In 2017, we embarked on a mission to address the growing demand for a reliable marketplace where gamers could trade virtual items securely and efficiently. Skins.Cash was born, offering gamers a hassle-free platform to convert their in-game items into real value. With instant sales and global payment options, including popular systems and cards, withdrawing funds is a breeze, all with minimal transaction fees.
Develop an Intuitive Interface
Develop an easy-to-use interface (including mobile, tablet, desktop devices) that enables gamers and traders to trade, sell, and withdraw funds with just a few clicks,
Flexible Startup Approach
Adopt a flexible startup approach by starting with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and then add new requirements as they arise.
Withdrawal Process Flow
Incorporate the best practices for withdrawing funds into the design.
At the project's inception, my curiosity was piqued by the behavior of traders and gamers and their pain points. Despite my years of in-game experience, I recognized the need to delve deeper into the trading market. To this end, our team undertook a comprehensive series of interviews with gamers and traders, aiming to grasp their motivations, behaviors, and pain points, particularly in relation to in-game item trading.
Our research uncovered a significant issue for both groups: the inability to receive instant money from the Steam platform, the dominant player in the industry where users can sell in-game items. The selling process is convoluted, often taking 3-7 days to complete a transaction. Withdrawal of funds can be even more protracted, and Steam offers limited withdrawal options. These factors combine to create a user experience that is not only challenging but also deeply frustrating.
It became evident that:
Skins.cash should be a rapid platform, enabling users to sell and receive money swiftly. Its design should be streamlined and purpose-driven, devoid of unnecessary details. The user experience should be enhanced through transparent and highly reliable user flows, setting it apart from other platforms.
After conducting user interviews and competitor analysis, it was time to use our hypotheses and ideas to create wireframes that would map out the platform's layout, structure, and flow. Our focus was on essential user tasks such as browsing items, listing items for sale, and withdrawing funds.
Our primary objective was to ensure that the user flows were clear and well-balanced, enabling users to navigate the platform easily. Once we completed the wireframing process, we moved on to creating interactive prototypes. This allowed us to simulate the user's journey and answer the key question - does it work for our users, and how well does it work?
Also we kept an attention that our design and flows are consistent across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.
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After conducting user experience (UX) research and creating prototypes, Skins.Cash's next phase was to focus on user interface (UI) design. The goal was to create an intuitive and visually appealing interface that would be easy to use.
Since Skins.Cash already had a logo and brand guidelines, the main challenge was incorporating them into the website design. The primary color chosen for the backgrounds was Midnight Express (#232c3d), while Hyperpop Green (#0EE5A1) was used as an accent color.
One of the challenges the team faced was to create an in-game style on the Skins.Cash platform that could capture the essence of the feelings of gamers and traders. To achieve this, colorful backgrounds and the game's style were implemented in the design.
The Skins.Cash project was highly successful, with users reporting high satisfaction with the platform experience. This was achieved through meticulous UX research, strategic UX prototyping, and thoughtful UI design. As a result, Skins.Cash became a leading digital marketplace for in-game item trading.
Various metrics indicated that users were satisfied with the platform:
User Feedback: Feedback collected from gamers and traders highlighted their appreciation for the intuitive interface, which allowed them to trade, sell, and withdraw funds effortlessly. Users were happy with the variety of withdrawal methods, including credit cards, wallets, and even crypto wallets.
Usability Testing Results: Iterative testing sessions conducted throughout the design process consistently showed positive user responses. This indicated that the platform's user flow was clear, logical, and easy to navigate.
Usage Metrics: Analyzing user engagement metrics (Hotjar, Yandex Metrica, and Google Analytics), such as time spent on the platform, frequency of transactions, bounce rate, and repeat visits, revealed a high level of user adoption and retention. In the first month, bounce rates were 28-36%, and successful transactions per session were up to 75%.
