Enthusiastic UX and Service Designer with a foundation in journalism, driven by a deep curiosity for human comprehension. Well-versed in design thinking and user-centered design principles, with a fervent interest in the realms of emotional and gamification design.
Final Project
GameVeri
GameVeri isn’t just a platform; it’s a testament to the power of trust in the digital age. Recognising the pain point of building trust amidst virtual interactions, my role encompassed envisioning, crafting, and delivering a service that resonates with exclusive gamers’ needs and empowers them to cultivate genuine trust bonds within a virtual space.
Our innovative solutions directly confront the trust barrier by cultivating a sense of trust integral to the system itself – instilling trust in our service and the gaming environment at large.
Because emotion is complex
To better understand users’ feelings and delve deeper into their pain points, I went beyond semi-structured interviews. I used a mix of creative research methods to explore various aspects of trust among exclusive online gaming friends who hadn’t met in person. This approach helped me gain insights into how users perceive their current friendships, their hopes for these connections, and the link between friendship and trust. This combination of methods truly allowed me to grasp users’ viewpoints more comprehensively.
In the picture on the left, the method that I have used is called ‘Hopes and Fears’.
Co-design while respecting privacy
Designing a service that helps exclusive online friends forge meaningful connections without being together is challenging because it relates to building trust online. Therefore, privacy and trust were central themes. Participants, typically non-camera users, engaged in ideation and validation activities like Scamper, superheroes, and Usability Testing. We utilised Discord for communication and Miro for activities, aiming to create meaningful design solutions while maintaining their privacy collaboratively.
Building trust with gamification & emotional design
Our research stage revealed that gamers aim to strengthen trust among friends, yet they want this to happen naturally without any forced or uncomfortable situations. To address this, I incorporated gamification through interactive ‘Quests’ that friends could complete together. These quests foster interaction and allow them to celebrate shared experiences like playing games or chatting. Additionally, I employed Emotional Design to encourage positive emotions around their friendships. This approach facilitated a sense of openness and camaraderie among trusted friends.
There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to trust
While being open with friends is valuable, building friendships takes time. Different individuals feel comfortable at different paces, and there’s no universal solution to overcome trust barriers. Considering this, it’s essential to offer a flexible system that empowers users to define their own comfort levels in terms of trust stages.
Our “Friend List” feature plays a pivotal role here, allowing users to customise data sharing, manage privacy settings, and control their interactions with friends. This way, users can adapt and modify their preferences as needed, fostering a more personalised and comfortable experience.
Visionary Thinkers
Visionary Creators
Visionary Makers