Respawnd

Overview

Problem

Whether it is streaming, esports, or casual players, women in gaming have proved to be a significant demographic. However, as these women participate in gaming, many experience sexual harassment which continues to be perpetuated in online video games through chat and other forms of toxic behaviors. As a result, there is a large disparity in the gaming industry workforce, since it has been reported that women who have had hostile experiences while playing games are less likely to pursue a career in the game industry.

Solution

By preventing these experiences with toxic behaviors and sexual harassment, we would be able to make both the gaming industry and the online gaming player base more inclusive. The app connects gamers to other gamers to reduce toxic behaviors, incorporated through the creation of teams with people that have mutual connections in their local community. Active profiles allow for the connection of online and real life identities to promote stronger connections and camaraderie between teammates.

My Role

UX Researcher,
Product Designer

Team

Jonathan Lai (Designer)

Duration

6 months

Tools

Figma

outcome

Match based on similar gaming interests

Users select the game and platform that they would like to play and are matched with that games’ user base. Matches can be filtered based on different parameters such as gender, age, and schedule. Profiles include personal information as well as endorsements and teammate ratings by others.

Communicate and determine your compatibility

After matching with another player, users can message one another and determine if they would like to play with each other. Groups are created with other gamers to communicate with among squads of people. They can talk amongst each other in a group chat to plan gaming sessions.

Endorse your groupmates' profiles for others to see

After playing games with connections, users can give ratings and reviews for other users to promote positive behavior and reduce toxicity.

Research

With the rise in the popularity of video games, the gaming industry has become one of the fastest growing markets in the world. Despite the number of female players steadily increasing, women are frequently excluded from the game development workforce. I wanted to create a project that addresses and approaches this problem in the gaming industry.

Literature Review

In order to get a better understanding of my topic, I performed a literature review to gain scholar supported knowledge and statistics. From my studies, I discovered the following information:

When compared to the game development industry, women account for 22% of developers worldwide. Out of all the video game directors that presented their works at conferences last year, 77% of them were male
In a 2020 online game survey, women have been reported to experience the most harassment by identity when compared to other demographics
The consequences of harassment include anxiety, depression, PTSD, and emotional distress. Aside from the physical effects of toxic behaviors, research has found that women withdraw from videogames after experiencing harassment

"Women who had hostile experiences reported that they were less likely to pursue a career in the game industry"

- Shaer, et al. (2017)

Competitive Analysis

Continuing my research, I needed to find current approaches to the problems that were identified in my literature review. I wanted to focus on two categories of solutions: counters to toxicity and community connection. By researching current designs that address these issues, I can better understand my subject matter, identify potential users, and bring previous knowledge to my product.

The main take aways from my competitive analysis include:

while some social apps have reporting systems in place, it lacks robust features to address toxic behaviors within the platform. This may deter users seeking a more positive and respectful gaming environment.
most of the tools focus on in-game behavior moderation rather than fostering social connections among gamers
important to support various gaming platforms, allowing users to connect across different devices

Competitive Analysis Details

Counters to Toxicity

The Tribunal by League of Legends

The Tribunal was a community-based court system implemented in 2011 where other players could vote to ban players after reviewing evidence. Punishments for guilty offenses included a warning, suspension, name change, or even permanent banning. When a player received enough temporary suspensions, their account was flagged and a random sampling of games in which the player has been reported is displayed for community review.

Endorsement Ranking in Overwatch

The endorsement ranking in Overwatch, where players with good behavior record are grouped with other players of the same status to promote teamwork. This system rewards and features players for their good behavior and allows people to be recognized as good teammates.

Games and Online Harassment Hotline

The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is a free, text message-based emotional support hotline that acts as confidential emotional support the gaming community. The hotline provides referrals and resources to players, developers, and streamers in the community.

Community Connection

Bumble

Bumble is an online matchmaking app that allows users to connect for dating, friend finding, or professional networking. Women make the first move when matching with another person, hoping to condone respectful behavior when building relationships.

GamerLink

GamerLink is a platform for gamers to connect with friends and find parties across the world to have better online experiences. It includes a chat function to allow teammates to strategize and make winning easier. The app focuses on competitive gaming and the importance of finding good teammates.

User Survey

To learn more about my target users, I conducted a user survey of 12 questions with 50 participants to gain insight on the user base and community. The survey was designed to collect participant's input and experiences with online gaming and toxic behaviors.

Some of my main findings include:

86% of participants feel that toxicity (defined as flaming or game rage, griefing, hate speech, or sexual harassment) is an issue in online gaming
92% of participants have experienced toxicity themselves while playing an online game
A majority of players at 82% have experienced toxicity towards their game performance while 50% have encountered toxicity towards their gender
Participants find respect as being the most important characteristic, followed by maturity and open communication

Additionally, some of the notable user quotes that describe their experiences are listed below:

“I understand they are jokes but it is annoying for guys to tell me as a girl I have no rights or they shame other guys for losing to me. It is annoying too when they call me degrading names.”

“When I get flamed while knowing that I don’t perform well, I get extremely stressed. At that point I don’t enjoy playing anymore but don’t want to dodge the game either. To be honest, it makes me feel miserable and has made me cry before.”

“As a woman I feel a lot of pressure to "be good", to not be the stereotype a lot of other gamers make us out to be (like female players having to play support champions only). But the truth is, I'm not a good player. I don't play often enough to improve quickly and I'm not talented.”

Additional Survey Details

Survey demographic stats:

54% Male, 34% Female, 12% Other
26% between 10 - 19 years old
62 % between 20 - 29 years old

4% between 30 - 39 years old
8% between 40 - 49 years old

A majority of players at 82% have experienced toxicity towards their game performance while 50% have encountered toxicity towards their gender. When playing online games, participants find respect as being the most important characteristic, followed by maturity and open communication.

Personas

After combining my survey results with my literature and competitive review research, I was able to create the following personas and experience maps to help guide my designs.

Design

The toxicity issue in online video gaming can be attributed to the disconnect between characters and players. The project will seek to bridge online and real life identities to create familiar companions for online play. By promoting companionship, we can limit interaction with anonymous, toxic people in online games and allow for better online experiences. After multiple design workshops and brainstorming sessions, I developed the below concept.

Concept

Title: Respawnd

Problem: Women are a shocking minority at only 24% of developers worldwide. Out of all the video game directors that presented their works at conferences last year, 77% of them were male. As more women participate in gaming, sexual harassment is perpetuated in online video games through chat and other forms of toxic behaviors. By preventing toxic behaviors and sexual harassment, we would be able to make gaming more inclusive and increase the player base.

Scenario of Use: People use the app to find local teammates/friends to play online multiplayer games.

Target Demographic: Gamers of all ages, people with few friends that play online games.

Objectives of the app? Connect gamers to other gamers to reduce toxic behaviors; incorporated through the creation of teams of people with mutual connections/local community.

Mood Board

Before starting the graphic design of my app, I performed a mood board exercise to gather inspiration for the project's style. The keywords I wanted to communicate with the app are senses of community and inclusivity with a retro undertone.

Style Guide

Experience Map & Storyboard

With my project's user base and survey results in mind, I created the below experience map and storyboard to facilitate in the development and UX design of the app. Within the app, users will select the game and platform that they want to play and connect with nearby people. They will be able to message with others and determine their compatibility before meeting in game. Finally, after playing the game, they can leave a review and invite other friends to join their squad in app.

User Flow

I created the below user flows to assist in creating the design of the app. By creating the user flow, the app can provide a seamless and engaging experience for users, fostering positive interactions, reducing toxicity, and ultimately connecting gamers in meaningful and rewarding ways.

Wireframes

With my project's user base and survey results in mind, I created the below experience maps, storyboard, and user flows to facilitate in the development and UX design of the app.