Toxic behavior in online gaming is nearly universal, yet the systems designed to address it focus almost entirely on leaving the victuim on the receiving end without support. A survey conducted within Miami University's Club and Varsity Esports communities found that 19 out of 20 players had experienced or witnessed toxic behavior in game, and 16 out of 25 said it had negatively affected their enjoyment of gaming. This shows that there is no consistent standard for how players are protected or supported when toxic behavior occurs. 

Survey Research

Surveyed Miami University's Club Esports, Varsity Esports, and general student gaming communities to visualize the prevalence of toxic behavior and its emotional impact. Used findings to ground the project in real, local data rather than assumptions.

Literature Review

Reviewed four academic and industry sources to contextualize the problem: research on gender exclusion in Esports voice chat environments, the two tiered structure of collegiate esports and its effect on inclusivity, the specific barriers women face as competitors and creators, and best practices for building inclusive gaming communities through Codes of Conduct and peer accountability.

Competitive Analysis

Evaluated five existing organizations and tools addressing toxicity and inclusion in gaming. Women in Games International, Women in Games, Valorant Game Changers, Twitch's moderation tools, and AnyKey's GLHF Pledge. A key finding is that most existing solutions focus on systemic advocacy or offender moderation, with little attention paid to in the moment mental health support for those being targeted.

Insight Development

Synthesized research into three core insights: gaming communities are split between social belonging and competitive pressure; toxic behavior is nearly universal but its emotional impact is widely underreported; and existing Codes of Conduct in clubs and varsity programs lack enforcement, leaving players without real protection.

User Personas

Developed three personas to guide design decisions, a 19 year old Club Esports player who values community and is emotionally affected by targeted comments. A 21 year old Varsity player motivated by competition who is frustrated by deliberate trolling, and a 23 year old solo competitive player who is angered by toxic voice chat when gaming in his limited free time.

Design Proposal

Proposed two complementary design solutions built in Figma: a Graphic Resource Guide for inperson and online Esports spaces showing how to mute, block, and report players alongside coping strategies and mental health resources; and a Game UI System that appears after a game is over with, when a player mutes or reports someone. It offers simplified mental health resources and clear options without interrupting active gameplay.

Identified a gap in how gaming platforms and university programs respond to toxicity: existing tools punish bad actors but offer nothing to help victims process the experience.

Proposed a design solution that meets players where they are, inside the game moments after a harmful interaction, rather than directing them to external resources they're unlikely to seek out on their own.

Established design principles for the UI: gaming aesthetics with calmer, lower stress color choices to signal safety rather than urgency, and fun stickers based on the game.

The prototype was designed to be pitched to major game publishers for integration into their own branding and platforms.

The project ultimately argued that reducing toxicity's harm requires more than moderating, it requires treating player mental health as a design responsibility.