Objective: Craft screen mock-ups for product proposal presentation

Role: UI/UX, Strategy, Ideation

Time-frame: December 2018

Tools: Photoshop and InVision

A colleague of mine approached me with a problem that we had both experienced and witnessed throughout our time in the esports world: There is no platform for aspiring players to market their abilities and connect with professional organizations. We sought to build an app that would bridge the gap between esport hopefuls and major league organizations. Unlike traditional sports, esports does not have a robust network of youth academies and academic programs that provides major teams with a constant influx of players. Players entering an esports scene depend on a mix of dedication and luck.

Becoming a professional player is most accessible when the competitive scene is still developing. For those who are not a part of the initial wave of professional players, there is no obvious first step in the path to becoming a pro. Having a high in-game rating or rank rarely translates to a player successfully entering an established professional scene. Going viral, drawing the attention of another pro-player in-game, and simply walking up to team managers and asking for try-outs are all real origin stories. To remove luck and randomness from the first step, we needed to create a single piece of evidence that instantly represented the skill and potential of an aspiring player. We decided very early on that the primary goal of this platform was to become the de facto authority in player ratings, something akin to Kelly Blue Book for cars or a credit score for finances.

After the initial ideation and strategizing meetings, I determined which screens to craft for the proposal presentation. Because these designs were only for a proposal, there was no need to flesh out a design system or the branding identity for the app. I created prototypes and screen mock-ups that highlighted the core functionalities of the platform.

The home page of the app includes a timeline graph that reflects the continuous nature of the rating and provides a visual representation of the player's performance journey.

The platform enabled players to market themselves around one number, but understanding how their in-game performance impacted their rating would empower players to grow. It was important that the rating was not merely a reflection of wins and losses, but instead was the culmination of many stats. These stats could have a positive, negative, small, or large impact on the player's rating. Players need to identify their strengths and weaknesses quickly.

The proposal presentation was a success, and the company adopted the app concept.