Error-Friendly Design
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Samuel Beckett
Error-Friendly Design embraces failure as part of progress. By reducing harsh penalties, the game encourages players to experiment, take risks, and learn through iteration. Each mistake becomes feedback, supporting improvement rather than discouraging further attempts.
In most of the LEGO games the player’s only punishment for failure is losing a bit of currency, otherwise they are permitted to fail as many times as they want without any harsh consequences.
This mechanic encourages experimentation and exploration by treating mistakes as a positive and necessary part of the learning journey. By removing the fear of harsh punishment for failure, learners are more likely to try new approaches and test unconventional strategies. It fosters a safe space where curiosity and trial-and-error lead to deeper understanding.
To maximize its educational value, error-friendly design should be paired with effective summaries or debriefs. These feedback loops help the learner understand the specific cause of their error and learn from their own mistakes, which is particularly useful in non-obvious scenarios where the source of failure might not be immediately clear.
A good thing to remember with this method is that the participant should know that they made a mistake, but that mistakes are natural, and a teacher using this method should point-out the exact mistake and let the participant know exactly what it is and how not to make it next time while not punishing their student too harshly.