Helping competitive gamers find teammates during the pandemic.
Helping competitive gamers find teammates during the pandemic.
Helping competitive gamers find teammates during the pandemic.
Introduction
Introduction
Introduction
Role
Role
Role
Senior Product Designer
Senior Product Designer
Senior Product Designer
2021
2021
2021
Team
Team
Team
Me
Me
Me
2 Engineers
2 Engineers
2 Engineers
1 Founder
1 Founder
1 Founder
Design tasks
Design tasks
Design tasks
Competitive evaluation
Competitive evaluation
Competitive evaluation
Heuristic Audit
Heuristic Audit
Heuristic Audit
Usability testing
Usability testing
Usability testing
High-fidelity designs
High-fidelity designs
High-fidelity designs
Design system
Design system
Design system
About
About
About
The pandemic saw a growing number of people playing competitive games online, which came with increased demand for teammates. Solutions existed for casual gamers, but nothing was available for those looking to take games more seriously.
Eblitz felt there was a considerable opportunity to fill this gap in the market, and launched on testflight with an MVP they promoted in small communities on Twitch.tv.
The pandemic saw a growing number of people playing competitive games online, which came with increased demand for teammates. Solutions existed for casual gamers, but nothing was available for those looking to take games more seriously.
Eblitz felt there was a considerable opportunity to fill this gap in the market, and launched on testflight with an MVP they promoted in small communities on Twitch.tv.
The pandemic saw a growing number of people playing competitive games online, which came with increased demand for teammates. Solutions existed for casual gamers, but nothing was available for those looking to take games more seriously.
Eblitz felt there was a considerable opportunity to fill this gap in the market, and launched on testflight with an MVP they promoted in small communities on Twitch.tv.
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
After launching their beta, Eblitz maintained a number of regular users, but most testers dropped off during sign-up or at the matching stage.
Eblitz needed me to develop their understanding of their core use case, build an understanding of who would use their product, and design an experience that was intuitive and scalable.
After launching their beta, Eblitz maintained a number of regular users, but most testers dropped off during sign-up or at the matching stage.
Eblitz needed me to develop their understanding of their core use case, build an understanding of who would use their product, and design an experience that was intuitive and scalable.
After launching their beta, Eblitz maintained a number of regular users, but most testers dropped off during sign-up or at the matching stage.
Eblitz needed me to develop their understanding of their core use case, build an understanding of who would use their product, and design an experience that was intuitive and scalable.
Outcomes
Outcomes
Outcomes
Increased successful sign-ups: A tried and tested design challenge, we reduced drop off after download by almost 60%.
Increased ‘time-to-game’: Before the redesign a single-digit percentage of users matched and played a game with anyone, following the redesign almost 35% of users matched and played a game with someone new on day one.
Scalable design: I designed a simple but scalable component system with familiar language that could be used by future developers and engineers.
Intuitive user experience: Usability testing the updated version of the product saw a significant decrease in reported pain points.
Increased successful sign-ups: A tried and tested design challenge, we reduced drop off after download by almost 60%.
Increased ‘time-to-game’: Before the redesign a single-digit percentage of users matched and played a game with anyone, following the redesign almost 35% of users matched and played a game with someone new on day one.
Scalable design: I designed a simple but scalable component system with familiar language that could be used by future developers and engineers.
Intuitive user experience: Usability testing the updated version of the product saw a significant decrease in reported pain points.
Increased successful sign-ups: A tried and tested design challenge, we reduced drop off after download by almost 60%.
Increased ‘time-to-game’: Before the redesign a single-digit percentage of users matched and played a game with anyone, following the redesign almost 35% of users matched and played a game with someone new on day one.
Scalable design: I designed a simple but scalable component system with familiar language that could be used by future developers and engineers.
Intuitive user experience: Usability testing the updated version of the product saw a significant decrease in reported pain points.
Process
Process
Process
Research
Competitor review and heuristic analysis
Competitor review and heuristic analysis
Competitor review and heuristic analysis
After I joined up with the team at Eblitz we made a concerted effort to get the ball moving, as a number of streaming partners already had planned events using the app, and we wanted to create a smoother experience for their community members.
As it often goes, I was able to identify a number of quick-wins from a basic heuristic analysis which would simplify the ‘time-to-game’ (the time it takes for a user to match with someone on Eblitz app), and user onboarding.
After I joined up with the team at Eblitz we made a concerted effort to get the ball moving, as a number of streaming partners already had planned events using the app, and we wanted to create a smoother experience for their community members.
As it often goes, I was able to identify a number of quick-wins from a basic heuristic analysis which would simplify the ‘time-to-game’ (the time it takes for a user to match with someone on Eblitz app), and user onboarding.
After I joined up with the team at Eblitz we made a concerted effort to get the ball moving, as a number of streaming partners already had planned events using the app, and we wanted to create a smoother experience for their community members.
As it often goes, I was able to identify a number of quick-wins from a basic heuristic analysis which would simplify the ‘time-to-game’ (the time it takes for a user to match with someone on Eblitz app), and user onboarding.
Implementation
Small changes and blue-sky ideation
Small changes and blue-sky ideation
Small changes and blue-sky ideation
I communicated quick wins same day with a mixture of design and annotation, I was lucky to be working with the founder Arron directly as he had a no-nonsense approach to making changes to the product, which allowed us to improve the experience for the hundreds of users who were set to test the beta in the following days.
The little changes were limited in scope, but improved both sign-up rate (which was a necessary component to play with other gamers) and time-to-game.
However, broader changes would be needed to make significant improvements to both metrics, this was highlighted by a low level of user satisfaction which we recorded in partners livestream chats. It was really important for the guys at Eblitz to buck this trend quickly to avoid the effects of word-of-mouth.
I communicated quick wins same day with a mixture of design and annotation, I was lucky to be working with the founder Arron directly as he had a no-nonsense approach to making changes to the product, which allowed us to improve the experience for the hundreds of users who were set to test the beta in the following days.
The little changes were limited in scope, but improved both sign-up rate (which was a necessary component to play with other gamers) and time-to-game.
However, broader changes would be needed to make significant improvements to both metrics, this was highlighted by a low level of user satisfaction which we recorded in partners livestream chats. It was really important for the guys at Eblitz to buck this trend quickly to avoid the effects of word-of-mouth.
I communicated quick wins same day with a mixture of design and annotation, I was lucky to be working with the founder Arron directly as he had a no-nonsense approach to making changes to the product, which allowed us to improve the experience for the hundreds of users who were set to test the beta in the following days.
The little changes were limited in scope, but improved both sign-up rate (which was a necessary component to play with other gamers) and time-to-game.
However, broader changes would be needed to make significant improvements to both metrics, this was highlighted by a low level of user satisfaction which we recorded in partners livestream chats. It was really important for the guys at Eblitz to buck this trend quickly to avoid the effects of word-of-mouth.
Research
Reaching out to testers on Discord
Reaching out to testers on Discord
Reaching out to testers on Discord
We had a small amount of time to make big improvements to the product, I got permission to advertise user testing opportunities in partners Discord channels, which was a cheap way to get a number of testers onboard quickly.
I tasked testers with signing-up to and matching with players (the team were the players as we only had a few returning users), we recorded their experiences and used the analysis to decide which features would stay and which should be cut, and to decide which steps of the process needed to change or were the most important to testers completing the task.
We had a small amount of time to make big improvements to the product, I got permission to advertise user testing opportunities in partners Discord channels, which was a cheap way to get a number of testers onboard quickly.
I tasked testers with signing-up to and matching with players (the team were the players as we only had a few returning users), we recorded their experiences and used the analysis to decide which features would stay and which should be cut, and to decide which steps of the process needed to change or were the most important to testers completing the task.
We had a small amount of time to make big improvements to the product, I got permission to advertise user testing opportunities in partners Discord channels, which was a cheap way to get a number of testers onboard quickly.
I tasked testers with signing-up to and matching with players (the team were the players as we only had a few returning users), we recorded their experiences and used the analysis to decide which features would stay and which should be cut, and to decide which steps of the process needed to change or were the most important to testers completing the task.
Implementation
Massive improvements at break-neck speeds
Massive improvements at break-neck speeds
Massive improvements at break-neck speeds
At this time, the name of the game for Eblitz was speed, they wanted to capitalise on existing material conditions, and were focused on nailing their core user experience which is an approach I completely agreed with.
The first iteration of the component system and initial designs tackled the pain points users faced head-on.
At this time, the name of the game for Eblitz was speed, they wanted to capitalise on existing material conditions, and were focused on nailing their core user experience which is an approach I completely agreed with.
The first iteration of the component system and initial designs tackled the pain points users faced head-on.
At this time, the name of the game for Eblitz was speed, they wanted to capitalise on existing material conditions, and were focused on nailing their core user experience which is an approach I completely agreed with.
The first iteration of the component system and initial designs tackled the pain points users faced head-on.
Iteration
Responding to feedback and designing new features
Responding to feedback and designing new features
Responding to feedback and designing new features
After handing off the first version of the new product I worked closely with Arron to prioritise and design a number of additional features to capture the growing sentiment towards community in the gaming space, give ways to users to promote their own streams, and create a simple advertising system which was the primary revenue strategy.
I also responded to a number of pieces of live feedback after we’d pushed the new version of the product to testers.
After handing off the first version of the new product I worked closely with Arron to prioritise and design a number of additional features to capture the growing sentiment towards community in the gaming space, give ways to users to promote their own streams, and create a simple advertising system which was the primary revenue strategy.
I also responded to a number of pieces of live feedback after we’d pushed the new version of the product to testers.
After handing off the first version of the new product I worked closely with Arron to prioritise and design a number of additional features to capture the growing sentiment towards community in the gaming space, give ways to users to promote their own streams, and create a simple advertising system which was the primary revenue strategy.
I also responded to a number of pieces of live feedback after we’d pushed the new version of the product to testers.
Solutions
Solutions
Solutions
With limited resources and time we made each step as compelling and informative as we could.
With limited resources and time we made each step as compelling and informative as we could.
With limited resources and time we made each step as compelling and informative as we could.
A variety of steps in both the onboarding and the in-product experience required loading screens which we used as an opportunity to solidify the principles of the brand which is togetherness and non-toxicity.
A variety of steps in both the onboarding and the in-product experience required loading screens which we used as an opportunity to solidify the principles of the brand which is togetherness and non-toxicity.
A variety of steps in both the onboarding and the in-product experience required loading screens which we used as an opportunity to solidify the principles of the brand which is togetherness and non-toxicity.
In order for players to connect to calls with their new teammates they need to connect their Eblitz account to Discord.
This is the primary drop-off point for new users, it’s something we want to approach differently in the future, when it’s technically feasible.
In order for players to connect to calls with their new teammates they need to connect their Eblitz account to Discord.
This is the primary drop-off point for new users, it’s something we want to approach differently in the future, when it’s technically feasible.
In order for players to connect to calls with their new teammates they need to connect their Eblitz account to Discord.
This is the primary drop-off point for new users, it’s something we want to approach differently in the future, when it’s technically feasible.
Once you’re in-app you’ll immediately see other players you can favourite for later, invite to a game, or pass on.
Once you’re in-app you’ll immediately see other players you can favourite for later, invite to a game, or pass on.
Once you’re in-app you’ll immediately see other players you can favourite for later, invite to a game, or pass on.
Inviting a user will send a notification which they can respond to.
Inviting a user will send a notification which they can respond to.
Inviting a user will send a notification which they can respond to.
