Verse Taxonomy &
Snippet Repository Redesign
Sponsor: Epic Games
Skills
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User Research
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Data Analysis
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User Journey Map
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Wireframing
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Prototyping
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UI/UX Design
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User Testing
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Taxonomy
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Card Sorting
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Cross Function Collaboration
Tools
Overview
The project focused on enhancing the user experience for Verse programming on the Epic Developer Community (EDC). Key improvements included refining the taxonomy to boost content discoverability and redesigning the code snippet repository for a more intuitive, streamlined navigation. Research and user feedback drove the changes, ensuring a more user-centered design.
Type
Taxonomy & Web Design
* Due to NDA restrictions, details cannot be disclosed
What is Verse?
Verse is Epic Games' programming language for creators using UEFN to build custom Fortnite islands. It’s accessible for everyone, from seasoned developers to beginners, allowing unique game experiences through custom code.
Epic’s Epic Developer Community (EDC) supports creators with guides, tutorials, and a code snippet repository. It’s a hub for learning Verse, troubleshooting, and sharing code with the community.
Role
Information Architecture
UX/UI Designer
Timeline
Jan. - Jun. 2024
Challenges
1.
Refine the taxonomy for the Verse programming language within EDC website. The existing information architecture didn’t fully support users in efficiently discovering Verse-related content, leading to navigation issues and gaps in content accessibility.
The Verse code snippet repository relied on a makeshift taxonomy originally designed for Fortnite Creative. This unstructured setup created challenges for users, making navigation and information retrieval inefficient.
Ad-hoc Taxonomy:
The absence of standardized terms for programming concepts, tutorials, and code snippets in Verse led to inconsistencies, causing confusion and making it harder for users to find and reference relevant content.
Inconsistent Terminology:
2.
Focus on improving the usability of the Snippet Repository. The interface was content-heavy but lacked intuitive navigation, making it difficult for users to efficiently find the code snippets they needed. This gap in the user journey resulted in a less seamless and more frustrating experience.
The code snippet repository's user interface was difficult to navigate, resulting in a frustrating experience. Users had trouble filtering and managing search results effectively.
Complex UI:
The search functionality was insufficient, making it difficult for users to locate specific code examples or documentation. This was further hindered by a lack of proper metadata tagging and keyword associations.
Poor Searchability:
These issues led to low user engagement, as users found it challenging to leverage community-shared code and enhance their programming skills in Verse.
Low User Engagement:
Goals
Create a structured taxonomy for improved content organization.
Redesign the UI to improve website usability.
Research
To uncover key issues, the research was divided into two focused areas: Verse taxonomy and website redesign. Each part targeted specific challenges to ensure a thorough and actionable analysis.
Define Research Goal
Verse Taxonomy
Pinpoint key pain points in searching for Verse programming taxonomy terms.
Understand where the previous project left off and determine the next steps.
Identify user behaviors in seeking relevant information.
A foundational understanding of how users interact with the language
Website Redesign
Uncover pain points in website browsing and overall navigation.
Identify user habits, preferences, and interaction patterns.
Analyze the efficiency of current UI elements and find areas for improvement.
Determine how users search for and engage with code snippets and tutorials.
Secondary Research
Website Redesign
Reviewed past research and terminology provided by the sponsor to understand the core principles of Verse programming and its development history.
Internal Data
Analyzed existing documentation on the official web pages, gaining insights into the specific vocabulary and concepts used within Verse and UEFN.
Corpus Analysis
Examined Verse forums, Organic Search queries, and YouTube transcripts common search terms to identify relevant keywords and understand user engagement.
Primary Research
User Interview
Conducted 10 focused interviews to understand how users interact with Verse. Identified key pain points and areas for improving terminology.
User Study
Participants completed tasks while sharing their thought process. This revealed usability issues and gave direct feedback on the snippet repository.
Hand-On Experience
Explored Verse through coding to uncover its strengths and challenges. Tested the repository site to evaluate its overall usability and functionality.
Define
Personas
Expert Ella
Intermediate Ian
Beginner Ben
To better understand user needs, three personas were developed based on research insights. These personas highlighted key factors such as programming skill levels, coding habits, knowledge of Verse, and specific pain points. By capturing diverse technical backgrounds and user requirements, the personas revealed varying challenges and needs across different expertise levels when interacting with Verse and the Snippet Repository.
Design
The ideation process was divided into two pathways: Verse taxonomy and the Snippet Repository redesign. Given time constraints and the need for quality solutions, most efforts were focused on refining the taxonomy. Once solid progress was made, the website redesign began, incorporating the updated taxonomy to improve content organization and discoverability.
Verse Taxonomy
A clear strategy was developed to create terminology for the Verse programming language. This ensured the terminology aligned with user needs and improved the overall experience of navigating and understanding the language.
i. Data Analysis
Upon reviewing the findings, the data set was found to be too small. As Verse is still in development, key documentation to support users is difficult to locate, making previous research insufficient. Expanding data collection and improving documentation visibility is recommended.
To improve clarity and understanding, categorize the raw data into key concepts and terms. This will help users better navigate and interpret the information.
ii. Miro-Board Term Generation Exercise
Due to the limitations of the previous research, a new approach was taken to generate more accurate terminology. Activity surveys were conducted with seven experienced Verse programmers, focusing on two key categories: Verse Language and Gameplay. This exercise uncovered additional terms that were missed in the initial analysis, providing a more comprehensive understanding.
iii. Card Sort Activity
To ensure the taxonomy is accessible to users of all skill levels, a two-week card sorting activity was conducted with 22 participants from diverse backgrounds. This approach helped bridge the knowledge gap and refine the terminology based on user perspectives. The exercise narrowed the list to 86 terms: 47 for Verse programming language and 39 for Verse gameplay, making the taxonomy more user-friendly and comprehensive.
iv. Final analysis and recommendation
After collecting metadata and user feedback from the activities, the frequency and logic of the terms were analyzed. Recommendations were drafted for refining the taxonomy and outlining steps for future implementation.
Snippet Repository Redesign
As the taxonomy developed, the Snippet Repository redesign began, using insights from user research and feedback. Initially based on the older UI, the design evolved to focus on improved navigation, enhanced search functionality, and clearer content categorization to better meet user needs.
i. Analyze the findings
The findings were categorized into four key areas: likes, suggestions, pain points, and UI issues. Each category was further analyzed across different webpages, including the main page, content page, and create post page. This breakdown allowed for a focused approach to improving specific aspects of the user experience on each page.
ii. User Journey Maps
The maps were created for different scenarios. For instance:
Expert Ella efficiently searches for specific Verse terms using her resources
Intermediate Ian navigates the site with some difficulty, trying to find answers.
Beginner Ben often struggles, feeling lost in 8 out of 10 attempts as he tries to learn on his own.
These maps highlighted key pain points in searching, navigating, and engaging with the site, focusing on the challenges users face when finding, reading, and posting content.
the journey of experienced user browsing the main page
user trying to create content and were guided to the creator page
New users search for information and try to understand the concept.
the journey of experienced user browsing the main page
ii. Brainstorming
Over 60 ideas were brainstormed and refined to target key improvements in functionality. The focus was on enhancing searchability, accessibility, and creating a user-centered design, making it easier for users to browse and share information.
Areas of improvement:
Searchability
Search function
Navigation
Tagging system
UI/UX
Consistent UI Design
Interactive elements
Content info:
Detailed documentation
User contributions in creating post
iii. Wireframing and Prototype
Since the website's design followed a unique branding, the focus was placed on enhancing functionality while maintaining a simple style to align with the existing UI. The wireframing process was conducted in three stages using Figma:
Lo-Fi: sketches to organize concepts and ideas.
Mid-Fi: Added more details to the design for quick feedback from stakeholders.
Hi-Fi: Combined detailed elements for visual styling, preparing the design for prototyping.
iv. Testing and Iteration
The prototype was tested in a group study with 8 internal users from the Verse programming team. The session focused on presenting the design’s key purposes and gathering valuable feedback through questions, comments, and suggestions. This feedback played an important role in guiding the iteration process, ensuring continuous improvement, and helping refine the design towards its final version.
Deliver
Taxonomy supporting documentation
The existing Epic taxonomy was expanded with new terms and categories based on research findings. The original taxonomy included 7 tier 0 categories, 43 tier 1 terms, and 178 tier 2 terms. We added 78 new tier 2 terms, 5 new tier 1 categories, one additional tier 0 bucket, and recategorized 9 terms into more relevant categories.
Initial Taxonomy
Proposed Taxonomy
Tier 0
7
Tier 1
43
Tier 2
178
Tier 0
8
Tier 1
48
Tier 2
256
Recommendation
Expand User Testing:
Broaden testing to include a diverse group of external users to validate the taxonomy across different demographics and ensure it meets varied needs.
Iterative Feedback:
Implement regular feedback loops with users to continually refine and improve the snippet repository, keeping it user-centric.
Ongoing Validation:
Conduct frequent testing to identify gaps or ambiguities and ensure the taxonomy evolves with user expectations.
Community Input:
Engage the Epic Games community to gather feedback and insights, keeping the taxonomy relevant and up-to-date.
Seamless Integration:
Ensure the taxonomy is well-integrated with search and tagging systems to improve search accuracy and make finding relevant snippets easier.
Snippet Repository Redesign
Main Page
The main page redesign focused on improving sorting, filtering, and search functionality. By prioritizing an information-first layout, users can now customize their experience while reducing cognitive load. The streamlined UI enhances navigation, making content access smoother and more efficient.
Implemented ideas: - New user guide - General layout - Top-level column information - Filtering Options - Enhanced sorting 'Extended' standard view - List view - Color coded categories - Expanded type Bookmarking - 'i' icon - Updated search
Implemented ideas: - New user guide - General layout - Top-level column information - Filtering Options - Enhanced sorting 'Extended' standard view - List view - Color coded categories - Expanded type Bookmarking - 'i' icon - Updated search
Content Page
The content page redesign prioritized relevant information and enhanced the visual layout to improve clarity and usability, making it easier for users to understand and interact with the content.
Implemented ideas: - Relocated content information - Clearer labels - Relocate the bookmark label - Snippet title and description - Edit button - Enhanced code viewing experience
Implemented ideas: - Relocated content information - Clearer labels - Relocate the bookmark label - Snippet title and description - Edit button - Enhanced code viewing experience
Creatpr Page
The post-creation page redesign simplified available options, streamlined user flows, and emphasized key elements like imagery and tags. The goal was to reduce confusion, offer clear guidance, and increase confidence in the content for both creators and readers.
Implemented ideas: - Reorganizing the space - New user guide - Change titles to each section - 'i' icon - Word limit - Remove 'purpose' - Application options - Relevant tags - Types - Category - Multiple images - Review button - Warning before publishing
Implemented ideas: - Reorganizing the space - New user guide - Change titles to each section - 'i' icon - Word limit - Remove 'purpose' - Application options - Relevant tags - Types - Category - Multiple images - Review button - Warning before publishing
Recommendation
Language settings:
Complete translations for non-English content to improve accessibility for a global audience.
Google Search Visibility
Enhance keyword optimization to improve the snippet repository's visibility and discoverability via Google search.
Accessibility Settings
Ensure responsive accessibility features, such as text size adjustments, to enhance usability for all users.
Bookmark Page
Simplify navigation and interactions to create a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.
Profile Page
Improve ease of access and updating options to enhance the usability of the profile page.
Review
Impact & Benefit
Search Efficiency
Improved Taxonomy
Users can find relevant information more quickly and accurately, reducing the time spent searching for specific content.
Standardized Keywords
Standardized keyword tags and proper metadata tagging will lead to more consistent and precise search results. Easier to locate the documentation.
User Engagement
Community Involvement
Users are more likely to contribute their own code snippets and leverage community-shared examples, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment within the community.
Educational Support
The improved repository makes learning Verse programming easier and more efficient. With well-organized, searchable documentation and code examples, users can develop their skills and build confidence faster.
Project takeway
Clarifying the project scope was a breakthrough, helping us focus on the key issues that needed solving. I’m really glad it all came together and met the sponsor’s expectations—it’s always rewarding to see the work align with their vision and satisfaction.
Working with a young language like Verse posed challenges due to limited data and the need for frequent updates. Developing an effective taxonomy for the snippet repository was key to improving search accuracy, but it requires continuous refinement as more data becomes available. To reduce bias, it’s important to expand feedback collection beyond internal Epic Games users, incorporating diverse and fresh perspectives from external users to better inform the redesign.
What's next?
Review and update cycle
Feedback Mechanism
Community involvment
Term Validation
Iterative testing & feedback
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