01
OVERVIEW
This was a profile update for Game Launcher, designed to make the experience feel more personal, playful, and engaging.
Rather than treating the profile as a static account page, We redefined it as a space where users could express identity, reflect their activity, and build a stronger connection with the service.
Through a gamified profile experience, the project turned an informational screen into a more dynamic and rewarding part of the product
My Role
Product Planning
Concept Development
UX/UI Planning
Gamification concept definition for user engagement and in-app retention, mission- and reward-based profile system design, egg-hatching and character collection flow planning, UX team collaboration for screen design, external illustrator direction and asset review
The Team
Samsung Gaming Hub
Timeline
Mar 2021 – 2022
Launched as an update across Korea and global versions
02
BACKGROUND
A utility-first experience with limited room for identity and engagement
Game Launcher primarily functioned as a utility app for organizing installed games and managing account-related information. While it served that purpose well, the overall experience remained heavily functional and offered little sense of progression, self-expression, or emotional engagement. As a result, the profile felt underused despite being one of the few areas in the product with real potential to become a more meaningful user touchpoint.
03
PROBLEM FRAMING
Why the Profile Needed to Change
Limited Personal Expression
The profile offered only a small set of preset avatar images, with little room for customization or individuality. As a result, profiles felt generic and disconnected from the user’s identity.
Low Incentive to Revisit
Once a profile was set, there was little incentive to update or revisit it over time. Without visible progress, dynamic content, or meaningful rewards, the experience gave users little reason to stay engaged.
Built for Management, Not Engagement
Game Launcher was built mainly as a tool for organizing downloaded games, and the profile reflected that same utilitarian structure. It lacked the sense of playfulness, progression, and interaction expected from a gaming-focused product.
04
CONCEPT APPROACH
Rethinking the Experience
This project redefined profile identity as something users earn through engagement, not just set once.
The aim was to make profile customization feel light, playful, and worth returning to.
Participation-based identity
Profile images were unlocked through activity rather than selected from a fixed list.
Light and intuitive interaction
The system was designed to feel easy to understand and simple to use.
An experience that invites return
The profile was structured to support ongoing engagement instead of one-time setup.
Concept Direction
I introduced a mission-based profile acquisition flow built around a simple gamification loop. Users complete activities or missions to earn eggs, wait for them to hatch, and receive random characters that can be applied as profile images. This structure turned profile customization into a collectible and evolving experience rather than a one-time selection task.
Why It Worked
This project redefined profile identity as something users earn through engagement, not just set once.
The aim was to make profile customization feel light, playful, and worth returning to.
Participation-based identity
The flow used familiar elements—missions, eggs, hatching, and character rewards—to make participation feel intuitive and approachable.
Built for return visits
Delayed rewards and random character collection created a natural reason for users to come back and check their profile over time.
More than a one-time setting
By connecting rewards to profile customization, the profile became a more active and engaging part of the experience.
05
REWARD SYSTEM
System Flow
A profile reward system designed to turn engagement into collectible identity.
The loop connected missions, egg rewards, hatching, collection, and profile application into one continuous system.
Mission Structure
Missions were designed around behaviors already meaningful to Game Launcher, so rewards could reinforce real product engagement rather than introduce disconnected tasks.
Time-Based Missions
Users could earn rewards by spending time in Game Launcher, such as staying for 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 3 minutes. These missions encouraged lightweight but repeated visits without adding friction.
Play-Based Missions
Missions were also tied to gameplay behaviors, including playing games across different genres such as RPG, puzzle, or casual. This connected profile rewards to actual gaming activity rather than passive setup actions.
Built Around Existing Behaviors
Instead of asking users to complete unrelated tasks, the mission system was structured around actions that already mattered to the service. This made the reward loop feel more natural, relevant, and sustainable within Game Launcher.
06
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Visual Direction
Because the reward system centered on collectible profile identities, the visual quality of the characters had a direct impact on user satisfaction and the desirability of the system itself.
Since the profile reward system was built around collecting and applying character identities, the visual outcome was not a secondary detail but a core part of the experience. If the characters did not feel appealing, balanced, and worth owning, the reward loop itself would lose value. For that reason, I treated character quality as essential to the experience and decided to collaborate with a professional illustrator to make the collection feel desirable and cohesive.
Art Direction Criteria
Before production, I defined a clear character direction so the collection could feel broadly appealing while still retaining a distinct identity.
Rather than aiming for a style that leaned too heavily in one direction, I wanted the character set to feel balanced, approachable, and recognizable across different user preferences.
Not overly feminine
Not overly masculine
Not overly childish
Not simply too cute
Friendly, symbolic, and broadly likable
Designed to feel like a cohesive collection rather than random profile assets
This balance mattered because the characters were meant to function not just as decorative artwork, but as collectible profile identities users would want to keep earning and displaying.
Collaborating with an External Illustrator
I collaborated with an external illustrator to translate the reward concept into a visual system that felt collectible, product-appropriate, and consistent.
My role was not to create the illustrations myself, but to define the direction and guide the work so the final assets would support the intended product experience.
Shared the overall project concept and core reward flow
Explained what types of assets were needed, including characters and eggs
Communicated the intended tone and emotional direction of the collection
Reviewed visual explorations and example drafts
Provided iterative feedback remotely to refine the final outcome
By approaching the illustrations as product assets rather than standalone artwork, I was able to align the visual execution more closely with the reward experience and the Game Launcher audience.
Character Theme and Reward Tiers
Theme Direction
A friendly character world inspired by constellations and nature
Symbolic and recognizable
Visually cohesive across the collection
Designed to feel more meaningful than simple profile icons
Reward Tiers
Three levels of character rewards with different roles in the experience
Common Characters
Accessible early rewards that lowered entry frictionUnique Characters
Rarer characters that added surprise and collection valueGame Launcher Concept Characters
The most product-specific tier, connecting collectible rewards to the Game Launcher identity
Egg Designs
Time-Based Hatching States
07
UX DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Wireframe
In the wireframe stage, I explored how the gamified profile concept could be structured as an actual product experience. The goal was to define the layout, hierarchy, and interaction flow across missions, egg rewards, collection, and profile application before moving into the final visual design.
UI Structure
1
Profile Identity
Displays the user’s profile image and name, establishing a recognizable identity within the gaming experience.
2
Gamification Overview
Provides a quick summary of the creature collection system from the main profile page, including hatching progress, accelerator status, and mission-related activity. This card also serves as the entry point to the detailed collection page.
3
Hatching Status
Shows the current egg hatching progress and remaining time, helping users immediately understand the status of their ongoing reward.
4
Play-Based Accelerator
A play-driven acceleration system that fills up as users play games through Game Launcher. Once fully charged, it can be used to shorten the hatching time.
5
Collection Navigation
Provides direct access to the Eggs and Creatures pages, allowing users to browse both their hatching items and collected characters separately.
6
Mission Progress
Lists available missions and their completion progress, giving users a clear view of what actions contribute to collection growth and reward progression.
1
Egg Image
Displays the image of each egg in the collection grid.
2
Hatching Time
Shows the total time required for each egg to hatch.
3
Creature Image
Displays the image of each collected creature in the grid.
4
Creature Name
Shows the name of each creature below its image.
5
Creature Image
Displays an enlarged image of the selected creature.
6
Creature Identity
Shows the creature’s name along with its collection number (No.#) and blood type.
7
Hatching Details
Provides information related to the creature’s hatching, such as hatch date and mission details.
8
Action Buttons
Allows users to either close the pop-up page by tapping OK or set the selected creature as their profile image by tapping Set as profile.
08
PRODUCT DESIGN
Final Product Design
The final UI translated the reward system into a cohesive profile experience—connecting missions, hatching, collection, and profile expression within a single interface.
08
REFLECTION
Game Launcher has mainly served as a utility app focused on organizing and managing games. Visual design wasn’t a major consideration, and as a PM, I tended to prioritize structure and functionality. Introducing gamification into the platform was a meaningful shift. By integrating illustrations, light game mechanics, and interactive missions, we were able to reposition Game Launcher from a simple utility into a visually distinctive app that represents Samsung’s flagship gaming app.
One of the most challenging aspects was anticipating how users would perceive this shift. Since our goal was to increase engagement through playful gamification, there was some concern about how it would land with users. Thankfully, the feedback we received was largely positive, and that gave our team the motivation and confidence to take further creative risks in the future.
This project reminded us that even utility apps can carry personality when designed with care. It was rewarding to see that thoughtful design and playful ideas could create a deeper connection with users, even in small ways. That experience will stay with us as we continue building forward—quietly but confidently.