games user research
playability tests
game ui redesign
Project
About
Redesign for a social party game in its Alpha phase.
The game is a 2-player coop game, where players take turn answering question for each other and then see if they guessed correctly.
The game needed a UI redesign and attention to UX design and also create a mobile version of the game.
Redesign for a social party game in its Alpha phase.
The game is a 2-player coop game, where players take turn answering question for each other and then see if they guessed correctly.
The game needed a UI redesign and attention to UX design and also create a mobile version of the game.
Duration
2 weeks in January 2024
2 weeks in January 2024
My Role
UX & UI Designer
UX & UI Designer
Design Team Size
Me
Me
Tools
Figma
Figma
Unity
Unity
Photoshop
Photoshop
Sheets
Sheets
Design Process
Design Process
My game plan for the design process looked as follows:
Conduct Interviews to get to know more about my target audience and social party games through secondary research.
Conduct a Playability Test with an added Player Experience Inventory to uncover design and usability issued with the current design.
At the same time, conduct a Heuristic Evaluation to further get insight into the current design issues of the game.
With all the insights gathered, start reworking and ideating on the new UI Design and also create a mobile version.
Conduct a second playability test, to make sure that I would actually improve the design.
Hand off the new design to the developers.
My game plan for the design process looked as follows:
Conduct Interviews to get to know more about my target audience and social party games through secondary research.
Conduct a Playability Test with an added Player Experience Inventory to uncover design and usability issued with the current design.
At the same time, conduct a Heuristic Evaluation to further get insight into the current design issues of the game.
With all the insights gathered, start reworking and ideating on the new UI Design and also create a mobile version.
Conduct a second playability test, to make sure that I would actually improve the design.
Hand off the new design to the developers.
Research
Research
01
01
interviews
interviews
Participants
Age Range
Age Range
24 - 32
24 - 32
Gamer Types
Gamer Types
Hardcore Gamers to Casual / Non-Gamers
Hardcore Gamers to Casual / Non-Gamers
Genders
Genders
3 female players / 2 male players
3 female players / 2 male players
Key Insights
Most casual gamers feel most comfortable playing games on their phone
Players prefer to play social party games in person
Players mostly enjoy the creative and uncertain part of party games
02
02
Playability tests
Playability tests
To uncover usability issues I tested the game during a Gamer Meetup with 10 different participants, some of them knowing each other and some of them being complete strangers to get different samples.
To uncover usability issues I tested the game during a Gamer Meetup with 10 different participants, some of them knowing each other and some of them being complete strangers to get different samples.
Participants
Age Range
Age Range
17 - 54
17 - 54
Gamer Types
Gamer Types
Hardcore Gamers to Casual / Non-Gamers
Hardcore Gamers to Casual / Non-Gamers
Player Relationships
Player Relationships
2 pairs of strangers 3 pairs of friends
2 pairs of strangers 3 pairs of friends
Key Insights
Players don’t realize that the point of the game is to guess each others answers.
Players don’t realize that the point of the game is to guess each others answers.
Players don’t realize that the point of the game is to guess each others answers.
Creation of the Lobby Name and Password is unclear.
Creation of the Lobby Name and Password is unclear.
Creation of the Lobby Name and Password is unclear.
Players do not understand who’s turn it is while playing.
Players do not understand who’s turn it is while playing.
Players do not understand who’s turn it is while playing.
Players have a hard time understanding the context of some of the provided character options in the first game mode.
Players have a hard time understanding the context of some of the provided character options in the first game mode.
Players have a hard time understanding the context of some of the provided character options in the first game mode.
03
03
Player Experience Inventory
Player Experience Inventory
To be able to measure the Playability, I also let participants fill out the Play Experience Inventory after the Playability Tests.
To be able to measure the Playability, I also let participants fill out the Play Experience Inventory after the Playability Tests.
UI Rework
UI Rework
04
04
User Flows
User Flows
With all the data I had collected from the Research Phase, it was time to turn to the user flows of the game. The Playability Tests showed that some of the interactions and flows of the game, especially the player turn order, was not clear enough.
With all the data I had collected from the Research Phase, it was time to turn to the user flows of the game. The Playability Tests showed that some of the interactions and flows of the game, especially the player turn order, was not clear enough.
05
05
HIgh-Fidelity Screens
HIgh-Fidelity Screens
Previous Design
Reworked Design
Start Screen
Start Screen
Game Mode Select
Game Mode Select
Player Lobby
Player Lobby
In-Game Screen
In-Game Screen
07
07
Mobile Adaption
Mobile Adaption
Start Screen
Start Screen
Start Screen
Game Mode Select
Game Mode Select
Game Mode Select
Player Lobby
Player Lobby
Player Lobby
In-Game Screen
In-Game Screen
In-Game Screen
Since social party game players mostly play on mobile, it made sense to create a mobile adaption for the game, so players could enjoy it cross platform.
Since social party game players mostly play on mobile, it made sense to create a mobile adaption for the game, so players could enjoy it cross platform.
Testing
Testing
08
08
Playbility test #2
Playbility test #2
Coming Soon...
The second Playability Test is still scheduled, but is waiting on the implementation of the new design by the developers, since the game is to complex to be tested in a simple prototype.
The second Playability Test is still scheduled, but is waiting on the implementation of the new design by the developers, since the game is to complex to be tested in a simple prototype.