Stephen Herko

PVP Live

My role

  • Product strategy
  • Project lead
  • UX Design
  • Research

Team

  • 3 Engineers
  • 1 UX designer
  • 2 Producers
  • 2 Product owners
  • 1 Data scientist
  • 1 Content writer

Goal

Mission to become the ultimate destination for gamers. We aspire to create a platform where every esports fan thinks of gaming, they immediately turn to our app or tune in to our productions.

Duration

3 years

Background

When myself and 4 others founded PVPLive, the competitive video gaming scene was still in its early stages. The industry was mostly operated by fans with unprofessional graphics, and everything was DIY. As the designer for the startup, I wanted to provide creative direction that would push esports into what it could be, and completely redesign esports graphics so that people would take the industry more seriously.

Objectives

  • Redesign esports graphics to improve the overall user experience for viewers and players
  • Create a consistent and professional brand image for PVP Live in the esports industry
  • Enhance the visual appeal of the esports matches and tournaments to attract a wider audience
  • Increase the engagement and retention of viewers and players by providing an immersive and exciting experience

Learning About Our Users

  • Gamers are extremely passioniate individuals, who take their love for competition very seriously. It defines who they are, and establishes the identity for many.
  • By nature, most of them are introverts that yearn for a community.
  • Platforms like Twitch really empowered gamers by creating a community and a hub to find other like-minded individuals.
  • Gamers can spot inauthenticity very easily, and will shy away from organizations trying to take advantage of them.

Approach

  1. Research: Before starting the design process, we conducted extensive research on the esports industry and its audience. We also analyzed the graphics and visuals used in other esports tournaments and matches. This helped us understand the user a bit more, what was the level of expectations for esports productions, and provided insights into the visual language of the industry.
  2. Conceptualization: Based on the research, we developed a few initial concepts for the new esports graphics. These concepts were presented to the stakeholders, and after discussion and feedback, we finalized the direction we wanted to go in.
  3. Design: The design process involved creating a new visual identity for PVP Live, which included a new logo, color palette, and typography. We also developed a consistent set of visual elements that could be used across all esports matches and tournaments. These elements included overlays, scoreboards, player and team graphics, and motion graphics.
  4. Testing: Once the designs were ready, we conducted user testing to validate the effectiveness of the new graphics. We tested with both players and viewers to understand the usability, engagement, and overall experience of the new graphics.


Mission Statement

At PVP Live , we are on a mission to become the ultimate destination for gamers. We aspire to create a platform where every esports fan thinks of gaming, they immediately turn to our app or tune in to our productions.

We believe that by consistently delivering the most engaging, informative, and entertaining content, we can become the go-to media platform for gamers across the world. With a relentless focus on innovation, quality, and fan engagement, we are committed to creating an unforgettable esports experience for our users.

Partnerships

In order to promote our competitive gaming tournaments and establish ourselves as a serious player in the esports industry, we partnered with two gaming icons: Blizzard and Twitch. Together, we organized and promoted competitive Hearthstone gaming tournaments on the Twitch platform. The tournaments were designed to be accessible for players from all over the world, allowing them to stream from their location and participate in the tournament. The partnership allowed us to leverage the reach and credibility of Blizzard and Twitch to attract a larger audience, as well as establish our brand as a reputable and professional organizer of esports tournaments.

The tournaments were broadcasted live on the Twitch platform, with expert commentators providing play-by-play coverage and analysis. The partnership also allowed us to offer exciting prizes and incentives to the winners, including cash prizes and exclusive in-game rewards.

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Stage Design

Designing a production set completely from the ground up was an exciting task. In hte past, we've created first iteration for our stage. Our team was determined to create a second iteration of a stage that would elevate our productions to the next level. Throughout the process, we learned a great deal about lighting and how certain colors would show up on the screen, allowing us to fine-tune our approach to ensure the best possible results. We also made the decision to bring in a crane to put our cameras on, which allowed us to capture shots from unique angles and perspectives. Working closely with our production team, we were able to create a set that met our needs and exceeded our expectations, giving us the tools we needed to take our productions to new heights and fit into the visual language.

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Set Design: Challenges and Considerations

Creating the set design was a fun new challenge for me. While I had worked on some large signage back in my advertising days, this project presented more challenges and factors to consider. In particular, I had to take into account how colors appear on television, and depth was very important. Things on TV are not always as they seem!

To ensure that we were filling the space accurately, I began by creating sketches from the top down. Then, I started to experiment with the mood of the design. I made sure that the set design adhered to the branding, even down to what the announcers were wearing.

Service Blueprint

This service blueprint is designed to enhance the user's experience by providing a seamless and integrated experience while using the PVP Live Service.

Mobile app

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Desktop

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Real-time Updates

One of the key features of our app was the ability to update in real time during a live broadcast. We were committed to delivering a seamless experience to our fans, ensuring that they would never miss a beat during the excitement of the game. Our app would continuously update the scores and events as they happened, allowing our viewers to follow along and stay up-to-date without ever having to leave the app. We knew that real-time updates were critical to our fans, and we made sure that our app was capable of delivering them with speed and accuracy. Whether it was a close game or a blowout, our fans could always count on our app to keep them informed and engaged from start to finish.

Motion Graphics

Design System and Branding Guide

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Results

  • The new esports graphics for PVP Live were well-received by the audience, and helped create a consistent and professional brand image for the startup.
  • The immersive and exciting experience created by the new graphics increased the engagement and retention of viewers and players.
  • The enhanced visual appeal of the esports matches and tournaments attracted a wider audience, and helped the startup establish itself as a serious player in the esports industry.

Outcome

PVP Live redesigned esports at the time of its inception. It helped create a new standard for professionalism with engaging visuals in the esports industry. By providing a more immersive and exciting experience, we were able to attract a wider audience and establish itself as a serious player in the industry. Putting on consistent broadcasts and having an average of 50,000 users we met out what we set to do. The process of user research, conceptualization, design, and testing helped create a successful UX strategy that met the startup's objectives and exceeded the user's expectations.