at a glance socials on Xbox game pass PC

ROLE

Product Designer

Timeline

7 months
2022 - 2023

Team

3 Designers
2 Researchers
PM & engineering

with

Xbox Community Team

role & overview

As the lead on the redesign, product strategy, technical UX, visual design, and prototyping, I collaborated closely with PM and engineering to define the feature scope and ensure high-quality implementation, with guidance from two senior designers. Over the course of this 7-month project, we delivered a refined, user-centered experience that met both strategic and technical goals. This re-design was shipped in 2023.

Game Pass PC Community Tab - Areas of improvement

THE PROBLEM

how can we help gamers streamline gameplay coordination?

Xbox gamers on Game Pass for PC often struggle to coordinate gameplay, frequently switching between various communication tools. To address this, we redesigned the community tab to streamline access to social features and enhance collaboration. Our approach focused on refining the layout and integrating social interactions directly into the experience, making it easier for players to connect seamlessly, and elevating the overall Game Pass user experience.

DISCOVERY

Why do game pass PC social features have low usability rankings?

Leveraging Microsoft's internal research system and research team, we discovered that the social and chat features ranked lowest in usability on Game Pass PC. Challenges we found within the existing chat experience included:

• Chat features feel isolated from the overall interface.
• Users struggle to locate the option to add friends.
• Navigation within the community tab is confusing.

what can we learn from existing communication platforms?

User research pointed to Discord, Steam, and Battle.net as players' preferred communication platforms. This feedback prompted a deeper analysis of these leading social platforms to identify essential features that enhance communication experiences. Through this competitive feature audit, I pinpointed key areas for improvement to guide our redesign efforts.

defining scenarios

What pathways will users take?

Given that this feature involved reworking the entire social experience on Game Pass PC, I mapped out the chat and party scenarios to ensure the team was aligned on the scope of the re-design. 

Research indicated that the dedicated community tab resulted in an isolated social experience, making it difficult for users to connect with friends. We ultimately chose a multi-tabbed widget design that would give users instant access to online friends while seamlessly preserving their game catalog exploration. This layout would offer the flexibility to view or minimize chats, fostering an integrated social experience that would keep players connected and engaged.

WIREFRAMING

Designing a visual foundation

Wire-framing was a key step in the process since we needed to quickly establish flows and ideas for the team. Collaborating closely with engineering, we evaluated each layout and proof of concept to identify the most effective solution. 

HIFI DESIGNS

REFINING EACH SCENARIO

The high-fidelity designs underwent several rounds of internal testing and iteration to refine diverse edge cases and scenarios. We focused on gathering ample internal feedback before formal usability testing. Balancing accessibility with intuitive badging and micro-interactions across the flows was a priority for the widget’s overall usability.

Collaborating closely with the research team, I helped develop a protocol to test key scenarios, including the first-time user experience, blank states, group chat creation, message requests, and initiating a party. Multiple rounds of usability testing provided valuable insights, enabling us to streamline interactions and further improve UI accessibility.

FIRST TIME USER EXPERIENCE

CREATING A
GROUP CHAT

STARTING A PARTY

The Launch

In the months following my work on this project, the team successfully applied insights from our usability testing to the final product. While I wasn’t directly involved in this stage, seeing our collaborative efforts come to life was incredibly rewarding, showcasing the value of our user-centered approach.

© 2024 Josephine Wu