Boardible is a mobile board game startup that aims to bring physical products to a digital space. I cross-functionally collaborated to revise the flow for the company's Android and iOS app landing page to increase user conversion, a decision impacting over 2000+ daily users. The change came after conducting 10+ user interviews to gauge their experiences with a then-existing solution for multiplayer connection; I saw that this solution was largely ineffective.
Boardible is a multiplayer board game platform, so it originally used 'UserTag' to link users in the same room. UserTag was a large pain point for users, so they gravitated toward familiar, industry-standard concepts like room codes and a ‘share’ feature. None of the users I interviewed could use the UserTag properly. Revising the user-to-user connection interface would be essential to increasing user conversion.
Timeline
January 2024 to June 2024
Skills + stack
wireframing, prototyping on Figma
user research organized on Miro
Background
Self-initiated internship project
Boardible
Boardible
Leveraging data to improve a multiplayer experience
Leveraging data to improve a multiplayer experience
For users, convenience
dictates connection
Boardible is a multiplayer board game platform, so it originally used a 'UserTag' to link users in the same room. Identifying and finding UserTag was a large pain point for users, so they gravitated toward familiar, industry-standard concepts like room codes and a ‘share’ feature.
None of the users I interviewed could use the UserTag properly. Revising the user-to-user connection interface would be essential to increasing user conversion.
Users only gravitate to easily accessible integrations
Boardible currently has a TV-specialized set of interfaces for its hosted games, though it was underused by users.
Though users could mirror their screens easily with Boardible's current interface, users in a younger demographic (early-stage couples and college students) often did not have access to traditional TVs. Finding ways to communicate Boardible's adaptability to large screen alternatives like laptops was also a central part of my research.
Users like organization, but not too much
Categories are quite popular and many liked the organization. In my first overview of the current design, I noted a few instances of repetition that can be eliminated.
As my research developed, I also looked into how category names influence users' interactions with them. For example, nods to pricing — which appeared in some categories — was noted to be a worry for some users.
Key user insights
Boardible is a mobile board game startup that aims to bring physical products to a digital space. I cross-functionally collaborated to revise the flow for the company's Android and iOS app landing page to increase user conversion, a decision impacting over 2000+ daily users. The change came after conducting 10+ user interviews to gauge their experiences with a then-existing solution for multiplayer connection; I saw that this solution was largely ineffective.
The new UIs!
The new UIs!
These interviews were synthesized over a period of a few months. I looked to complete interviews and re-interviews of college students as well as older couples. To standardize all the interviews, I developed an interview guide. After these interviews, I classified the sentiments expressed into categories and subcategories, where relevant. I simplified these themes into insights — and highlighted issues with straightforward solutions. But not all of the obstacles faced by the users in our tests had straightforward solutions — that’s where my designs came in!
How might we…
make a UserTag clearer for players?
encourage players to make friends as opposed to a room, and do this without inundating them with information?
encourage TV use?
use iconography and visual cues to communicate game themes with our users?
streamline the process for multiplayer play for new players?
As a result of searching for these opportunities for growth, the founder and I discussed how our first metric of success could be defined as a new player connecting to another and beginning a game.
Mapping the user journey
I looked to cover all the major friction points experienced by users when beginning a new multiplayer experience on Boardible. While most of the interviews saw users switching their approach, one can infer that enough of these “switches” could cause a new person — one not being interviewed, perhaps — to leave the app entirely.
Design approach
How might we…
make a UserTag clearer for players?
encourage players to make friends as opposed to a room, and do this without inundating them with information?
encourage TV use?
use iconography and visual cues to communicate game themes with our users?
streamline the process for multiplayer play for new players?
As a result of searching for these opportunities for growth, the founder and I discussed how our first metric of success could be defined as a new player connecting to another and beginning a game.
New versus old...
Changes I introduced
Removal of room code at the top (unintentionally cropped by the first UI designers of the app)
Inclusion of a filter function, as users would spend a lot of time scrolling due to indecision
Featured game with a tagline or a short description, as users reported that thumbnails did not give users ample information about the games
Increased margins and heightened use of iconography throughout game library
New versus old…
Mapping the user journey
I looked to cover all the major friction points experienced by users when beginning a new multiplayer experience on Boardible. While most of the interviews saw users switching their approach, one can infer that enough of these “switches” could cause a new person — one not being interviewed, perhaps — to leave the app entirely.
Design approach
Redesigning the multiplayer experience
Redesigning multiplayer
For users, convenience
dictates connection
Boardible is a multiplayer board game platform, so it originally used a 'UserTag' to link users in the same room. Identifying and finding UserTag was a large pain point for users, so they gravitated toward familiar, industry-standard concepts like room codes and a ‘share’ feature.
None of the users I interviewed could use the UserTag properly. Revising the user-to-user connection interface would be essential to increasing user conversion.
Users only gravitate to easily accessible integrations
Boardible currently has a TV-specialized set of interfaces for its hosted games, though it was underused by users.
Though users could mirror their screens easily with Boardible's current interface, users in a younger demographic (early-stage couples and college students) often did not have access to traditional TVs. Finding ways to communicate Boardible's adaptability to large screen alternatives like laptops was also a central part of my research.
Scalable, sustainable and ethical
The overall solution, including its operations and revenue, has to possess long-term financial viability. It also has to be informed by the organization's core values of equity, innovation and empathy.
Key user insights
Changes I introduced
Removal of room code at the top (unintentionally cropped by the first UI designers of the app)
Inclusion of a filter function, as users would spend a lot of time scrolling due to indecision
Featured game with a tagline or a short description, as users reported that thumbnails did not give users ample information about the games
Increased margins and heightened use of iconography throughout game library
These interviews were synthesized over a period of a few months. I looked to complete interviews and re-interviews of college students as well as older couples. To standardize all the interviews, I developed an interview guide. After these interviews, I classified the sentiments expressed into categories and subcategories, where relevant. I simplified these themes into insights — and highlighted issues with straightforward solutions. But not all of the obstacles faced by the users in our tests had straightforward solutions — that’s where my designs came in!
Step 3
Step 2
Step 1
my first round of user interviews saw no one successfully connect via usertag functionality. the qr code and camera system had a 100% success rate for users that were tested.
my first round of user interviews saw no one successfully connect via usertag functionality. the qr code and camera system had a 100% success rate for users that were tested.
Personal takeaways
Personal takeaways
What did I learn?
I learned a lot about the importance of prioritization and adaptability in UX redesigns. As I was working on a live product, I was forced to remain flexible with the solutions that could feasibly be implemented.
Where did the lobby stand after this project?
The lobby, at this stage, had gone through two rounds of user testing and several iterations! The current iteration of the app is live on the App Store and Google Play Store, and is strongly based in the findings above.