HGTV My Design - Event System

an engaging reward system to increase retention

HGTV My Design is a mobile lifestyle game where players design interior spaces, rate each other’s work, and build a design portfolio. After the first beta, retention was low — few users returned daily to complete challenges. To drive engagement, I designed a reward-based event system that motivated players to come back and compete regularly.

Industries

Game Design, Mobile, B2C

Services

UX Design

Date

2022

Team

Product Manager, Researches

Problem Statement

"Increase user retention and engagement to meet business goal" - Product Manager

Launch in Phillipnes and UK in early 2022 revealed that the user engagement and retention low at 6.5%.

Key User Persona

COMPETITIVES “I want to prove my design is the best.”

Problem: No feeling challenged enough

Design criteria: Make the challenge harder
Example: Use a Mediterranean rug in 5 games

CREATIVES “I want easy ways to earn rewards and showcase my work.”

Problem: Need easy way of earning rewards
Design criteria: Rewards for regular use
Example: Rate 5 designs to win rewards

Core User Flow

Select challenge

Design

Submit

Results + Rewards

Design Process

Ideation

I proposed a time-based Events system that gave players new challenges to complete. Each event rewarded progress, motivating users to return regularly and stay engaged

How should the user access these events?
I explored multiple entry points - notifications, pop-ups, inbox, and a fixed home tab. After testing pros and cons, we chose a fixed Events tab for visibility, scalability, and ease of access.

How much information is relevant to the user on the home screen?
Players wanted a quick snapshot, not an overload. The option 2 showing active events with icons and progress met this criteria best.

Mid Fidelity Prototypes
Refined the event flow on home and detailed screen.

User Testing and Result
User testing revealed that ‘event’ system can modify user behavior for both user group. They wanted events visible but not overwhelming. We simplified choices into one Events tab and created a cleaner visual system.

Redefining Design Criteria
1. Simplify by reducing choices on the home screen.  
2. Design a new unique visual language.

Final Solution

The final design introduced an Events tab showing detailed challenges, progress tracking, and rewards. Players could easily see their goals, track completion, and celebrate achievements.

Impact and Outcome

Retention increased from 6.5% to 30% after launch

Players stayed engaged by completing goals and returning daily
I led the design from concept to final delivery, including flows, interactions, and high-fidelity mockups