CEO of The Octalysis Group, the leading behavioral design consultancy. Recognized as the top expert in enterprise gamification and the primary implementer of the Octalysis Framework created by Yu-kai Chou. Joris works with Fortune 500 companies, governments, and billion-dollar startups.
Joris Beerda started his career as a diplomat, applying behavioral science to build peace in volatile regions. The Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Cambodia. Each posting required the same discipline: figure out what drives human behavior, then build systems that shift it. Peace negotiations, disarmament programs, community reconciliation. All behavioral design problems at their core.
That foundation now serves a different context. As CEO of The Octalysis Group, Joris runs the world's leading behavioral design consultancy. He has designed engagement systems for Microsoft, Porsche, Booking.com, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, LATAM Airlines, DBS Bank, and the United Nations: 170+ enterprise clients across 30 countries, impacting 1.5 billion users.
His methodology is built on the Octalysis Framework, created by Yu-kai Chou. Most gamification stops at badges and leaderboards. Joris applies all eight Core Drives of human motivation to build systems that move specific business metrics: revenue, retention, adherence, daily active usage.
The work is cited by Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and the U.S. Department of Commerce (NIST) as foundational research in behavioral economics and human-computer interaction.
Media coverage includes Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and Business Insider. He is a Fellow of the RSA.
Defined the Urgency Architecture behind conversion at global scale. Countdown timers, limited quantity logic, and loss aversion mechanics closed the intention-action gap for millions of users.
Built BONEO: a lifestyle gamification ecosystem using Core Drive 7 (Unpredictability) and Core Drive 3 (Empowerment). Turned the vehicle into a connected engagement platform.
Applied Core Drive 5 (Social Influence) through team quests and collaborative leaderboards, shifting the motivational anchor from extrinsic financial pressure to social relatedness.
Applied a Hero's Journey narrative (Core Drive 1: Epic Meaning) with Tamagotchi dynamics in the Sidekick app. Patients could visualize recovery as a progression path.
Built a Treasure Hunt narrative structure with geo-location mechanics and collection sets (Core Drive 4), gamifying the user acquisition funnel across the continent.
Designed Microsoft Learn with a balanced XP economy and non-linear progression trees (Core Drive 2: Development), optimized for flow state. Converted passive readers into active learners.
Enterprise consulting, speaking inquiries, and strategy sessions.
Or email directly: joris@octalysisgroup.com