EA PC App, aka ‘The Player Network’
With net bookings consistently gaining on PC, EA wanted to invest in a re-envisioned product that would serve as a foundation for subscription-focused cross-platform play.
My role: UX Director responsible for the successful launch of the PC app and third-party subscription services
Okay, let’s try this again.
In 2018, EA had a successful PC direct-to-consumer business in the Origin PC app, and had just shipped a subscription service on it. We saw how Discord had impacted how players connect and play, and wondered what an amazing PC experience could be that was focused on subscriptions and social experiences.
Selling the sizzle, not the steak.
While executive leadership was conceptually aligned from conversations with our group’s VP, we needed to sell them on an outsized investment—the Origin team was relatively small and would have to maintain the current product for the years that this new product was in development, so restructuring and hiring would be required.
We also needed to sell several other teams and studios on building time into their roadmaps to support the project, so we did what all the game teams did and—after initial research and concepting—made a trailer to present at the biannual show-and-tell.
Early Research & Concepts
First Round of Reviews
Second Round of Reviews
Aligned Initial Direction
The Pitch Video
As we narrowed in on the product goals—and the visual designs and prototypes started gelling into a directional component library and design system—we got to building our content to garner trust and excitement in the project.
It was a success. We got the funding we needed as well as the support.
Beginning Pre-Production
Setting the App Foundations
We create a clear set of regions within the UI architecture for core navigation, utilities and content, and developed a multi-layered system for presenting dynamic content with seamless transitions as users navigated through the app.
We also focused on adaptability rules to ensure the hierarchy was maintained contextual to the users screen size.
Production Begins
Prototype, Test, Repeat
With product requirements set and estimated, we began defining the core component infrastructure against features.
An early version of Home
Discover Experience
Search
Product Page
Notifications
The Mobile App That Got Killed
What We Shipped
While several of the stickier new features that were planned didn’t make it to launch, we met our goal of building a new subscriptions-optimized app that could scale for years to come, all on top of a multi-product design system.
Bonus Content!
Always Looking Ahead
Even deep in production, the team found time to run sprints on future feature improvements as well as the future of gaming itself. This sprint from 2019 turned into a shorty storytelling video on the potential of cloud gaming.
Case Studies
Epic Games
2020-2025
Social Systems
Creator Portal
Shop & Subscriptions
Electronic Arts
2014-2020
Cross-Platform Play
The Archives
2006-2014
Code School: Course Creation
LACMTA: Trip Planner