I have told you many times that I am fan of TED. Here is a lecture from the most recent email I received from TED:

From the lecture, the 7 ways are:

1. Experience bars measuring progress
2. Multiple long-term and short-term aims
3. Rewards for effort
4. Rapid, clear, frequent feedback
5. An element of uncertainty
6. Windows of enhanced attention
7. Other people!

After watching this presentation, I asked myself "How does the Autodesk Labs technology preview process compare to playing a video game?"

1. Experience bars measuring progress
   This one might not apply to the Labs technology preview process. Each technology preview is different, and there is not one "end game" conclusion that all Autodesk Labs visitors are striving to achieve.

2. Multiple long-term and short-term aims
   Technology previews have long term goals like possible inclusion into the next release of AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, 3DS Max, etc. and short term goals like improvements for the next update of the technology preview itself.

3. Rewards for effort
   This is one where I could use your insight. Though the long term reward is a technology that is honed to meet your needs when it eventually gets incorporated into a shipping application, what could Autodesk Labs do to reward people for their hours of evaluating technology previews and providing feedback?

4. Rapid, clear, frequent feedback
   When you take the time to email us, post to the discussion forum, or post a comment on a blog, not only do technology preview team members read it, but you get a response as quickly as we can provide one.

5. An element of uncertainty
   Technology previews are not guaranteed to become part of shipping products. Based on your level of participation and feedback, some like the Piping Design Technology Preview or visual search end when the technology preview ends.

6. Windows of enhanced attention
   Although technology previews are available on the Labs site for extended durations, there are periods of time where activity is more intense such as when contests are held or updates to the technology preview are posted.

7. Other people!
   By participating in the Autodesk Labs discussion forums, you can post your own feedback as well as read about the experiences of others, and see how your results compare.

Thinking about how to make work be more like play is alive in the lab.