For subscribers
For Non-subscribers
To tackle the problems, our approach was three-pronged:
Repositioning
Additions
Improvements
Some elements were moved up or down for hierarchical reasons.
In the user forums and from direct feedback, we now had a better idea of which stats were worth bragging about and what is important to users. We moved subscription status, account creation, and player stats from the very bottom to the top.
For subscribers, we added a golden trophy cabinet to the top of the screen to display all their collected items. Non-subscribers had their collectibles behind a layer of navigation, as before. They’d be able to see other trophy cabinets, but wouldn’t get their own unless they converted to the subscription.
A bunch of new features had been added since launch: profile frames, achievements, and app customization. These were added along with integrating with Apple’s Game Center.
The design/product team had new ideas for more player stats to display, so I consulted our engineers to sort out what we were tracking to see what was possible.
Most importantly, we added some missing virtual currency counts and visible progress toward collectibles, giving players vital information about items they wanted to earn.
With more gameplay stats in a new section of its own, we updated the iconography and the display to make it easier to read at a glance.
We previously displayed music compatibility only as a percentage and it wasn’t very useful, so we added a list of mutually favourited genres to go along with it.
The app also experienced a significant amount of growth. The user base was much bigger, and a lot more music content had been added. So much so that if a player had a large number of favourite playlists, the profile screen would take forever to load. This necessitated some back-end changes to optimize the amount of playlist information that was loaded each time.
It was still a ton of information and as much as we were able to reduce the loading time overall, I worked with our devs to add loading indicators, spinners, and content skeletons. This eased feelings of uncertainty, especially for users with slower internet connections and lots of content to load.
Repositioning
Additions
Improvements
Design
Internally, we observed a few problems on this screen:
painfully long load times, especially for users with hundreds of collectibles and saved playlists
bugs with the music preferences screen (app would show your own preferences when viewing someone else’s profile)
hierarchy of information needed improvements
From our dedicated beta testers, we learned that:
progress on certain collectibles was missing, preventing them from completing objectives
it is motivating to see other players’ items, and more details were needed on how to collect them all
membership length and status is a source of pride (too hidden)
they love seeing and showing off their player stats (needs more zhuzh)
Users were very happy with the updates. Even though we were showing more information, better visual cues while loading meant that we were showing a believable indicator of system status.
The ability to show off collectible items was also a big hit, as previously it was hidden under buttons and menus. It revealed more items in a way that encouraged more users to invest. For SongPop players, numbers and timing are a hot topic and they appreciated the new and improved gameplay stats section, especially the ones that tied into new features.
Understanding how players used this screen to inform how they played the game and interacted with other users was pivotal to our decision-making process. We were fortunate to have a serious, loyal group of fans who are community and gameplay experts.
Problems
Results
Positive user connections in social gaming are important to consider when looking to improve engagement and retention metrics. SongPop users are a passionate bunch who care about music, in-game collectibles, player stats, and gameplay streaks.
The player profile screen is the central hub of all of these things. Users can start an asynchronous or live game with another player here, and gather information about the opponent they’re about to challenge.
SongPop’s collectible items, some of which are only available for a limited time, are a huge source of pride for some and are used as a way to gauge whether another player would be a serious enough match. If a player hasn’t earned collectibles from a recent event, for example, maybe they aren’t up to speed on the new playlists and wouldn’t make for a fun challenge.
Music preferences are also deeply personal, and difficult to gamify for most. Although some users managed to conquer every playlist we had to offer, most people stuck with music that they personally enjoyed. Because of this, it was important to convey as much as possible about users through the player profiles.
We received a lot of useful feedback on the interesting ways players used information on the profile screen as a gameplay tool and set out to improve the user experience.
Context
SongPop is a music trivia game where players listen to a song clip and guess the artist or song name. Users send challenges back and forth and build friendships based on music preferences and gaming style.
Over the last decade, SongPop has even sprouted a few dozen weddings of couples who have met through the game!
The player profile screen was not something we paid a lot of attention to at launch, but after a year or so it was time for an update. Based on observations from our data and valuable player feedback, we addressed a few glaring problems and bugs to make this frequently visited screen more satisfying and useful.
I led the feature re-design, interpreted and implemented feedback from our users. I also collaborated with front-end and back-end developers to figure out optimal ways to display problematic elements, and also determine different ways to display existing and additional gameplay stats.
Summary
My Role
Responsible for Research, Design, Prototyping and User-Testing
Solo designer collaborating with Product Manager and Engineers
The Team
Timeline
April 2022 - May 2022
In social games, engagement is positively correlated with the number of in-game friends a user has. We looked at hierarchical improvements and performance optimizations on the player profile, a popular screen in our trivia game.
Player Profiles.
This seemingly simple screen was requested by many users, who couldn’t see their Fragments (virtual currency) unless they were explicitly working towards a specific collectible item.
Making the system status (loading) apparent to ease uncertainty.
