Pokémon Go
OVERVIEW
As Pokémon Go evolved, coordinating in-person gameplay became challenging, diminishing its social appeal. To address this, I designed a Party Play scheduling feature that helps players plan group activities around Community Events, fostering real-world connections and improving retention.
PROJECT TYPE
Product design, user research & feature development
TIMELINE
5 weeks (November 2024 - December 2024)
SOFTWARES
Figma
Problem
Despite Pokémon Go's initial success, engagement has declined significantly, with a 79% drop in active U.S. players since 2016.
This decline pointed to deeper issues in player motivation and social design that data alone couldn’t explain. I conducted user research to analyze how players interact, coordinate, and sustain engagement in community-based games.
research
Rediscovering the Social Side of Play
To understand why players were losing interest, I interviewed six Pokémon Go players from both my personal network and the official Pokémon Go Discord.
The strongest theme that emerged was a loss of social connection—players missed the community that once came from coordinating raids and meeting others in person.
This insight guided my design direction toward helping players reconnect and make shared play easier and more meaningful.
How might we
Help players facilitate more in-person game play?
Refining the Question
After defining my initial question, I explored sketches and quick concepts to understand what “in-person gameplay” really meant to players.
Through this process, I realized that the challenge was about coordinating when and how to play together. This led me to refine my focus toward helping players schedule and organize shared play around Pokémon events.
Now, how might we
Help players schedule their party activities around Pokemon events?
iterations
Too Much Clutter, Not Enough Play
Early explorations focused on helping players plan their journeys, but the interface quickly became overwhelming. Too many choices and limited visual hierarchy made it hard for players to know what to do next. Usability testing revealed that what players really needed wasn’t more options, but more clarity: a simpler flow that left room for play.
Small Buttons, Big Problems
After simplifying layouts, new usability issues appeared. Key actions like “Add Time” were too small to tap comfortably, and players struggled to recognize which options were selected. This iteration shifted my focus from surface-level organization to interaction detail: refining spacing, button states, and touch targets so scheduling felt more natural and intuitive.
final product
Setting up an Adventure
Features: Introduced default date selection, clearer button states, and improved visibility for next steps.
Impact: Reduced confusion and improved navigation efficiency for scheduling in-game events.
Host Managing Adventure
Features: Introduced an "Upcoming Adventures" page for easy event tracking with structured listings and navigation.
Impact: Improved event coordination, making it easier to manage and access party plans with less effort.
Trainer accepts Invitation
Features: Added party invites to the Friends page for easy access and introduced a quick tap system for responses.
Impact: Streamlined coordination, making it faster to accept, decline, or revisit invitations while improving event participation.
Host finalizes Adventure
Features: Introduced color-coded availability indicators; green when all can attend, yellow for majority availability, and red when few or none can join.
Impact: Streamlined scheduling, making party finalization faster and more intuitive.
Multiple Invites
No Invites
last thoughts
Next steps
If I continued developing this concept, I’d focus on strengthening the parts of the experience that support long-term engagement. This includes expanding party-exclusive features to keep players invested after an adventure is planned, integrating light elements of nostalgia in ways that feel fresh rather than repetitive, and refining micro-interactions to make scheduling smoother and more intuitive. I’d also explore support for remote or rural players so coordinating with friends feels fair and accessible, regardless of where they live.
Reflection
This project taught me to scope more intentionally and stay realistic about what I can accomplish in a short timeline. It also reminded me of the value of seeking help early: collaboration often leads to stronger ideas. Most importantly, it reinforced that I’m capable of far more than I often give myself credit for, and that projects rooted in genuine interest always bring out my best work.