Microsoft Flight Simulator
Marketing Site
GOAL
Microsoft Flight Simulator needed a website that would serve several functions throughout the game development process. It needed to inform gamers, process beta signups, sell pre-orders, and support the game post-launch.
ROLE
I was the lead designer, responsible for the entire website design; from user flow, through wireframing and iteration, to final visual design.
Identifying the key site goals
1
Incentivize users to become beta testers to get early access to the game
2
Convert users to either pre-order or purchase the game
3
Keep users informed on the game's development progress and support the game post-launch
Website user flow
Wireframing
After settling on a user flow, I designed the first wireframes for the site. The main focus area of the wireframes was the homepage hero area, which would be the priority for driving conversion. I also designed more typical page templates for the rest of the site; FAQ, merch, media, etc.
Early visual design and qualitative user testing
I chose a few designs to focus on for the hero area and added in visual design and branding. The sections were designed to be flexible and used throughout the site lifecycle. I designed an option for an image slideshow, video background, and static image with a CTA. Qualitative user testing was done to ensure the site was easy to use and attention-grabbing.
Hero section A/B testing
While the game was under pre-order, I designed two hero section headers and conducted A/B testing. The second design won out with an increased conversion rate for pre-orders by 3.7%. The increased conversion rate led me to use the second design as the basis for the final game launch hero design.
Game launch hero - visual design
- Improved conversion rate on pre-order hero section by 3.7%
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Created an Insider Only section that brought in 17,000+ highly engaged users. In doing this, it created a community of daily active users that engaged with the game developers
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Over 100,000 pre-orders through the website (out of a predicted 60,000) making it one of the most successful pre-order runs in Xbox/Microsoft history