Project Overview
There are a plethora of LFG (Looking For Group) apps on the market that strive to connect gamers with other players across the globe. However, there is no application specifically developed for female gamers that allow women to take control of their online interactions and create a safe, comfortable environment to play in.
This need is exacerbated by the well known toxicity towards women throughout online gaming communities. While the industry has taken a few strides to be more inclusive of women and other marginalized groups, there is still a need for a space for female gamers to find other people to play with without the fear of threats, intimidation, or sexual harassment.
The goal of this project was to develop a LFG gaming mobile app centered around all genres of multiplayer gaming with a focus on empowering female gamers.
Research and Analysis
The prevalence of LFG mobile applications called for in-depth competitor analyses to identify potential weaknesses and highlight key indicators of success in order to increase conversion and retention rates for GalGroup. Further research included 1:1 user interviews and user testing at a later date. After conducting interviews with women between the ages of 22 and 34, I developed the following persona that would serve as the focus demographic for this mobile app.
Persona
Establishing a User Persona early on was necessary in order to build empathy and shape design directions to create a product that users like Angela Ikeda would feel satisfied with. The next step was understanding her journey as a female video game player. The following customer journey map details an average scenario based on 1:1 interviews and competitive analysis.
Customer Journey Map
Most users detailed a lackluster and ineffective experience using competitor LFG apps, especially users who predominantly played RPGs (roleplaying games). Currently most LFG apps target First Person Shooter (FPS) gamers and do not promote a social community in terms of user interactivity. These apps connect strangers and are more focused on getting higher user counts whereas GalGroup seeks to create friendships that foster long term gaming relationships.
Information Architecture
After narrowing down key features of the app, I established navigation hierarchy and formulated the bottom navigation bar to highlight top level destinations. I used the following sitemap, task flow, and user flow to visually layout the content.
Sitemap
Task flow
User flow
Ideation and Design
In this phase I needed to ideate on the low fidelity wireframes and the overall visual design of the GalGroup brand simultaneously in order to stay within the project deadlines. I began by creating the low fidelity wireframes in Figma which I then used for a round of usability testing with four participants.
Wireframes
User Testing
Usability testing revealed that significant changes needed to be made to the app's bottom navigation bar and Groups screen. As the flagship feature of the app, it was imperative that a more seamless and prominent dashboard was needed to house the different aspects of Group interactivity.
Meanwhile, with the final prototype in mind I began developing the voice of the brand by creating a moodboard and sketching out possible logo ideas. I eventually digitized the most solid logo designs shown below and went with the logo marked with a red asterisks. Once branding was established I included the following UI Kit as a deliverable.
Logo and Branding Design
UI Kit
Synthesis and Implementation
In order to meet the project deadlines, the revisions needed in the wireframing stage were applied directly to the high fidelity prototype. I then tested these changes in another round of usability testing with the same group of participants. Each participant was tasked with completing four scenarios. I tested for visual design, menu navigation, and overall cohesion of information architecture.
(From left to right) User Dashboard, Profile, and Messages high fidelity prototype screens
Example of user navigating through the mobile app
User Testing
Testing concluded successfully with 100% of users completing all four scenarios. I was able to identify areas that needed improvement and features that needed simplification. The following affinity map notes successes and issues discovered through testing.
Affinity Map
Conclusion
Developing a mobile app from the bottom up required a significant amount of research, planning, visual design, and foresight in order to complete within the projected timeline. By gaining a deeper understanding of competitors within the Looking For Group realm, I was able to create a specifically tailored mobile app aiming to tackle toxicity towards women in the gaming community.
As next steps, further observation will be needed to determine how user culture develops within the constraints of the app. Whether or not a "safe" gaming culture grows from this app involves policing from the community and development team as a whole.