App Design / Research / Design System / 2018 - 2020
Mobile gaming in emerging markets.
/ Overview
As an old player in the mobile gaming business, Gameloft has also been involved with carriers businesses for a long time. Gameloft Distribution Business has continued creating profitable relationships with carriers even after the App Stores explosion. Carriers are looking for new ways to engage with their customers and Gameloft is there to provide a Gaming platform that aims to improve customer experience.
/ My role
Market & User Research, Experience & Strategy Design (UX Planning, Wireframes, Prototyping, Personas, Journey Maps), Validation & Usability Testing, Visual Identity & UI Design
Mobile Apps, Web Apps, Kids Apps, PC Stores, Gaming Platforms.
The main problem I discovered and framed was that we lack in fulfilling peoples’ psychological needs of entertainment but I've framed many problems in different work areas.
Based on research done by Google, Newzoo, and App Annie we unveiled that people play and explore games differently depending on the market maturity. This research weighted a lot considering Gameloft Distribution Business is a worldwide business.
I was able to include the users into the product development process and show the people involved the importance of user-centered design decisions while including the design process successfully into the Agile methodology.
Entertainment is one side of the coin but there is a stronger motivation why users play video games, that’s Escapism, the desire to escape from the banality of everyday life even for a moment. Further study let us discover that Escapism is not the beginning but the end. To achieve Escapism players have to fulfill other needs like Need of Competency, Autonomy, and Relatedness. We mapped these needs based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to guide us step by step in the Product Development process being sure we fulfill needs without gaps.
As part of Product Team we had to create on one side a customizable solution we were able to easily deliver to our Clients and on the other side be sure the product satisfies the needs of the End User that’s the Mobile Game Player.
/ DEVELOPMENT CHALLANGE
Developers quickly understood the Atomic Design System Manager and so we decreased the development time of both new and refined features.
/ USER CHALLENGE
When we decided to improve the applications with a gamification feature the user was in the center of attention when we made any decision. Targeting gamification incentives by Gamers' mindsets to motivate them to continue playing and engage with the app and games.
/ USER CHALLENGE
/ BUSINESS CHALLANGE
Making informed design decisions and offering users an easy to use and intuitive interface we were able to achieve impressive results.
In over 2 years in Gameloft, I was able to shift perspectives about product development making space for the user in the process.
I'm open to be a Dedicated User Experience Research Partner //
adrian sion / 2023
Bucharest, Romania
Phone: +40 755 883 825
Email: [email protected]