PRODUCT STRATEGY + DESIGN. UX/UI. CREATIVE DIRECTION. BRANDING
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Player.One is dedicated to providing in-depth, passionate coverage of the world of gaming and gamer culture. The primary mission is to offer news, insights, practical information & opinions about the games plus, (gadgets, movies, comics, apps, shows & more) that fans love. Player.One
Branding
Working with the editors, business leads and product teams with research and user profiles we engaged in naming exercises and visual studies which resulted in a new name with a very unique URL (.One) extension, brand mark, and visual system that resonated extremely well with our core audiences.
We wanted to craft a brand that was contemporary and fresh but gave a subtle wink to vintage gaming systems through color and shape. Knowing strategically the brand would live across multiple platforms, consoles and social media, it was extremely important that the identity work well at reduced sizes and incorporate a memorable iconic image that could stand on its own.
Several names and visual concepts were developed and tested with highly engaged and opinionated focus groups.
Interaction Design
Armed with our user research and strategy findings we now had a deeper understanding of who were designing for and what they want. Next is was time to define the optimal experience. Initial analog sketches were created to quickly get some big ideas on the table and pressure test them. User flows were generated to better define key interactions and to help envision an overall “design system” would be refined during the product lifecycle. A detailed set of core template wireframes were created for all platforms and modified throughout the UX/UI, prototyping and testing phases. We then created interactive prototypes for testing during the UX/UI phases. User experience design and prototyping continued through development phases and beyond.
Prototyping
Low and high fidelity prototypes were created and tested at various stages of the project. We used low-fi prototypes in house to test more detailed navigational elements, especially on mobile, and higher fidelity prototypes to test with user audiences.
After testing the UX designs via mockups and prototypes we moved into designing the visual interface and all associated design elements.
High Score!
Since its launch Player.One has enjoyed rapid growth in traffic and overall engagement.
8 month project lifecycle to launch • New Player.One brand / brand system • Re-platform & launch of Player.one • Created a rich UX experience tailored for content consumption • Created new advertising strategy & modules • Created a product-centered taxonomy / database • Created Apple News & Google AMP experiences • Increase social engagement • Created a global design system
