MARKKIT
SORT-A-FUN
Simplifying the Markkit gaming experience to encourage engagement
Overview
Sort-a-Fun, developed as a follow-up to Markkit, is a gaming app that focuses on fashion and merchandise. It’s a simple game of sorting — choose the correct tab to earn points, and earn extra points and badges when you snag bonus tabs. Easy and fun!
Product Goal
Increase game actions + conversion
Challenge
In a world where everyone is constantly inundated with new products, flash sales and hashtags, merchandise is getting harder and harder to market. Sort-a-Fun makes it easy to sell merch in a new, engaging way.
The challenge is in the “how” of it. How do we present merchandise in a way that makes it feel natural, fun and makes a user want to come back, all while reinventing an industry standard?
Process
Based on user feedback and data analysis, we took what was working from the Markkit app — compulsive gaming mechanics, gesture-based actions, merchandise-centric games — and simplified.
After an exhaustive wireframing exercise (seriously, it felt like one hundred rounds, minimum), I was able to pare the basic flow down to five simple screens. Once I simplified the game flow, I began to layer in targeted CTAs to cross-promote the Markkit app and enhance the gaming experience.
Solution
SORTA SIMPLE
The game play was simple — look at the image in the center of the screen and tap the icon that matches its category. See a top? Tap the ‘tops’ icon. High heels? Tap the shoe! The longer you play, the harder it is — more tab options and less time to choose. Plus, you’ll see bonus tabs that you’ll have to tap in addition to the category in order to win extra lives and badges of honor!
PLAYING + SELLING
Your profile is where you can see all of your game stats and access the items you’ve been playing with. See something you liked? Look for it in ‘Items You Sorted’ and click to buy or save for later. Users are constantly swiping through items, encouraging them to switch over to Markkit and make a purchase.
THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT
Your profile is where you can see all of your game stats and access the items you’ve been playing with. See something you liked? Look for it in ‘Items You Sorted’ and click to buy or save for later. Users are constantly swiping through items, encouraging them to switch over to Markkit and make a purchase.
Results
Unfortunately, just when we were gearing up to launch Sort-a-Fun, Markkit was at the end of its runway, which meant that we were unable to ship the app before closing Markkit.
I’m confident that the concept was strong, and that the gaming mechanics we used would’ve helped drive user engagement and conversion. We did so much research and analysis before creating Sort-a-Fun, it’s really disappointing that we didn’t get the chance to see it come to life.
THE SILVER LINING
It’s not all a loss, though. I’ve carried my learnings from Sort-a-Fun into projects I’ve done since then — like cross-promoting mechanics and features throughout a product, taking advantage of key moments to celebrate, and simplifying the user experience in order to encourage activity.
CREATED USING
Sketch
Illustrator
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MIXPANEL
Markkit users