Upgrading player account management (PAM)

This project aimed to completely overhaul the Player Account Management (PAM) platform for Sportech, a growing online gaming company. The existing PAM system, designed for a startup-sized user base, had become outdated and struggled to support new product add-ons, coherent user flows, and a consistent look and feel.

My objective was to transform PAM into a user-friendly, scalable, and robust player management tool—one that would support Sportech’s future growth and provide a “sticky” experience that keeps users engaged.

Outgrown Platform Structure and Inconsistent User Experience

The existing PAM system had been built for a startup-scale user base, and its structure and user experience were no longer adequate for Sportech’s growing audience. As new products and services were added, the platform became cluttered, with disjointed user flows that required excessive cognitive effort and a lack of brand consistency across modules. Sportech realised that to keep players engaged and competitive in the gaming industry, they needed a complete reimagining of the platform from the ground up.

Key Challenges

Mapping Out the PAM Ecosystem: The first challenge was to document the entire PAM platform and understand the interconnectedness of its products and features.

Clarity in Modular Product Design: With Sportech offering multiple product add-ons, we needed to establish clear separations between features to allow for independent use or bundled packages.

Cohesive User Experience: As PAM was only accessed periodically by users (typically for specific tasks), we aimed to create a “sticky” experience that kept users coming back and improved task completion efficiency.

• Competitive Analysis: Evaluated competitor PAM solutions to identify differentiators and best practices.
• User-Interface (UI) Design: Created an intuitive and cohesive UI that maintains brand consistency.
• Wire-framing: Developed detailed wireframes for simplified workflows and improved user journeys.
• Mobile Design: Focused on a mobile-first approach to ensure seamless cross-device usage.
• Developer Collaboration: Partnered with engineering teams to ensure feasibility, scalability, and alignment with the design system.

• Comprehensive Journey Map: A mapped-out player journey across all touchpoints within the PAM.
• Wireframes: Structured, iterative wireframes that clarified product navigation and user flows.
• UI Designs: High-fidelity, branded user-interface designs focused on usability and consistency.
• High-Fidelity Prototype: Clickable prototype for usability testing and stakeholder reviews.

Product Analysis

We started by deconstructing the existing platform into its core pillars, allowing us to understand cross-functionality within the platform. This process enabled us to identify core product pillars while avoiding unnecessary overlaps. By refining the scope and isolating each product, we set the foundation for a modular design that could work independently, making the PAM platform adaptable for different business needs.

User Mapping

Following our product breakdown, we conducted a series of user journey discovery sessions, producing optimised journey maps for each type of user interaction. These insights revealed that, while the PAM system was essential to users, they only accessed it as needed for specific tasks, not daily use. To enhance “stickiness,” we aimed to design an experience that minimised friction, enhanced ease of use, and encouraged repeat visits through engaging features.

We also identified issues in the existing platform, such as overlapping product categories, which led to user confusion. This informed our strategy to clearly define and separate each product, ensuring that even if a client chose to licence only a portion of PAM, it would deliver a complete, independent user experience.

Iterative and Lean Design Approach

Map, Simplify, Repeat: I prioritised mapping each product’s journey, simplifying flows, and refining the journey map iteratively. My approach was grounded in developing a clear foundational journey that ensured each product had dedicated flows, pages, and interactions before moving into the design phase. This helped us build a scalable PAM that could accommodate future features and maintain a strong, user-centred design foundation.

The revitalised PAM platform delivered key outcomes through user-centred design, rigorous mapping, and agile development processes:

Journey Mapping and Workshops

The user journey map became an invaluable project asset. Through workshops with stakeholders and users, we refined each product’s path, minimising friction points and ensuring that the design was intuitive, engaging, and easily navigable. We focused on mapping the end-to-end journey for each user interaction, from account setup to advanced feature management, ensuring a coherent flow across modules.

Responsive Design and Mobile Optimisation

With a mobile-first approach, we developed a responsive platform optimised for both mobile and desktop use. The design was tested rigorously to ensure seamless navigation, tap-friendly elements, and full functionality across screen sizes, improving usability and broadening accessibility.

Modular, Inclusive Design

Siloed yet Inclusive: The PAM platform was ultimately split into more than eight product modules. To ensure a seamless experience, we created a unified customer view where users could manage any combination of modules. This allowed users to access and manage up to ten product features from one place while still keeping each module self-contained. This flexible design also allowed clients to expand their suite over time, helping Sportech scale its offerings without restructuring the platform.

Digital Service, Not Just a Website

Our approach aligned with the philosophy that “a service is something that helps people do something,” per the UK Government Design Principles. Rather than building just an updated interface, we aimed to create a complete, digital-first service that could proactively support users in their tasks. This meant considering not only the online user experience but also the broader user journey, including how players would benefit from and interact with PAM features in real-life scenarios.