THE CLIENT
Client: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Brand: PlayStation®
Business Unit: Competitive Gaming Division
Client engagement: 2019 - Current
Audience: Global (+80 countries, +17 supported languages)
Company: Zemoga
THE ASK
Design Challenge
Our main challenge was to create a fun and easy-to-use platform that helped gamers who wanted to jump into competitive play but weren't sure where to start.
We needed to make a tool that explained the tournament process in a simple, step-by-step way so users could smoothly go from playing casually to competing seriously.
The site needed to be engaging and straightforward, making users feel ready and excited to join tournaments.
Additionally, it needed to capture the thrill and community vibe of esports, helping users feel connected and pumped up. By making this transition easier, we became the go-to spot for everything about PS5 and PS4 tournaments.
User Needs
Users who showed interest in playing competitively found different barriers when they had the intention to start the tournament experience.
Having a tool that helped them understand all the steps of the process significantly reduced the gap between the intention of participating and actually jumping into a rewarding competitive experience.
Business Goals:
We wanted to create an engaging site for users who were interested in esports.
Our main goal was to position this new platform as the go-to place when they wanted to understand how the tournament experiences worked on PS5 and PS4 consoles.
MY ROLE
Creative Design Director
As the Design Director for this project, I led a team of 2 visual designers and 2 product designers. Our end-to-end process began with thorough discovery and research, where we gathered insights into user needs, pain points, and desires. We conducted user interviews, surveys, and competitive analysis to build a solid understanding of our target audience.
Next, we moved into the ideation and conceptualization phase. Here, my team collaborated to brainstorm and sketch out potential solutions. We created wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes to visualize the user journey and interface layout. Our product designers focused on usability and functionality, ensuring the platform was intuitive and easy to navigate.
As the Design Director, I facilitated collaborative and co-creation sessions to align on the creative concept of the website. These sessions included brainstorming workshops and feedback loops with both our internal team and key stakeholders on the client side. Regular check-ins and iterative reviews helped keep everyone on the same page, allowing us to refine and enhance the concept based on collective insights and feedback. This alignment was vital in creating a cohesive and impactful user experience that truly resonated with our target audience.
Once we had a clear direction, our visual designers brought the wireframes to life with high-fidelity mockups. They focused on creating a visually appealing design that resonated with the esports community, incorporating branding elements and ensuring a cohesive look and feel across the platform.
We then moved into the testing and iteration phase. We conducted usability tests with real users to gather feedback and identify any areas for improvement. Based on this feedback, we refined our designs to ensure the best possible user experience.
As we finalized the design, we prepared for the development hand-off. This involved creating detailed design specifications and assets, including style guides, component libraries, and interaction details. We worked closely with the development team to ensure a smooth transition and provide ongoing support to address any questions or issues that arose during implementation.
Throughout the entire process, we maintained open communication and collaboration within the team and with stakeholders to ensure the project stayed aligned with our goals and vision.
THE TEAM
Design Director: Sebastian Sierra
Product Designers: Nicolás Perez, Juan Gonzalez
Visual Designers: Alexander Barranco, Miguel Balcázar
Product Management: Wendy Motta
Tech Lead: Freddy Urrego
Engineering team: 11 developers, 2 QA Engineers
Project Management: Alicia Lozada
Delivery Account Director: Daniel Salazar
Project Name: PlayStation PS5â„¢ & PS4â„¢ Tournaments
Year: 2022 - 2023
🔗 PS5: https://compete.playstation.com/en-us/all/how-to/ps5
🔗 PS4: https://compete.playstation.com/en-us/all/how-to/ps4