*This is a speculative project. I am not affiliated with Google Stadia.
Project Overview
Background
Stadia is a cloud-based gaming service developed and operated by Google. Stadia allows anyone with a fast internet connection to play games on their phones, tablets, desktop, and laptop computers. Similar to other video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, Games are streamed rather than downloaded, negating the need for expensive hardware like consoles and PCs. Launched in 2019, Stadia has steadily gained users, especially during the recent pandemic. In addition to traditional gaming companies like Xbox and Playstation that have their own cloud gaming services, Amazon has also joined the cloud gaming bandwagon.
Objective
Stadia has the benefit of being the most user-friendly and only fully cloud gaming platform. While they are steadily gaining a loyal userbase, they are beginning to lose players to other competitors and platforms. While gaming experiences with Stadia vary due to a variety of factors, including network strength, They’re looking for a way to ensure each user’s session is as smooth and seamless as possible.
Research Methodologies Used
Competitive Analysis
User Interviews
Secondary Research
User Surveys
User Personas
Usability Testing
My Role
UX Researcher
UX/UI Designer
Research
Competitive Analysis
In order to understand my users pinpoint a problem to be solved, I began by doing market research and conducting a competitive analysis. I found that while there are numerous similar platforms within the game streaming space, I focused on the four largest platforms to determine what aspects work well and opportunities for improvement.
Insights About the Current Market Space
Subscription vs Streaming
When comparing Stadia’s competitors, One differentiating factor is how the service is accessed. All except Luna stream games the user already owns either through a third-party store (the case for Nvidia Geforce Now) or through the user’s console library. Luna, however, is a game subscription akin to Netflix or Hulu, meaning the user pays a subscription fee to stream games for free or pays for the game on that specific service.
Game Library size/AAA games list
With all competitors, the size of the games library and the amount of AAA titles determines what value the service provides to the user. Generally, the more AAA titles the service has, the higher the user base and user retention. Nvidia has seen some trouble in this area with well-known studios pulling their games from the service over licensing issues. One benefit to PS Now and Xcloud is that they are extensions of their main market of established console/PC gaming. As such, The risk of losing titles and as a result, users is quite low.
Resolution quality
Streaming resolution is another factor that varies depending on the service and tech involved. Since game streaming is subjective on the internet speed of the user, Geforce Now and Luna both give the user the ability to adjust the resolution for better performance if internet speeds fluctuate.
Detailed internet speed test
All competitors have a feature that alerts and allows the user to check their internet signal strength but Nvidia allows for more detailed adjustments. Most others force the user to use a third-party benchmark/speed test. A benchmark test within the app itself would eliminate the user frustration of exiting the application/game to address technical issues.
Reaching Out to the Users
In order to get a more holistic view of Stadia’s experience, I began by seeking out online communities to take part in a screener survey. After I gleaned some data from the survey to get a general idea of user thoughts and frustrations with Stadia, I recruited 5 participants to interview.
User Survey Findings
Key Insights
Habits/gaming history
4 out of 5 users have 1-2 hours of free time to play
All users felt that Stadia was perfect for their casual gaming habits
Cloud gaming experience
4 out of 5 users have tried other cloud gaming services but cite Stadia as the easiest to use
4 out of 5 users were skeptical of performance when introduced to cloud gaming
Pain points
Network lagging and latency issues are the most frequent problems users face
Inconclusive network diagnostics and complicated troubleshooting methods leave users feeling helpless to address performance issues
Crafting User Personas
Using the data gathered from surveys and interviews, I created two personas.
User Flow
With the data I gleaned from market research, surveys, and user interviews, I created a flow based on a recurring pain point I was seeing in my research.
Sketches and Wireframes
With my flow mapped out, I started sketching possible solutions. During this phase, I looked and tested countless speed test and network diagnostics tools to determine what is commonly displayed and how I could differentiate this feature with others like it.
High Fidelity Screens
Using my sketches, I tapped my visual design well to create a User Interface that would display the information needed without overwhelming the user’s cognitive load. I aimed to design the feature to fit within the Stadia design system.
High Fidelity Prototype
Building off of my high fidelity screens, I laid out the flow for the prototype. Initially, I thought the process would be easier however, upon running a few trial tests, I discovered several inconsistencies with UI elements, alignment issues, and overall flow. Trial tests helped me fine-tune any issues before recruiting real users to test the prototype.
Findings and Next Steps
Usability testing revealed that of the 6 users who tested the prototype, 2 gave up and cited confusion about how to complete the initial task. Feedback was overall not as positive as I expected. Perhaps some further iterations and more extensive moderated testing would reveal more insights into this feature addition.