getting into the game: how ea put user research into practice

GETTING INTO THE GAME: HOW EA PUT USER RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE

HI…SHANE JOHNSTON

LEAD EXPERIENCE PLANNER, EFFECTIVE UI www.linkedin.com/pub/shane-johnston/58/92b/6b1/en

https://twitter.com/shanebjohnston

[email protected]

JORDAN GIRMAN USER EXPERIENCE DIRECTOR, EA https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordangirman

https://twitter.com/moonwaffle

[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/shane-johnston/58/92b/6b1/en

https://twitter.com/shanebjohnston

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordangirman

https://twitter.com/moonwaffle

mailto:[email protected]

AGENDA: • CONTEXT • WHY PERSONAS • SELECTING A VENDOR • EFFECTIVE UI’s APPROACH • PUTTING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE • WHAT’S NEXT • SUMMARY

ELECTRONIC ARTS IS A NERDY PLACE TO WORK.

The social awkwardness is palatable when you walk in the building.

The ratio of pony tails to females working in the studio is off.

If you are wearing a suit people assume that you are selling something or here to fix the copy machine.

digital experience @ EA

Often you will go for lunch and people will pull out their DSs…

ELECTRONIC ARTS IS A NERDY PLACE TO WORK. AT THE SAME TIME IT IS THE MOST ACCEPTING CORPORATE WORKING ENVIRONMENT I HAVE EVER BEEN IN.


Toys are common place and almost a symbol what you are into…


You have a bunch of people who were potentially alienated in high school and you toss them in an environment with like minded people who not only are into the same things but genuinely appreciate them.

Because of this people stay at EA for much longer than most places. Being 34 years old and have been at EA for 16 years is not uncommon

EVERYONE IS A GAMER, SO PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY ARE DESIGNING FOR THEMSELVES. WE WANT TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION FROM, “WHAT WOULD I DO” TO “WHAT WOULD THE PLAYER DO”

WHY PERSONAS

Different teams working from different view point. Marketing working from one point and development working from another. Lots of data but no one was using it.

USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN IS A NEW THING FOR THE GAME TEAMS AT EA SPORTS.

When I first started all people wanted me to do was UI and wireframe. Process of research first and design based off of that research was not common place

RESEARCH WAS FOR MARKETING

THE RESEARCH OUR TEAMS WERE GETTING WAS FOR HOW PEOPLE BUY. WHAT THE GAMES TEAM NEEDED WAS FOR HOW PLAYER ENGAGED.

GAME DESIGNERS CONTACT WITH PLAYERS WAS MAINLY WITH THE HARDCORE THROUGH FORUMS AND SOCIAL MEDIA, WHERE HARDCORE PLAYERS WOULD COMMENT.

1 ALIGNBuilding consensus around a clear and consistent view

Organizing increasing amounts of data

2 INSPIRE Ethnographic and about real people creating a realistic view of the people we design for

Allowing designers to separate themselves from the design

3 VALIDATEBack up design decisions

Help with stakeholder reviews

Ensure you are testing against the players the product was designed for

PERSONA CAN

SEEKING AN OUTSOURCER

PERSONAS ARE ARCHETYPES OF REAL USERS

ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH FOCUSED ON: • Behaviour • Motivation • Environment (context) • Social Structure

What does organization hope to learn? How can we make the learnings relevant? How will they use what they learn?

EffectiveUI’s APPROACH

Adoption / Socialization / Utilization

A TRADITIONAL APPROACH

ResearcherStakeholder Customer

EffectiveUI’s APPROACH

Stakeholder/Researcher Customer

GET THE TEAM INVOLVED IN THE RESEARCH

THE PROCESS OF CREATING A PERSONA IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE FINAL RESULTS. BY BRINGING DESIGNERS INTO THE PROCESS YOU GET BETTER BUY-IN FOR THE OUTCOME, MORE TRUST IN THE PERSONAS AND MORE PERSPECTIVES CONTRIBUTING THE FINAL RESULTS

Persona Group

Co-operative Offline Modes

Online Co-operative Play

Integrated Communications

Gameplay Imperatives

Gamer’s Journey

Pain Points

Incompatible Online Community

Lack of Social Currency

Motivations

��Control

Challenge

AuthenticitySocial

Narrative

Self Improvement

��

2

After a long day at work, Kevin will typically unwind with the members of his

old junior league hockey team over a couple of EASHL games. He typically

plays left wing and takes pride in making a great assist. The game gives him a way

to stay in touch with his old teammates as they are now located all across the

country. He firmly believes in the philosophy of “it’s better to lose togeth-

er than win alone”.

3

1

1

2

ContactStatusPerformanceExtrinsic RewardsMasteryCharacterEnvironmentPre-establishedScenarioProjectionSelf Imposed Challenge

Predictable Challenge

Variable Challenge (Human)

SportEventOrganization

Values

100+900

200+800

200+800

400

+600400

+600500

+500400

+600400

+600400

+600500

+500400

+600500

+500400

+600400

+600400

+600400

+600

300+700

Wingman KevinKevin

Context of Play

Team Based

Online Co-op 2

1

Affinity

NHL = Moderate to High

Sport = Low to Moderate

Training and Goal Oriented

On-boarding

Franchise FanFranchise Fan

Sports FanSports Fan

Franchise AthleteFranchise AthleteFranchise GamerFranchise Gamer

Sports GamerSports GamerSports AthleteSports Athlete

I play EASHL with my best friend who lives in

Boston, we used to play hockey juniors

together, this is primarily how

we stay in touch.

Persona Group

When Nathan was younger, he often created his own make-believe hockey teams. He would work

for hours designing the jerseys, rosters, and details of the stadiums. Nathan now brings that

same spirit of creation to the NHL game. He expects that the game will provide him with a

rich NHL narrative experience or allow him to construct his own. He will spend hours custom-

izing every detail of a team or player. He will then use those teams or players to recreate

NHL events or do things that would never exist.

Narrative Nathan


Gamer’s Journey

Pain Points

Repetitive Storylines

Restricted Customization

Nathan

Motivations

��Control

Challenge

Authenticity

Social

Narrative

Self Improvement

��

2

3

1

1

2





Values

400

+600500

+500400

+600300

+700300

+700200

+800

100+900

500

+500400

+600100

+900

500

+500400

+600500

+500300

+700400

+600200

+800

400

+600

Context of PlayAffinity

NHL = Moderate NHL Team = HighSport = Low to Moderate

Training and Goal Oriented

On-boarding

Character Based

Sandbox 2

1

Deep story / career modes

Variable sub-plots

Vast customization

Franchise FanFranchise Fan


Franchise AthleteFranchise Athlete

Franchise GamerFranchise Gamer


I’ve recreated the Denver Cutthroats in the game.

I’ve found a mascot that is similar, I’ve

got the colors accurate,

uploaded their intro music

and goal sounds.

Persona Group

Glenn views himself as a hockey fan, but more importantly, as an ex-athlete of hockey. He

plays in a rec. league, but he knows his glory days are behind him. He cares deeply about the

ethos and philosophy of hockey and brings his knowledge of the sport to the game. The way he

plays hockey is closely linked to how he plays the game. Glenn is not great at video games in

general, but that’s OK with him. He doesn’t need to master the game and is often OK with

losing as it reflects the reality of the sport.

Legend Glenn

Specialization of Style

In-Game Sporting Culture

Player Performance Feedback


Context of Play

Gamer’s Journey

Pain Points

Lack of Technical Gameplay

Unrealistic/Inauthentic AI

Glenn

Motivations

��Control

Challenge

AuthenticitySocial

Narrative

Self Improvement

2

3

1

1

2





Values

400

+600200

+800

200+800

400

+600400

+600400

+600400

+600500

+500500

+500300

+700700

+300400

+600400

+600100

+900

300+700

300+700

100+900

Affinity

NHL = High Sport = High

Training, Enculturation, and Meaningful

Learning

On-boarding

Offline Hero

Couch Mode 2

1

��Franchise FanFranchise Fan


Franchise AthleteFranchise Athlete Franchise GamerFranchise Gamer


I call the game my virtual whiteboard,

it allows me to incorporate

things from the ice into the

game and vice versa.

HOW ARE WE USING PERSONAS

PRACTICE

PRACTICE THERE HAS TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT USING PERSONAS TAKE PRACTICE. WE AS A GROUP ARE GOING TO SUCK AT FIRST BUT THE MORE WE USE THEM MAKE THE BETTER WE WILL BE AND THE MORE WE WILL NEED THEM.

STORY TELLING STORY TELLING IS A PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE SOCIETY. SO TELL STORIES. MAKE THE PERSONAS REAL. THE MORE STORIES THAT ARE TOLD THE MORE REAL THEY BECOME. THE EASIER THE DATA IS TO UNDERSTAND.

VIDEOS

MEETINGS/DISCUSSIONS

MEETINGS BRINGING THE PERSONAS INTO MEETINGS SO EVERYONE STARTS WITH THE SAME POINT OF VIEW. HERE IS THE PROBLEM SO HOW WOULD BOB THE PERSONA HANDLE IT. CHANGE THE FOCUS OF THE DISCUSSION TO THE PLAYER.

DOCUMENTATION

VALIDATION AND TESTING

TESTING

YOU HAVE TO TEST AGAINST WHO YOU DESIGNED FOR. USE THE PERSONAS TO HELP GUIDE RECRUITING. RESULTS WILL BE MORE SIGNIFICANT.

EXECUTIVE REIVEWS

DEVELOPMENT

• Personas used to focus developers on real people and their challenges

• Personas help identify appropriate technologies and assess feasibility

• Personas used to determine accessibility requirements

DEVELOPMENT

WHATS NEXT

MORE RESEARCH MORE PRACTICE MORE ADDOPTION

Persona Group

Glenn views himself as a hockey fan, but more importantly, as an ex-athlete of hockey. He

plays in a rec. league, but he knows his glory days are behind him. He cares deeply about the

ethos and philosophy of hockey and brings his knowledge of the sport to the game. The way he

plays hockey is closely linked to how he plays the game. Glenn is not great at video games in

general, but that’s OK with him. He doesn’t need to master the game and is often OK with

losing as it reflects the reality of the sport.

Legend Glenn

Specialization of Style

In-Game Sporting Culture

Player Performance Feedback


Context of Play

Gamer’s Journey

Pain Points

Lack of Technical Gameplay

Unrealistic/Inauthentic AI

Glenn

Motivations

��Control

Challenge

AuthenticitySocial

Narrative

Self Improvement

2

3

1

1

2





Values

400

+600200

+800

200+800

400

+600400

+600400

+600400

+600500

+500500

+500300

+700700

+300400

+600400

+600100

+900

300+700

300+700

100+900

Affinity

NHL = High Sport = High

Training, Enculturation, and Meaningful

Learning

On-boarding

Offline Hero

Couch Mode 2

1

��Franchise FanFranchise Fan


Franchise AthleteFranchise Athlete Franchise GamerFranchise Gamer


I call the game my virtual whiteboard,

it allows me to incorporate

things from the ice into the

game and vice versa.

SUMMARY

• Bring the people using the research into the research

• Tell stories about that persona to create empathy

• Business and the Users are included in the process

• Requirements written in the context of the personas

• Personas are the discussion point in every meeting

• Include the personas in the documentation (including thoughts, concerns and opportunities)

• Personas used to focus developers on real people and their challenges

• Personas help identify appropriate technologies and assess feasibility

• Personas used to determine accessibility requirements

• Marketing plan matches designer plan

• Participants for usability testing screened to match personas

• Testing scripts designed to match key motivations and goals

Adoption Socialization Utilization

READING

• It’s Our Research, Tomer Sharon • About Face 3, Alan Cooper • The Essential Persona Lifecycle, Tamara Adlin and John

Pruitt

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME QUESTIONS?

getting into the game: how ea put user research into practice

Design