Summary 📝
- Background:
- Since Mabinogi is one of Nexon’s earliest releases, its major features are almost entirely outdated.
- Objectives:
- Identify player pain points for Mabinogi’s overall UX revamp
- With novice players, we looked at how they adapt to features in Mabinogi
- With advanced players, we looked at how they use features in Mabinogi
- Identify player pain points for Mabinogi’s overall UX revamp
- Methods:
- Task-Based Usability Test
- Participant:
- Inexperienced Players of Mabinogi (RPG Enthusiasts), 4 Individuals
- Experienced Players of Mabinogi, 4 Individuals
Background
🛠 Mabinogi, facing its Biggest Update: UX Renewal
Since Mabinogi is one of Nexon’s earliest releases, the entire system, including its UI elements, is outdated. We were asked to advise the product team on identifying areas of improvement for Mabinogi’s biggest update: UX renewal.
Objectives
1️⃣ Identify player pain points for Mabinogi’s overall UX revamp
2️⃣ With novice players, we looked at how (how well) they adapt to the features
3️⃣ With advanced players, we looked at how they use the features in a usual setting
Methods
🗣 Task-Based Usability Test
We conducted task-based usability tests to understand the current usability status of Mabinogi’s basic features.
👥 Participants
A total of 8 participants consisted of 4 novice players and 4 advanced players of Mabinogi.
mabinogi_4
📋 Task Design
We asked participants to perform tasks, observed them, and interviewed them afterward.
mabinogi_3Reporting
🔖 Executive Summary
Based on the frequency and repetitive mentions during the tests, we determined the severity of each usability issue. (2 Pages)
Mabinogi_5-6
🔖 Usability Issues
Particularly with the novice players, we aimed to assess how novice players adapt to the features. (16 Pages)
novice_newWith the advanced players, our aim was to observe how they use the features in a usual setting. (13 Pages)
advanced_new
🔖 Quantitative Data
Based on each participant’s task completion time and post-task evaluation (rating), we summarized the following results. (4 Pages)
Mabinogi_11-14(final)
🔖 Qualitative Data
Based on our observation and data collected through interviews after the tasks, we summarized the following results. (4 Pages)
Mabinogi_7-10(new)Research Impact
👩🏻💻 Post-Project Stakeholder Interviews
We conducted post-project stakeholder interviews to evaluate the impact of our research (example script below).
Post-Project Stakeholder Interviews_cropped
📌 Product Impact
- Overall
- Analyzing the full scope of features helped the product team understand the current state of in-game usability.
- Feature 1. Inventory
- Based on our findings, the product team is reviewing usability improvements for upcoming updates.
- Inventory will be the element most significantly influenced by our findings.
- Feature 2. Menu
- Based on our findings, the product team is reviewing usability improvements for upcoming updates.
- Settings in the Menu has an impact on players’ long-term engagement.
- Feature 3. Skills
- Based on our findings, the product team is reviewing usability improvements for upcoming updates.
📌 Strategic Impact
- Helped the product team’s decision making
- Prioritizing usability issues based on data like task time helped the product team’s decision-making.
- Helped build product team’s empathy with novice players
- Observing user usability tests in real-time helped foster empathy with novice players.
- A UX Task Force is conceived and established:
- Upon our delivery, the product team created a cross-functional task force team for UX renewal.
- The product team requested a further study on advanced features:
- Upon our delivery, the product team asked us for an additional study on some advanced features.
- Further studies on usability improvements post-update.
- Additional validation for players who are accustomed to the latest services.
- Leverage data for communication
- The data on received UX issues will be utilized as evidence for communication within the team.
Product
Introducing Mabinogi Online
From combat and crafting to performing music and pet training, you can live out your fantasy life in Mabinogi. Mabinogi is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released by Nexon. It offers players an open world for exploration, combat, social interactions, character customization, and non-combat activities like crafting and playing musical instruments.
My Role
Project Lead
As the Project Lead, I managed a small group of researchers and oversaw the entire project, from the initial stakeholder interviews to successful delivery. Collaborating closely with research coordinators and the product team, we recruited participants, designed and conducted research, and delivered a comprehensive report.