Stack 'Em All: Discovery Phase - Ongoing Project
Intuitive Pokémon TCG Collection Management
The Challenge:
Managing a growing Pokémon TCG collection is often overwhelming, and collectors also need a reliable resource to quickly look up information about any card, regardless of ownership. Existing apps vary in their ability to seamlessly integrate both collection management and comprehensive card reference.
My Role:
UX Researcher & Designer
The Goal:
To lay the foundation for "Stack 'Em All," a user-friendly app prioritizing intuitive and efficient Pokémon TCG collection management. This initial phase focused on understanding user needs and the competitive landscape in collaboration with a developer partner, directly informing the definition of our Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
User-Centric Discovery & Collaboration
User Survey:
I surveyed Pokémon TCG collectors to identify key frustrations and desired features.
Key Takeaways:
Strong Need for Organization: Users want better tools to organize their collections by set, rarity, card number, and duplicates.
Ease of Use is Paramount: Overwhelming interfaces are a major pain point. The MVP must prioritize a clean and intuitive user experience.
Reference is Key: Collectors use apps not just to track their collection but also to look up information (images, set, etc.) on cards they hear about or want to acquire. This highlights the need for a built-in card database.
Cautious Approach to Value: While desired, inconsistencies in pricing data suggest a user-driven, optional value tracking feature in the MVP with clear disclaimers.
Scanning Not a Top Immediate Need: Accuracy issues and lower prioritization suggest postponing it for a later iteration.
The results underscored a significant need for robust organization tools (sets, rarity, numbering, duplicates) and an easy-to-use interface, along with the crucial ability to quickly reference information on any Pokémon card. Users also expressed frustration with app bloat and inconsistent pricing data in existing solutions.
Competitive Audit
I analyzed Collectr, PriceCharting, and Shiny, noting their strengths in providing card information and value tracking. This confirmed the user need for a reference database. However, opportunities remain for a more intuitive and streamlined integration of collection management with this reference data.
Key Takeaways:
Opportunity in Simplicity: Existing apps often suffer from feature bloat and complex navigation, creating an opening for a more focused and user-friendly solution for Pokémon TCG collectors.
Organization as a Differentiator: The lack of truly intuitive and granular organization tools across competitors highlights a key area where "Stack 'Em All" can excel in its MVP.
Reference Database is a Core Expectation: Successful apps in this space provide a way to look up card information beyond just what the user owns.
Mobile Usability is Crucial: TCGPlayer's struggles with its mobile app emphasize the importance of a stable and well-optimized mobile experience for our target users.
Note: The image above is a visual representation of my full competitive audit sheet and is not intended to be legible at this size. A detailed breakdown can be accessed via the link here.
Developer Partnership:
This project is a collaborative effort with a developer, providing valuable technical insights throughout the design process and ensuring the MVP features, including the card database, are feasible for initial development.
Key Insights Informing the MVP
Integrated Reference and Management: Collectors need to seamlessly move between looking up card information and managing their own inventory.
Organization is Paramount: Collectors need a digital system mirroring physical binder organization with easy sorting and duplicate tracking.
Simplicity Wins: Overwhelming interfaces are a major pain point. The MVP should prioritize intuitive navigation and essential features.
Focus on Core Management: Users primarily need a tool to efficiently log and view their collection visually. Advanced features like detailed databases and complex value tracking can be considered post-MVP.
"Stack 'Em All" Minimum Viable Product (MVP):
Based on the user research and competitive analysis, the MVP for "Stack 'Em All" will focus on the following core features:
Comprehensive Searchable Card Database:
Search by Card Name, Set Name, and potentially Card Number.
Display: Card Name, Set Name, Rarity, Card Image.
Integrated Collection Management:
Ability to search the database and easily add cards to your digital collection.
Track quantity of each card owned.
Visual Collection Display:
View your collection with clear card images pulled from the database.
Basic organization within the collection (e.g., listed alphabetically or by set).
Easy-to-Use Interface:
Intuitive navigation between searching the database and viewing your collection.
Clean and clear presentation of card information.
"Stack 'Em All" Vision:
To create a dedicated Pokémon TCG collection app focused on intuitive organization and comprehensive, seamlessly integrated card reference for collectors of all sizes, making management and discovery enjoyable.
Next Steps:
Defining the minimum viable scope and data fields for the initial card database with the developer.
Developing user personas based on the survey findings.
Mapping core user flows for searching the database and managing the collection.
Initial design ideation and sketching focused on the integrated MVP features.
Impact:
This discovery and MVP definition phase provides a strong foundation for "Stack 'Em All," highlighting the critical need for a user-centric solution that combines intuitive organization with a built-in card reference. By prioritizing these core features for the MVP, we aim to deliver a valuable and immediately useful product to early adopters, addressing both their management and information needs from day one. This integrated approach has the potential to differentiate "Stack 'Em All" in the market. This is an ongoing project, and this case study will be updated as the design and development progress.
