Play 25
UX Design/ Gameplay Designer
Company
Play 25 Online
Role
UX Design/Gameplay Designer
Platform
Mobile
Timeframe
12 Weeks
Company
Play 25 Online
Role
UX Design/Gameplay Designer
Platform
Mobile
Timeframe
12 Weeks
Problem
The game of 25, despite being Irelands national game is becoming less and less known overtime. While the game deserves to be preserved, the communities that play are becoming smaller and harder to discover for newcomers.
Solution
To build the ultimate home for the beloved Irish card game 25. An online home for the game, perfect for beginners and veterans alike. A haven where beginners can learn to play their first trick and a place where veterans can meet up to keep their skills sharp.
Research
Initial research on the history of the game and peoples firmiliarity of the game returned a similar theme, people either have never heard of the game or havn't played it in years. Therefore it was decided early on in the design process that the focus of the project would be to creat a detailed tutorial to teach and introduce the game to new players
Learning to play & teaching others
The first step in this process is to learn to play the game of 25 and fully understand the rules.
Once the game is understood others need to be taught how to play so that how someone learns to play can be observed.
Website Research
REsearch was also conducted with users on the existing site with observations noted.
Research Findings
Findings and observations from the website play test and in person teaching were noted and organised into empathy maps.
These findings were refined into Pain Points and Goals to guide the design.
Pain Points
- Lack of tutorials, a learning platform or help within the app
- Game doesn't feel like a game. There is no real-world counterpart
- Lack of options for different game modes (Private, Offline)
- Site feels unsafe or suspicious
- User decisions have unclear outcomes
- Users are getting frustrated and are leaving the site
User Goals
- Clear tutorial needs to be created, and help and learning platforms needs to be created
- Gameplay needs to “feel” more like its real-world counterpart (real deck of cards etc.)
- Further options for different game modes need to be created
- Site needs to be modernised, spell-checked, and polished to make the user feel secure while playing
- Labels on buttons and menus need to be clearer
- Game needs to be made more inviting, with added tutorials and gameplay needs to be clarified for users
Prototyping
Three Phased Teaching Method
A three phased design apporcah was devised that would gradually teach the user how to play, while not overwhelming them with information.
Design
Irish Identity
Visual style chosen to reflect the Irish aestethic requeted by the company owner.
Clear Tutorial
A place for new comers to easily learn how to play before playing against others.
Invite Players
Set up private games to play with your friends and family.
Insipring Competition
Clear leaderboards added to showcase top performing players and counties.
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