'Exchange Wars' Multiplayer Mobile Game — High-Fidelity Wireframes (2016)
The Product
The game represents a financial trading simulator that uses real market data and lets a user to learn the trading basics from scratch in a simple game manner. The app's functionality gradually extends as a user progresses (for example, market analysis tools and bots become available to the user when he levels up).
Platform: Mobile (iOS).
Problem The Product Was Intended to Solve
Knowledge is the final barrier which keeps newcomers hesitant from taking their first step towards trading financial instruments. Exchange Wars game was specifically designed to eliminate this barrier, to involve users into financial trading in a simple and fun gaming form.
My Role
UI/UX designer. I created preliminary high-fidelity wireframes for the early test version of the game that lacks polished graphics but represents the core functionality, also explored possible graphic style directions — all in collaboration with CEO and game producer throughout the process. We were exploring overall look and feel of how the final product might look like, setting the grounds for further high-fidelity layouts and for everything that will be happening in the live app.
Team
CEO, Game Producer, UI/UX Designer (me), Developer, QA tester
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Process Timeline
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Wireframes for the Early Test Version
Players can join into teams or duelling. A player can participate in an unlimited number of games. The set duration of the game may vary: a day, a month etc. The game ends either when the set time elapses or when one of the teams achieves a goal. The prize then will be distributed among the members of the winning team.
What can help to take advantage and win the game: understanding of the markets and factors that affect their volatility, technical analysis (and availability of technical indicators and line study tools that become available as the player progresses)
As a player progresses, the functionality of the game expands with technical indicators, line study tools, each one will be accompanied by an easy to understand tutorial. Eventually the game can convert into a reference point for those players who consider to start trading for living.
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Style Explorations
On this stage I created sketches that explored 3 different graphic style directions for the game.
Dark interface with neon bright elements, this style was based on assumption that trading should seem easy and friendly to engage users.
Was rejected by CEO because this style is not associated with wealth and luxury that potential users strive for, that trading is not easy and that there is a reason why online casinos have their classic appearance.
'Golden' theme, was created after above feedback on dark neon theme. It is based on CEO's inputs about the game’s prospective vibe: luxurious and wealthy lifestyle, gold, diamonds, power and fame, villas, golf, statement pieces like watches, exclusive cars, bodyguards, private jets etc.
Business app / trading platform clean minimalist style is based on assumption that for users it will be easier to transition to real trading platform afterwards.
This style received positive feedback and was used in the first working prototype created by developer.
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Results
Based on my wireframes and sketches, and with Game Producer's and CEO's inputs, the first working prototype was built by the developer. This early version was tested by a small group of potential users (mostly beginner traders who recently started to use demo accounts with real forex brokers, also people who never traded before, and few experienced traders).
Because the idea and implementation received a positive feedback and seemed promising, the team was expanded further with Game Designer and UI Visual Designer to take the game to a next level. My role on this project has finished at this stage.
To date, the game is not published.
