Gaming Frog Case Study

TYPE: ux/ui

GOAL: improve user retention

DURATION: 2 WEEKS

client

Gaming Frog's mission is to provide a way for non-professionals and professionals to participate in eSports tournaments. Gaming Frog lets users play their favorite games in head-to-head matches for cash.

CHALLENGE

Gaming Frog tasked me with improving their user retention. They want to increase engagement and add value to their app for users.

RESEARCH

I used mixed methods to collect quantitative and qualitative data and gain insight into my users' behaviors and motivations.

Tools Used

Lean UX Canvas
Competitive feature comparison
User survey & interviews
Affinity map
User persona

lean ux canvas

I used a Lean UX Canvas to get a big picture overview of my process and decide which users to interview and what information I needed to discover first.

business problem

New players are abandoning the app and current users are not engaging

business outcomes

1. Lower churn rate
2. More matches played
3. Longer user sessions
4. Higher number of active users

types of
users

1. Power users
2. Casual players
3. FIFA players

user
benefits

1. Earn money
2. Have fun
3. Level up skills
4. Connect with other players

competitive feature comparison

I conducted secondary research before talking to users to identify gaps in the market and potential opportunities for Gaming Frog. I learned that users expect several features that are missing from Gaming Frog , such as free tournaments, and direct messaging.

survey & interviews

I sent out a survey to gather quantitative data and learn about my users' behavior and habits. I conducted user interviews to gather qualitative data and understand the reasons behind my users' behavior. I used an affinity map to synthesize my findings and find trends in the data. I discovered key insights into my users' habits, motivations, and struggles with Gaming Frog and related apps.

Habits

I asked users about their habits to gain context and better understand their preferences and mental models. I learned that many users prefer the desktop version of the app and use multiple apps to find matches.

Motivations

Users revealed that they use Gaming Frog primarily to earn money, have fun, and find new players to compete with. This translates to them seeking out the apps with the most active players.

Struggles

Users complained that it is too difficult to find matches quickly and that it's hard for them to find new players.

“gaming frog would be the best if there were more players”.

define

I continued to synthesize my findings and pull out key learnings using several tools in order to generate problem statements.

Tools Used

Value Proposition Canvas
User Journey Map
Problem Statements

value proposition canvas

I used a value proposition canvas, starting with the customer profile to assess customer jobs, pains, and gains. I asked myself, what do users hire Gaming Frog for? What jobs are they trying to accomplish? I identified some functional jobs, such as earning money, but I also identified jobs that were social and emotional. Users want to have fun and they want to connect with others over their favorite game.

user journey map

My user journey map provided context and revealed several opportunities for design along my user's journey

When arriving at home page and understanding user interface
When trying to find matches
When having a negative encounter with another user

problem statements

I generated problem statements based on the low-points I discovered in my journey map. I rephrased each problem statement into a How-Might-We (HMW) to keep my process centered on the users and their needs.

HMW #1

How might we help users find quality matches quickly and easily?

HMW #2

How might we encourage users to stay on the app even when they lose money?

HMW #3

How might we make our platform easy to understand and delightful to users?

develop

During this phase of the design process, I ideated and designed a solution based on user and stakeholder needs.

Tools Used

Brainstorming
Impact vs. Effort Matrix & MoSCoW Method
Jobs-to-be-Done

brainstorming

feature prioritization

impact vs. effort matrix

I arranged my brainstormed feature ideas on an Impact vs. Effort Matrix to determine which features bring the most value to users for the least effort.

moscow method

I continued to prioritize my brainstormed features by sorting them into 4 categories: must-do, should-do, could-do, and won't do. Must-do features are necessities according to user and stakeholder needs. Won't-do features are either unnecessary or out of scope.

value proposition canvas

I revisited my Value Proposition Canvas, focusing on the client side. I used this tool to assess product-market fit and ensure that my proposed solution aligned with my findings and stakeholder requirements.

minimum viable product (mvp)

user hierarchy of needs

I designed my solution with the User Experience Hierarchy of Needs in mind. Before Gaming Frog can offer a product that is pleasurable and meaningful, their service needs to be functional, reliable, and usable. As it stands, many of Gaming Frog's competitors struggle on this front, so having an intuitive interface is one way for Gaming Frog to differentiate itself. A list of online players and new player tags make the app usable and convenient for users. Outside of functionality, embedded Twitch streams using the Twitch API and free tournaments make Gaming Frog more pleasurable and meaningful for both power users and new players.

how does this mvp align with client & customer needs and goals?

deliver

During the Delivery phase, I began designing my solution and tested with users to identify problems in layout and ontology. I created low fidelity mockups to find issues quickly and mitigate risk.

Tools Used

Low fidelity testing
Medium fidelity testing
Visual Competitive Analysis

low fidelity testing

Task: Find the list of online users

6 users tested
Misclick rate: 87%
Average time spent on screen: 46s

Quantitative metrics suggested that users weren't sure where to look. Moderated testing revealed that users were overwhelmed by the home page and had a difficult time distinguishing between the activity feed and list of online users.

medium fidelity testing

Task: Find a tournament for new players

5 users tested
Misclick rate: 20%
Average time spent on screen: 26.4s

In my next iteration of prototypes, I made more educated decisions on my layout and adjusted the ontology based on user feedback from the lo-fi testing. Misclick rates and time spent per screen showed improvement, but users expressed that the home page, in particular, still felt cluttered and hard to navigate.

High fidelity prototype

visual design

I conducted visual competitive analysis to get an idea of user mental models and determine what is working among competitors and what isn't. I discovered that competitors' user dashboards are often overloaded with elements and have awkward spacing. I made an effort to design a dashboard that is intuitive and doesn't overwhelm the user with information. I separated the activity feed and list of online users, placing them according to where users would expect to find them. I also decided to make the activity feed collapsible to declutter the dashboard, while making it easily accessible. I kept the horizontal scrolling menu so that the design looks good with limited game options, but will also scale nicely as Gaming Frog adds more games to its platform.

success & failure metrics

I chose several metrics that would indicate whether my solution is successful. These metrics are centered on user satisfaction and KPIs that were expressed to me by my stakeholder.

metrics for success

metrics for failure

Improvement in user retention
Longer user browsing sessions
Increase in number of daily active users

High churn rate
High bounce rate
Low app ratings

next steps

As this was only a two week sprint, I didn't have time to execute everything I would have liked. If I continue this project, I will start by collecting more data to validate several of my assumptions and get an even better sense of what features will bring the most value to my users. I would also like to test my Gaming Frog UI design against competitors to compare the usability of Gaming Frog's design with others in the market. As it is, many competitors are offering similar services, so Gaming Frog needs to differentiate itself in its UI and unique offerings.

key learnings

other projects

add a feature

I used the design double diamond to design a feature for Pinterest and bring value to users.

microsite design

A teammate and I engaged in user-centered design to create a microsite for an art festival.

Let's work together

I am currently open to new opportunities. Reach out if you would like to work with me or simply want to chat!

CONTACT ME