Creating WASD.tv, A Cybersport Streaming Service

Local streaming service for eSports

Role
Design Team Lead

Deliverables
Branding
Ux Concept
Ui Concept
Ux/Ui Design
User Testing

Created with
MTS

Year
2018

Product Goals

Launch MVP of streaming service

Process

For this startup, I assembled the design team and established the design process from scratch. We recruited four designers who are deeply involved in the gaming and streaming industry. Additionally, we hired a big data researcher.

Design Team

We were unable to find senior-level product designers with experience in streaming, so I hired lower-grade designers or those from other specialities, but with a passion for gaming and streaming. I then invested effort in training them in advanced product design methodologies. Teaching them to test prototypes and consider accessibility requirements was particularly challenging. However, I managed to overcome these difficulties in 8 months.

Here is the comprehensive list of features and tasks accomplished by our team:

Conducted several in-depth interviews with streamers
Administered a survey leveraging the resources of the parent company
Created the project’s information architecture, based on the needs of the business, viewers, and streamers
Drafted a Jobs-to-be-Done (JBTD) framework and developed user personas
Outlined the business requirements
Initiated the design collection and began its development using the Scrum methodology

Impacts

The service has been in development for 3 years. There have been several iterations of improvements. The information structure proved to be quite successful and flexible.

Challenges

Enhancing the service to surpass the quality of Twitch proved to be a significant challenge. Discovering the market fit required time, but we eventually found a solution within our local ecosystem and through the introduction of contests and leagues.

The designers were unaccustomed to data-driven design. Therefore, it necessitated some time to acquaint them with the principles of effective product design.

Insights

This project marked my first attempt to integrate the design team into the Scrum process, a task that presented its challenges.

The Jobs-to-be-Done (JBTD) methodology aided in my understanding of the unique characteristics of the eSports and streaming audience. It served as a useful quality benchmark for our interfaces.

If faced with the choice between hiring a talented or an experienced designer, it’s often better to lean towards the former. This is because experience can be gained over time, while talent is inherent.

What I’ve learned from this project

Scrum is not the best approach for creating the first version of a product when there’s a strong vision in place. It’s more reliable and quicker to develop a rapid design concept (within 2–4 weeks) with key features using the waterfall methodology.

It’s also a good idea to plan for a maximum set of features from the outset.

Once there’s a clear foundational design for the service core, you can transition to flexible methodologies.