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A game to help cancer patients to participate in their healthcare decisions
A game to help cancer patients to participate in their healthcare decisions
A game to help cancer patients to participate in their healthcare decisions
Paw Puzzles
Paw Puzzles is a dog-themed blast game developed by KILOO Games, featuring engaging puzzle mechanics.
KILOO
Can Paw Puzzles Reach the Top 50 in the Match-3 Games Market?
"Paw Puzzles" is a delightful dog-themed blast game developed by KILOO Games, featuring engaging and innovative puzzle mechanics. As the UX Researcher on this project, I played a crucial role in shaping the user experience from the initial concept phase through to the soft launch. My responsibilities included conducting comprehensive user research, analyzing player behavior, and iterating on designs to ensure a seamless and enjoyable gameplay experience. Collaborating closely with different stakeholders, I helped guide the game through the design process, ensuring it was ready for the soft launch. This project was completed in eight weeks, from the initial research to receiving the green light for the soft launch.
Team Dynamic
I worked closely with product managers, developers, designers, artists, marketing, and analytics teams. As the lead UX Researcher, I was responsible for maintaining close collaboration with all team members to ensure our game design was well-rounded and user-centric. Regular meetings and workshops helped us stay aligned on goals and create a seamless, engaging user experience.
Design Thinking Approach
Design thinking was the perfect fit for this project because it starts with understanding and empathizing with user needs. This approach enabled us to define clear goals and brainstorm creative solutions that align with players' preferences. Through rapid prototyping and iterative testing, we ensured the game was both enjoyable and intuitive for our audience. My application of design thinking involved understanding player needs, setting goals, brainstorming solutions, testing prototypes, and refining based on feedback to enhance gameplay.
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As Tim Brown, CEO of the innovation and design firm IDEO, aptly puts it, “Empathy is at the heart of design. Without the understanding of what others see, feel, and experience, design is a pointless task.” This quote resonates deeply with my belief in the power of empathy-driven design to create meaningful and impactful experiences for users.
Work Flow
As the UX Researcher on the "Paw Puzzles" project, I ensured a user-centric design and enjoyable gameplay. Collaborating closely with stakeholders, I defined research objectives and project vision. Conducting comprehensive user research, including interviews, surveys, usability tests, and play-testing sessions, I gained insights into player behavior.
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Analyzing data with the analytics team, we identified pain points and areas for improvement. This guided iterative design with product managers, game designers, developers, UX/UI designers, artists, marketing, and analytics teams. Through workshops, sync meetings, and feedback sessions, I aligned the team on user experience goals, ensuring seamless design integration.
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My focus was on creating an engaging and intuitive experience for our audience. This approach prepared "Paw Puzzles" for its soft launch, laying a solid foundation for further development and market success.
Here, I highlight key stages of my workflow on the 'Paw Puzzles' project, showing how I applied design thinking and UX research to create engaging gameplay.
Competitor Analysis
Define Research Goal
During this phase, we defined precise objectives to guide our user research efforts. Our goal was to understand player preferences and behaviors in blast match-3 games, similar to popular competitors like Toon Blast. Our focus was on enhancing gameplay mechanics to ensure optimal engagement and enjoyment. By setting clear metrics, we made sure our research was focused and practical, giving us key insights to guide our design decisions and improvements efficiently.
Main Resaerch Goals:
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Understand player preferences and behaviors in blast match-3 games.
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Learn how players interact with main competitors' match-3 games and identify pain points.
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Identify gaps in the current market and highlight opportunities for innovative gameplay mechanics.
Persona Creation
For the persona creation phase, I developed five detailed personas based on archetype research, market analysis, and previous player metrics. These personas represented key segments of our target audience, guiding our design decisions to ensure the game resonated with diverse player needs and preferences. Here is an example of one of the personas for Paw Puzzles.
User Testing
For the initial user testing of "Paw Puzzles," we designed a structured play test session to evaluate the game's mechanics and user experience. Here are some key points of the test plan.
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Play Test Details:
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Participants: 8 players (5 Female, 3 Male), over 25, playing match-3 games (preferably Toon Blast).
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Location: In-house
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Duration: Max 25 minutes
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Criteria: Motivation includes brain teasers and skill improvement.
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Requirements from Game Brew Team:
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Ensure unlocking 4 chapters within 25 minutes.
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Include meta tutorial, chapter completion animations, and rewards.
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No difficulty curves; levels from Easy to Medium.
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No character selection.
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Key Observations:
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Do players understand placing jigsaw pieces?
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Do players know how to get rewards and view completed chapters?
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Player reactions to completing puzzles, unlocking chapters, and viewing animations.
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Do players engage with the jigsaw puzzle immediately or continue playing match-3 games?
Create & Share Deliverables
Here are some examples of important data gathered from our initial surveys and the first play test for Paw Puzzles.
I consistently create clear, well-founded proposals, breaking down complex problems and data into simple, actionable insights. This approach ensures alignment with my colleagues and team. I achieve this through interactive and engaging workshops.
Product Vision & Road Map
This section outlines the strategic vision and roadmap we followed, from initial concept to soft launch. We began by defining clear objectives and identifying key milestones to guide our development process. Our roadmap included extensive market analysis, competitor research, and user testing to ensure that our game not only met but exceeded player expectations.
