2015–2017 / UI+UX DESIGNER
Xbox tailored for you
I was part of a small design team that created and launched the Home experience for the Xbox One X.
define
In the previous release of the Xbox console, players expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of relevant information on Home. How can we enhance the Home experience in the next release, empowering users to customize their Home to perfectly suit their preferences?
Forza Motorsport 7 'content block'
Considerations
The most powerful console at the time
The focus was to make the UX as fast as possible and shortening paths to players' favorite games. Having said that, memory allotment needed to remain the same as it still needed to work on older Xbox consoles.
A player's library is sacred
On Home, this must always be consistent. We cannot afford to lose player trust when it comes to their last played games.
Target the player
We had the requirement to maintain at least two ad spaces on Home. If removing them isn't an option, then we should focus on how those tiles can at least be made relevant to the player.
Edit mode for adding or modifying a content block on Home
design process
During the design process, we explored various approaches to enable players to personalize their Home experience. After conducting extensive testing with user research, we identified the most successful solution: allowing users to customize their Home experience by adding content blocks below the fold. These blocks could feature their favorite games, friends, game updates, and play opportunities. Additionally, we introduced additional customization options for a player's profile, enabling them to represent themselves authentically through Xbox avatars.
To foster collaboration and alignment, we conducted weekly shareouts with UR for the entire development team, prioritizing transparency throughout the design journey. This open communication approach successfully addressed many of the tensions that had arisen between designers and developers.
Working directly with the marketing team, we made the ad slots as relevant to the user as possible, basing suggestions off of the player's recently played games.
Create a content block on Home from the game details page
result
The launch of Xbox One X was a success, receiving praise for its seamless experience and high user satisfaction. Users particularly appreciated the extensive customization options that allowed them to tailor their gaming experience to their preferences. Furthermore, the platform successfully fostered increased engagement among players, resulting in longer play sessions spent with friends.
Updated Community page
Full screen activity feed view
Profile view with avatar
Your Xbox career
Career at a glance
Profile editing
Avatar editing