The Team Challenge Game is one of the most consistently trafficked programs on Swagbucks, but it faced a lack of excitement and sustained engagement in its original form. The game typically ran for seven days, assigned users to teams, and awarded SB (Swagbucks points) through activity, but it lacked clear stakes and dynamic user interaction.
To address these challenges, I conducted a few brainstorming sessions and did gamification research to identify areas of opportunity for improvement. I proposed a comprehensive redesign of the program, focusing on increasing engagement, excitement, and production efficiency. My goals were to make the experience more dynamic, shorten the play cycle, and create a reusable framework for future game iterations.
"Team Challenge is a community competition where members join a team and earn points by completing everyday Swagbucks activities like shopping, taking surveys, and discovering offers. Everyone who contributes gets a bonus SB reward—and bragging rights for their team!" - VP, Marketing
Shortened Game Cycle: Reduced the duration from seven days to three, increasing urgency and maintaining momentum.
Countdown Clock: Added a visible countdown to create a sense of urgency and encourage consistent daily check-ins.
Leaderboard: Introduced a real-time team leaderboard to foster competitive spirit and allow users to track progress.
User Personalization: Displayed user avatars themed to their team. Highlighted individual contributions and stats from previous games.
Team Selection: Gave users the option to choose their team, increasing investment in the game theme and narrative.
Trophy System: Proposed trophies and recognition for winning teams to incentivize participation.
Marketing “Wild Card”: Integrated a flexible space for the marketing team to run flash deals or surprise events, encouraging frequent visits and advertiser integration.
Once the prototype was finalized, I collaborated with other designers on my team to develop a set of original, theme-driven assets for each version of the game. Our goal was to test both usability and the efficiency of the production process—and the results were highly successful.
To streamline production and development:
Implemented a stationary header with dynamic copy.
Established standard sizing for character graphics and rotating avatars.
Designed modular game cards for ease of updating content and design without sacrificing visual creativity.
Created a real-time calculating leaderboard.
Developed a reusable, scalable framework that balanced consistent structure with thematic flexibility.
BINGO on MyPoints – A Redesigned Experience Inspired by SWAGO
BINGO on MyPoints was developed as a gamified rewards experience, inspired by the original SWAGO game on Swagbucks. Unlike the one-size-fits-all SWAGO format, BINGO was tailored to individual users and offered different levels of bonuses and rewards based on gameplay.
The original SWAGO interface was minimal: a simple layout, themed logo, basic boxes, and a straightforward instruction set. As I began designing BINGO, I proposed a full redesign of the interface. My goal was not only to elevate the user experience but also to test whether a more engaging and visually rich layout could drive better performance—with the long-term vision of retrofitting the improved design back into SWAGO.
Taking cues from the Team Challenge game, I incorporated more immersive thematic elements into the BINGO interface: a patterned background, color-matched icons, a themed logo, and a consistent visual language aligned with brand identity. The layout was completely reorganized to be more cohesive and user-friendly.
Key improvements I implemented:
Redesigned Game Board: More dynamic and on-brand copy, with enhanced readability using consistent fonts and color schemes.
Integrated Instructions: An in-frame dropdown panel replaced static instruction blocks, keeping guidance accessible without clutter.
Countdown Timer: Added for a sense of urgency and engagement.
Streamlined UI: Simplified navigation and cleaner visual hierarchy improved usability and overall aesthetic appeal.
The result of the re-design exploration was a significantly improved interface, both visually and functionally. When a focus group was tested, the user engagement increased, and feedback indicated a smoother, more enjoyable gameplay experience.
The success of BINGO's design could lay the groundwork for potential enhancements to future SWAGO versions.
To improve audience retention and increase user engagement beyond shopping activities, the Product Team set out to enhance the homepage experience. The primary objective was to design a dynamic dashboard that encouraged exploration of various site features, displayed personalized user status, and subtly integrated targeted advertising for clients.
I collaborated closely with the heads of Product and Marketing to identify and define key user offers and programs on the MyPoints platform. Together, we curated a set of categories that balanced promotional content with user value. Based on this data, I designed and prototyped a streamlined, multi-tabbed, collapsible dashboard positioned directly beneath the homepage’s Hero module.
Phase 1 user testing indicated strong success, with 85% of users reporting a positive experience interacting with the module.