The FUNMERSIVE research project studies new scientifically grounded entertainment and learning service design solutions in creative industries in which fun functions as a central factor in enhancing user experience. Acknowledging the growth and scalability potential within the immaterial, digital service industry, the project aims to support this growth process through customer engagement that is based on a deep understanding of fun. As a term, Funmersive refers to an agency-bound and immersive take on fun that essentially goes beyond the scheme of treating fun merely as an emotional reaction. The project is funded by Business Finland, a governmental innovation funding agency.
Current digital services are insufficient in meeting customers’ diverse needs, and superficially entertaining solutions may lead to short-term and fragmented user behavior. Funmersive project is based on the premise that genuinely fun experiences embody intrinsic motivation and meaningfulness, which can foster long-term customer engagement.
Funmersive takes fun seriously: it is seen as having a positive impact not only on deep customer experience but also on learning, well-being, and brand loyalty. We see fun as something more than superficial, momentary emotional reactions.
Funmersive is carried out as a consortium project involving University of Turku, University of Jyväskylä, and five corporate partners. During the project, the participating companies—MinnaLearn, LeanLab, Eduten, Seppo, and Rockway—will explore and develop new solutions related to, among other things, digital learning, gamified services, coaching, SaaS business, and user participation. The research combines expertise from business studies, educational sciences, game and gamification research, psychology, and user experience research, and applies a multi-method approach that includes surveys, interviews, observation, experimental interventions, and measurement development.
Funmersive generates new scientific knowledge on the mechanisms and effectiveness of fun, supporting the design of services that are impactful, engaging, and internationally competitive. Particular attention is given to how playfulness, gamification, immersion, and generative AI can support learning, motivation, user experience, and the sustainability of customer relationships across different sectors. Furthermore, the project will generate practical tools for fun-driven service design and business development. Its goal is to help companies transform fun from a difficult-to-define quality factor into a designable, measurable, and strategically exploitable source of competitive advantage.
