Project Brief: Rocket Gaming Systems, an enterprise of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Business Development Authority, operates out of Grove, Oklahoma. The company specializes in designing, developing, and delivering slot-style casino games and cabinets, primarily serving Native American Tribe-owned casinos in the U.S., along with growing state-regulated markets. Renowned as a pioneer and leading manufacturer in Class II interactive electronic gaming systems and player stations, Rocket Gaming sought to further its reputation in the casino industry.

Solution: In response to Rocket Gaming’s request for a standout game, we developed an Egyptian-themed slot game centered on Isis, a significant deity in Egyptian mythology. Our comprehensive approach included:

1. Data Analysis and Terminology Understanding: Analyzing thousands of data elements and familiarizing with scientific terminology to ensure accuracy and relevance.
2. Workflow Structuring: Developing a well-organized workflow, breaking down the system into distinct processes for efficient DNA sample tracking. This restructuring also included capturing historical data for more intuitive user guidance.
3. Collaborative Workshops: Conducting workshops to critically analyze the workflow and develop wireframes, facilitating collaborative problem-solving and design ideation.
4. Efficient Redesign: Achieving a complete system redesign within one year, a significant improvement over the previous 2-3 years spent on redesign and requirements gathering.

Learnings:  The project demanded extensive coordination with cross-functional teams, encompassing aspects such as design, art assets, animations, sound/music, and sprite sheets, highlighting the importance of communication in complex game development.

Results: The “Magic of Isis” game emerged as a major revenue generator on casino floors. Its high-quality graphics, character design, and animations provided a deeply immersive experience with a compelling narrative, successfully keeping players engaged and entertained. This project not only reinforced Rocket Gaming’s position in the casino industry but also demonstrated our ability to create captivating gaming experiences.

Solution: My role was to spearhead the design of three socially-engaging casino slot games while managing a team of remote designers. The project required:

1. Creation of Immersive Experiences: Each game was designed to offer a rich and immersive user experience, featuring unique and captivating graphics and exciting bonus round picks supporting the narrative.
2. Comprehensive Design Involvement: I was actively involved in every phase of the game design process. This included:
   • Initial consultations with stakeholders to understand their vision and objectives.
   • Conceptualization of game themes and mechanics.
   • Direction and coordination with the art team to ensure aesthetic excellence.
   • Scope management to align the project with budgetary and timeline constraints.
   • Hands-on development of game assets, ensuring a cohesive and engaging visual narrative.
3. Efficient Project Execution: Managing multiple games simultaneously required meticulous attention to detail and effective time management.

Learnings: Delivering three high-quality games within a three-month period was a challenging endeavor. It demanded not only creative skills but also rigorous project management and the ability to maintain high standards under tight deadlines.

Results: The games, distinguished by their compelling narratives and superior animations, quickly became popular on Gamehouse’s Facebook platform. They exceeded expectations in user engagement and monetization, with specially designed bonus games further enhancing player revenue. The success of these games demonstrated not only the effectiveness of the design and management strategies employed but also set a new standard for social casino games on social media platforms.

Project Brief: Lululemon’s existing blog was underperforming, failing to align with user expectations and business objectives. The primary issues included a dated design, unclear navigation, and lackluster aesthetics, all contributing to poor user engagement, low adoption rates, and minimal impact on sales.

Solution: As the lead Product Manager, I spearheaded a comprehensive redesign of the blog to enhance user experience (UX), drive higher adoption, and boost sales. Key elements of the solution included:

1. Intuitive Navigation: Implementing user-friendly navigation to streamline user journeys.
2. Responsive Design: Ensuring seamless usability across various devices.
3. Information Architecture Reformation: Restructuring the blog’s layout for better information flow and accessibility.
4. Enhanced Layouts with Rich Media: Integrating rich media elements, quick access links, and clear calls-to-action to foster user engagement.
5. Optimized Social Sharing: Enhancing social sharing capabilities to broaden content reach and visibility.

Learnings: Effective daily collaboration and meticulous attention to detail were pivotal in the successful execution of this project.

Results: The redesigned blog significantly improved user engagement and conversion rates. Optimized layouts and enhanced readability led to a more enjoyable user experience. Additionally, the improved social sharing functionality expanded the blog’s reach, effectively bolstering Lululemon’s online presence and contributing to its digital marketing success.

Project Brief: Lululemon needed an efficient way to showcase Christmas gift ideas, ensuring users had quick access to product details without a cumbersome navigation process. A frictionless experience leading to the checkout was essential.

Solution: My role included, highlighting the “Gift Guide” button/link on the homepage during the holiday season. Present individual men’s and women’s items alongside a Gift Guide option displaying complete outfits. Implement a modal below each image, offering quick PDP features for users to select colors and sizes directly, streamlining the checkout process.

Learnings: Image selection to expose PDP enhanced the user experience, encouraging further exploration and engagement

Results: The approach facilitated easy exploration of gift ideas, offering clarity on individual pieces, color choices, sizes, and outfit combinations. Users found the decision-making process more straightforward, leading to increased efficiency in the checkout.

Project Brief: Boveda sought to develop TR1N1TY Trust, a pioneering digital service addressing the growing need for managing digital legacies. In an era where digital data is constantly evolving through social networking, eCommerce, and online videos, the concept of digital legacy has become increasingly significant. TR1N1TY Trust was envisioned as the world’s first “digital heartbeat” service, designed to monitor a user’s digital presence and alert their loved ones in cases of inactivity or distress. The service aimed to offer reassurance and proactive management of digital assets, ensuring they are securely transferred to designated contacts if necessary.

Solution: As the product manager, I led a thorough analysis of the competitive landscape to formulate a strategic roadmap. Key actions included:

1. Market Analysis: Investigating the competitive environment to identify market trends and user touchpoints.
2. Roadmap Development: Crafting a product roadmap with phased feature releases, aligning with stakeholder budgets.
3. MVP Identification: Determining the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to position TR1N1TY Trust effectively in the market.
4. Innovative Feature Design: Developing a unique tracking mechanism using cellphone devices, enabling the detection of user distress or inactivity without relying on conventional features.

Learnings: This project highlighted the versatility of cellphone device features, which we utilized to create a reliable method for monitoring user activity and triggering alerts to their loved ones.

Results: Our strategic approach resulted in a comprehensive product roadmap, detailed concept, and wireframes. These deliverables provided essential guidance for stakeholders and the development team, laying the foundation for the successful implementation of TR1N1TY Trust. This initiative not only positions Boveda at the forefront of digital legacy management but also demonstrates our commitment to innovative, user-centric solutions in the digital age.

Project Brief: Design and development of a distinctive online gambling game for Old Skool Studios that was engaging and had an innovative game that distinguished itself in the competitive online gambling market.

Solution:

1. Innovation and Presence: The game must feature unique and innovative elements that enable it to stand out in the vast online gambling landscape.
2. Compliance with Mathematical Models: Essential adherence to the mathematical models and frameworks required for regulated gaming, ensuring compliance and fairness.
3. Artistic Appeal: The design and art style of the game need to be visually striking, with the aim of attracting and retaining players, ultimately driving monetization.

Learnings: Supporting game features and the math model proved to be a challenge that allowed us to come up with innovative solutions for game play. These included using a pachinko mechanic for the gamble feature and the bonus wheel for the bonus game.

Results: A captivating and compliant online gambling game that effectively merges creative innovation with the necessary regulatory standards, while also achieving strong player engagement and monetization potential.

Project Brief: JPM required an expedited design for an online casino to align with a critical game release, facing a strict two-month deadline for design and development to facilitate immediate revenue generation.

Solution: After analyzing JPM’s tech stack, I collaborated closely with the development team to identify the quickest and most efficient method for feature implementation. We identified low hanging fruit to implement first. I meticulously wireframed each feature, annotating interactions comprehensively. Following this, I initiated the design phase, crafting visual assets aligned with the website’s functionality.

1. Technology Analysis: Conducted a thorough analysis of JPM’s technology stack to understand the framework and potential constraints.
2. Efficient Collaboration: Worked closely with the development team to identify and prioritize ‘quick win’ features for rapid implementation.
3. Detailed Wireframing: Created detailed wireframes for each feature, including comprehensive annotations to guide interactions.
4. Design and Art Production: Developed visual assets that were both aesthetically pleasing and functionally aligned with the website’s needs.
5. Concept Development: Designed an engaging user experience tailored to the unique features of the casino games.
6. Art and UI/UX Design: Ensured high-quality graphics and user-friendly interface designs.
7. Strategic Team Collaboration: Maintained close coordination with the development team for seamless integration of design elements.

Learnings: Employing a streamlined design process and effective client communication was crucial in meeting the demanding two-month timeline.

Results:  project’s success was marked by the delivery of all necessary assets and a detailed blueprint for the website’s construction. This agile approach to design enabled JPM to launch their online casino in sync with the game release, maximizing revenue opportunities and demonstrating the value of rapid yet meticulous design execution.

Project Brief: Design and development of a distinctive online gambling game for Old Skool Studios that was engaging and had an innovative game that distinguished itself in the competitive online gambling market.

Solution:

1. Innovation and Presence: The game must feature unique and innovative elements that enable it to stand out in the vast online gambling landscape.
2. Compliance with Mathematical Models: Essential adherence to the mathematical models and frameworks required for regulated gaming, ensuring compliance and fairness.
3. Artistic Appeal: The design and art style of the game need to be visually striking, with the aim of attracting and retaining players, ultimately driving monetization.

Learnings: Supporting game features and the math model proved to be a challenge that allowed us to come up with innovative solutions for game play. These included using a pachinko mechanic for the gamble feature and the bonus wheel for the bonus game.

Results: A captivating and compliant online gambling game that effectively merges creative innovation with the necessary regulatory standards, while also achieving strong player engagement and monetization potential.

Project Brief: Lost World Games, after acquiring captivating art assets from an external studio, faced the challenge of integrating these assets into a fully-fledged slot game. The project demanded not just the standard slot game mechanics but also the incorporation of multiple levels and rewards to elevate the gaming experience. In addition, a fully fleshed-out game UI was required to support the narrative.

Solution:

1. Interactive Elements Implementation: We successfully embedded interactive elements into the game’s background, ingeniously representing each bonus level. The intensity of these elements dynamically escalated in response to player achievements, adding an immersive depth to the gameplay.
2. Compliance with Regulated Markets: Our development rigorously adhered to the mathematical models and frameworks essential for regulated gaming. We innovated with a unique mix of rewards, badges, and bonus game interactions to ensure compliance and fairness, all while enhancing player engagement.
3. Artistic and Narrative Integration: The game’s design and art style were not just visually striking; they were intricately woven to support the narrative of the Kaiju genre, adding a rich, thematic layer to the gaming experience.

Learnings: This project was a testament to our ability to creatively merge diverse gaming genres and deeply understand player psychology. We balanced the thrill of skill-based gameplay with the precision of gambling regulations, a dual approach that maintained the integrity and appeal of the game.

Results: The game’s innovative design and skill-based elements resonated particularly well in Asian markets, leading to its standout success. It marked a departure from traditional base games, becoming the first skill-based gambling game to achieve such acclaim. This success not only reflected the game’s innovative design but also underscored our commitment to pushing the boundaries of conventional gaming experiences.

Project Brief: Major League Partners aimed to create a desktop application for capturing and analyzing baseball swings. The app features a video capture tool and a ‘capture wizard’ for processing the swing through a training module. This module examines seven key postures, leading to the generation of automated, personalized lessons to enhance players’ swings.

Solution: The development utilized Adobe Flash, which facilitated the breakdown of the swing capture process and its integration into the application. Flash was selected for its ability to deliver rich, interactive content. The captured swing data was combined with a comprehensive database of professional coaching drills and comparisons with top Major League Baseball players. Additionally, the app provided coaches with a telestration tool to further refine players’ techniques.

Learnings: Despite Adobe Flash’s limitations, extensive ActionScript coding enabled the creation of a highly innovative tool for baseball swing analysis at the time.

Results: The tool’s demonstration at U.S. trade shows led to significant retail interest, resulting in widespread distribution and endorsements from major league players like Hideaki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez. This success culminated in the acquisition of the company, marking a notable achievement in sports technology.