GEAR
Motivation
I am an avid video game player, and I spend at least 20 hours a week playing games. Therefore, when considering the design of my first app work, it was logical that I wanted to involve in the gaming related field.
I'm trying to recall my gaming experience, then, I came up with the idea of trading game items. Game items can affect the player's gaming experience. However, as a virtual item, trading game items is not as intuitive and convenient as going to the grocery store and buying a carrot in the vegetable section; when browsing the game item trading market, we may notice that these items are more like being placed in a flea market stall without a clear categorization or pricing standard, requiring players to go through a lot of effort to pick their desired items.
If these game items are categorized and placed like in a grocery store, with clear price tags and detailed descriptions, and then provided with a secure trading platform, it would be very easy for players to find the items they want.
User Research
Online Survey
Target group
My primary target group comprises players of Counter-Strike 2, a cornerstone of the competitive gaming world. This demographic is chosen with strategic insight, recognizing that items from Counter-Strike 2 are among the most actively traded commodities on Steam, one of the largest digital distribution platforms for PC gaming.
The game's enduring popularity, combined with a vibrant ecosystem of in-game items, skins, and accessories, provides a fertile ground for my app.
Research Goals
To better understand the gaming community's needs and pain points related to trading game items, I conducted an online survey. My goal was to gather insights into players' experiences with existing trading platforms and identify opportunities for improvement. This survey was administered as an online questionnaire, ensuring a wide reach and easy participation for players globally.
Participants
- Total Participants: 40
- Age: 18-34
- Location: from various regions including North America, Europe, and Asia
- Game Experience: a mix of casual and hardcore gamers
- Gaming Platforms: Participants use a variety of platforms, including PC, consoles, and mobile devices.
Key Questions
- How often do you purchase game items?
- What platforms do you currently use for trading game items?
- Rate your satisfaction with existing trading platforms
- What are your biggest challenges with current game item trading platforms?
- What features do you wish to see in an ideal game item purchasing platform?
Key Findings
High Demand for Trading
A significant portion of participants (76%) reported trading game items at least once a month, indicating a robust market activity.
Dissatisfaction with Existing Platforms
A striking 65% of respondents expressed that current platforms are not clear or organized enough, making it difficult to find, evaluate, or trade items efficiently.Need for Organization
Participants cited the lack of organization as a major challenge, struggling with cluttered interfaces and poor item categorization.Convenience is Key
Participants indicated that a more convenient trading process would encourage them to trade more frequently.Simplicity and Efficiency
Participants desired a more concise and straightforward trading experience, emphasizing the importance of minimizing unnecessary steps and information.
User Personas
Based on my user research, I've found that my target users can be roughly categorized into two groups. The following display of user personas nicely summarizes the characteristics of these two types of users.
Get the pain point: with user journey
With countless categories of skins, weapons, and other in-game assets, players often find themselves navigating through a cumbersome and confusing process to purchase items. My app aims to simplify this process, offering a more organized, convenient, and user-friendly platform tailored to meet the specific needs of Counter-Strike 2 players.
Design
User Flow
I created the user flow chart to guide my next design steps. Creating a user flow chart is essential for visualizing the steps users take within an app or website, from initial engagement to achieving their final goal.
Sketching
Visualize the Concept & Initial Design
Lo-fi Prototype
I started by using a pen to draw the framework, which allowed me to visualize my initial ideas more freely. Then I transferred it to Figma to make it look more standard and neat.
Test
In order to better test whether I thought enough about it, I invited some participants to experience my product after creating the lo-fi prototype.
During the process, I asked more open-ended questions and let them talk about my product. Luckily, I received a lot of valuable feedback, which helped me to have a smoother time in building the hi-fi prototype.
Hi-fi Prototype
Based on the feedback, as well as the design concepts, I considered colours, buttons shapes, layouts, animations, and more dynamic interactions in my hi-fi prototype.
Final Work
Let's see how Gear finally works! click here!