Case Studies
CASE STUDY 1:
Concept & usability testing for a free-to-play game
During my tenure at FanDuel, a leading Sportsbook and online Casino company, I actively contributed to a pivotal project aimed at enhancing player engagement within the app. Recognizing the objective of boosting player activity, our product team strategically conceptualized and developed a free-to-play game(Reward Machine). This innovative approach provided players with the opportunity to win small amounts of money daily, successfully aligning with the overarching goal of increasing user interaction and satisfaction within the app. I was involved in testing both the conceptual framework and the ultimate prototype of the game.
-
We were trying to learn the following:
a) What type of game would players prefer to play everyday?
b) Will players understand how the game and winning works?
c) Will players return to the game everyday?
d) Will this free game convert players into playing other games?
e) Will players recommend this game to others?
Users & Audience:
Targeted users were all FanDuel Casino players using the product through multiple sources like web, mobile and cross sell business.
-
-Orchestrated a design sprint alongside a dynamic team of 10 individuals from the product and design departments to collaboratively determine and solidify the game concept.
-Conducted comprehensive user interviews and surveys to gain insights into user preferences, expectations regarding winning outcomes, and the likelihood of conversion.
-Presented compelling findings and strategic recommendations derived from the user feedback, guiding the refinement of the game concept.
-Executed design iterations and culminated the process by rigorously testing the interactive prototype through one-on-one user interviews and a Maze survey. This thorough testing process informed final design and content adjustments, ensuring an optimal user experience.
-
This project was slated for completion within a concise 6-week timeframe, involving collaboration among the research, design, and product teams. Originally entrusted to a third-party design firm, a strategic pivot was made to bring the design process in-house, prioritizing UX considerations.
A primary challenge emerged in seamlessly integrating the game within a crowded home screen featuring hundreds of games. This obstacle was successfully navigated through a collaborative effort, leveraging a games discovery research study conducted in tandem with designers and marketing managers.
-
-Following comprehensive information gathering in initial meetings, I collaborated closely with the product and design teams to refine context and establish the research method and plan.
-In alignment with team discussions, I crafted a meticulous research script with the overarching objective of unveiling player needs, expectations, as well as identifying potential opportunities and challenges.
-The emphasis during this process was on pinpointing insights that would contribute to the creation of an engaging game while simultaneously aligning with strategic business objectives.
-Advancing to the second phase of the research, I executed usability tests for the Figma prototype, ensuring a thorough evaluation of its functionality and user experience.
-
-The research findings revealed crucial insights into player goals and expectations, instrumental in resolving user experience issues, content discrepancies, and addressing minor design conflicts.
-An identified user need emerged: a demand for a more intuitive and explicit guide on "How to play & win?" within the game.
-A significant finding underscored users' anticipation of higher payouts and the desire for a personalized exit screen experience.
-Post the successful game launch, the player activity rate on the game screen soared to an impressive 95%, presenting a valuable opportunity to convert users to other premium, paid games.
CASE STUDY 2:
Money Transfer App Journey Upgrade
For IDT Corporation, I led a project aimed at enhancing and cultivating the Boss Revolution International Money Transfer App Journey. Conducting an in-depth analysis of the current journey, I conducted one-on-one user interviews and implemented a survey. The outcome was the development of a distinctive, streamlined, and expeditious money transfer journey, tailored to meet the needs and preferences of users.
-
The research questions were:
a) Which elements in the current journey are time consuming?
b) Is the current iconography accessible and comprehensive?
c) In which segments do users expect personalization?
d) How can mobile top-up journeys be prioritized as well?
Users & Audience:
The target audience for this project were Boss Revolution money app customers coming from 40 different countries all located in the United States..
-
-To initiate the project, I systematically constructed the existing customer journey for the money app, meticulously identifying points of friction and areas for improvement in user sentiments.
-Additionally, I conducted insightful one-on-one remote user interviews with customers, aiming to observe and comprehend potential enhancements for their journey.
-Drawing from a previous ethnography study, I executed a supplementary survey. This survey delved into personalized aspects such as the frequent recipient countries, preferred recipients, and the specific bank accounts utilized by users for international money transfers.
-Throughout the comprehensive development of the detailed user journey for international money transfer, seamless collaboration ensued with designers, product managers, engineering, and the compliance team.
-
This project adhered to a well-structured timeline of 8 weeks, exclusively centered around optimizing app journeys.
A notable challenge encountered was the absence of a dedicated recruiting team within the organization. However, I successfully addressed this obstacle by collaborating with the marketing team, leveraging their channels to recruit current users for the project.
-
-Commencing the project, I led a collaborative brainstorming session involving managers from design, product, and engineering. The objective was to identify optimal data collection and research methods applicable to the process.
-Subsequently, I initiated the construction of the current user journey, segmenting it into phases like Awareness, Exploration, Evaluation, Retention, and Advocacy. This detailed analysis aimed to uncover pain points within each segment.
-Post user interviews, I presented the findings to the team, facilitating a collective discussion on the next steps. Following my recommendation, the decision was made to conduct a survey to validate the initial insights.
-The synergy of survey data and quantitative analysis proved instrumental in shaping the most precise, intuitive, and expedient money transfer journey for both current and new users.
-
-Ultimately, the finalized design incorporated the revamped user journey and recommended iconography changes, resulting in a more intuitive and visually cohesive experience.
-A personalized user experience, tailored to individual activities, was meticulously crafted, adding an extra layer of engagement for users.
-Upon the app's launch, international money transfer activity surged by an impressive 25% in the subsequent year.
-An invaluable outcome of the project was the heightened recognition from stakeholders, who began to place significant value on the research insights. Notably, stakeholders proactively integrated research-driven decisions into design changes themselves.
CASE STUDY 3:
New User Onboarding Process
The FanDuel Casino Stand-alone App underwent a strategic transformation aimed at acquiring new users. In pursuit of this objective, the product and research teams collaboratively opted to enhance the onboarding experience for new users, striving to deliver an elevated and personalized introduction to the platform.
-
The research questions were:
a) Identify user problems in onboarding process
b) How can users enjoy the onboarding process and still provide important information?
c) What questions are users willing to answer in their onboarding process?
d) What expectation do users have when it comes to a personalized screen after onboarding?
Users & Audience:
Targeted users were all new and existing FanDuel App users.
-
-To craft a seamless onboarding experience, I commenced by pinpointing pain points within the existing process through one-on-one user interviews and cognitive walkthroughs.
-Building on these findings, I spearheaded a design thinking session in collaboration with designers and product managers to ideate and develop an intuitive and impactful onboarding flow.
-The design team translated our collective vision into an interactive prototype for the end-to-end onboarding process, which I subsequently rigorously tested in an unmoderated study conducted through Usertesting(dot)com.
-Post-launch, I took charge of a comprehensive research study to assess the impact of the new onboarding experience and gather insights for further refinement.
-
-Originally slated for completion within a 4-week timeframe, the project extended by an additional 3 weeks due to multiple iterations and encountered engineering limitations.
-In response to these challenges, certain elements of the process were streamlined and eliminated to reduce the engineering effort while ensuring the retention of a simple and expedited user experience.
-Notably, the project allowed for future expansion, with identified opportunities for a phase 2 to further enhance and build upon the established goals.
-
-In the initial research phase, I initiated one-on-one user interviews, guiding new users through the app's sign-up process while keenly observing their experiences and expectations. The emphasis was on insightful observation to understand user behavior during the onboarding experience.
-Following the interviews, a brief survey was administered to each participant, extracting valuable information about their preferences and personalization needs.
-Armed with these findings, the design team crafted a prototype, which underwent rigorous testing in an unmoderated study. This approach allowed for feedback from a broader audience, saving time while yielding in-depth insights and analysis.
-Post-launch, I utilized the development version to assess the project's impact, completing the research cycle and ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the user experience.
-
-Following the implementation of the new onboarding process, a collaborative A/B test was conducted with the insights team. The results revealed a remarkable 20% increase in both user acquisition and overall user satisfaction.
-Despite facing certain constraints during the process, the revamped onboarding approach was successfully launched across all eligible states. Within a span of 8 weeks, overall user acquisition witnessed a substantial surge, surpassing the 30% mark.
-Reflecting on the experience, if given the opportunity to repeat the process, I would include a comprehensive competition analysis. This additional step would provide valuable insights into the strategies employed by other apps in optimizing their onboarding processes.