually do.

Anchoring Trust Through Real Stories

We also brought in a touch of real-world magic genuine customer stories and testimonials placed right where users would bump into them. Instead of saying “Genie is reliable,” we let real people do the talking — from the small-business owner who swears by Genie for daily deliveries to the forgetful friend who’s basically turned it into their personal rescue squad.

These stories acted as emotional anchors, helping users connect Genie’s value to their own everyday chaos

Growth Highlights

Genie was already part of Swiggy, but most people weren’t using it to its full potential. The Birthday Fest game and New Year stories sparked fresh curiosity, users started noticing Genie, trying it out, and coming back for more.

I shaped the user journey to make discovery seamless, interactions playful, and notifications genuinely engaging, turning Genie into something users actually wanted to explore.

70% Growth in  New User Acquisition

Gamified onboarding and storytelling boosted Genie’s visibility, resulting in a 70% increase in first-time user sign-ups during the campaign.

30% Dormant User Activation within 2 months

Scenario-driven challenges and emotional content re-engaged lapsed users, leading to a 30% rise in dormant user activation.

Heartfelt Thanks

Grateful to Aathira for bringing every idea to life through her stunning graphics, and to Madhusudhan for his guidance and mentorship throughout the journey. This project was a true team effort.