Challenges Arena
An engagement platform redesign aimed at turning single-session casual plays into a repeatable competitive experience.
Mar, 2024
- Product
- White-Label Gaming App
- Time Line
- 3 Months
- Role
- Product Designer
Overview
Designing core retention loops for a 116M+user ecosystem.
Challenges Arena is a white-label casual gaming platform embedded in telecom super-apps like Vodafone Idea (Vi) to boost engagement. While the platform attracted 116M+ registered users, momentum dropped sharply after an initial session of 2 to 3 quick games. Partnering closely with my Product Manager on feature strategy and executing under the guidance of my Design Director, we explored multiple design solutions to optimize the post-game experience and turn short, isolated sessions into a repeatable habit.
Problem
Data from the operator flagged a two-fold product gap
Analytics shared by our telecom partner, Vodafone Idea (Vi), highlighted that while user acquisition was strong, the post-game loop suffered from two critical systemic issues:
Immediate Drop-offs (Engagement)
Users routinely played 2 to 3 quick games upon discovery, but momentum flatlined the moment that initial session ended due to a total lack of immediate post-game triggers.
Zero Reasons to Return (Retention)
Because the experience lacked personalization and visible progression frameworks, players had no sense of long-term growth, making mid-term retention our primary hurdle.
Research
Mapping user friction using real-time operational data.
Since Challenges Arena is a white-label product, direct access to end users wasn't possible. Instead, we triangulated our insights directly from two primary data sources: client-reported pain points from Vi and real-time analytics showing exactly where users dropped off. The live operational data gave us the exact baseline numbers we needed to address:
The Retention Drop-Off
Analytics showed a sharp, immediate drop-off after a single session. While the app saw 877K initial launches, only 27% of users actually entered the playground, with the vast majority flatlining immediately after their first session.
The Post-Game Dead End
The live data flagged that the single largest exit spike occurred the exact second a match ended, leaving the Average Session Duration stalled at just 12 minutes.
Process
Four phases shaped the design direction.
Because we were designing against hard metrics without direct user access, our process had to be strictly structured, iterative, and heavily filtered by data constraints:
Uncover
What we did:We audited the user journey and mapped it directly against the data logs provided by the operator to isolate exactly where users were quitting.
The outcome:We realized the platform was treating players as isolated islands, which explained why 877K launches dropped to a 27% entry rate with zero reasons to stay after a match ended.
Concept
What we did:We held brainstorming sessions with the Product Manager to introduce a brand-new competitive layer, sketching out live leaderboards and a head-to-head "Challenge" format.
The outcome:Every concept was strictly vetted against rigid telecom architecture to ensure these new features wouldn't cause lag on lower-end mobile devices.
Explore
What we did:We moved into rapid prototyping, designing a massive variety of screen layouts, leaderboard placements, and post-game scorecard flows.
The outcome:Under the guidance of our Design Director, we created multiple interactive variations to test which layout felt the most natural, fast, and friction-free.
Filter
What we did:We applied aggressive pruning to our designs, deliberately stripping away heavy multi-step menus, extra pop-ups, and complex navigation settings.
The outcome:We realized the platform was treating players as isolated islands, which explained why 877K launches dropped to a 27% entry rate with zero reasons to stay after a match ended.
Solution
A clearer arena for discovery, progress, and return visits.
The Challenge Flow
We replaced the dead-end scorecard screen with an automated, instant matchmaking mechanic, allowing players to jump straight into a new head-to-head match with a single tap to keep them in the gaming flow.
Game Stats
Game stats gave users a more structured path into competitive play, making it easier to understand what was available and what was worth joining.
Feeds
Notifications turned the product into an ongoing loop by reminding users about wins, unfinished challenges, leaderboard movement, and new opportunities.
Leaderboard and progress
Leaderboards made competition visible, while progress cues helped users understand how close they were to a milestone or reward.
Result
The redesign turned the platform into a repeatable loop.
Behavioral Shift
The data confirmed a long-term shift in player habits 64% of users who sent a challenge did so repeatedly, and 42% of leaderboard users returned frequently to protect or improve their rankings.
Core Metric Growth
Retention:
Achieved a 30% overall improvement in user retention, proving that players finally had a reason to return day after day.
Session Duration:
Driven by the one-tap challenge flow, the Average Session Duration increased by 50%, rising from 12 minutes up to 18 minutes.
Feature Adoption:
The new ecosystem saw massive organic engagement, leading to a 45% increase in challenge participation alongside 2.5 million leaderboard users and 2.4 million gamer stats users.
Learnings
The redesign turned the platform into a repeatable loop.
This project reinforced that engagement design is less about adding more screens and more about creating visible reasons to return. Clear next steps, social context, and progress feedback can turn a single interaction into a repeatable habit.
Experimentation is a design tool, not a risk.
Going in, I didn't anticipate how much we'd explore trialing multiple features, observing what resonated, and making evidence-based calls on what to keep.That process taught me that experimentation isn't a sign of uncertainty; it's a deliberate method for finding what actually works.
Engineering constraints are a design brief in disguise.
Working in a B2B2C environment meant many ideas that made sense on a whiteboard didn't survive contact with engineering feasibility. It was frustrating at times, but it pushed me to think more creatively within real-world constraints and to bring those constraints into the conversation earlier rather than designing in a vacuum.
Experimentation is one of the best ways to learn and we rarely get enough of it.
Each feature we trialed taught something new - about users, about the product, about what actually drives engagement versus what just sounds good in a brainstorm. If I could do it again, I'd push for even more experimentation rounds - not because we got it wrong, but because every iteration made the outcome sharper.
