GrandPad
/
2022
Designing multiplayer checkers so seniors and their families could play together from anywhere, and a framework that later games were built on.
Client
GrandPad
Year
2022
My role
Product designer, research through usability testing
The problem
GrandPad's mission is connecting seniors with the people who love them, and games were a natural place to do it. But most of our players are in their 80s and 90s and new to online gaming, and their families play from a phone, not a GrandPad. A multiplayer game had to feel easy on both sides, or it wouldn't get played.
What I did
I started with research: stakeholder sessions to surface assumptions, interviews with four seniors and six family members, and a survey of 25 users. It showed how families already played and connected, and it led to a separate new feature that combined video calls with games.
From there, I ran a competitive review of online checkers, mapped the game's interactions in a user flow, and defined the design in wireframes with the lead developer and product manager. I tested a high-fidelity prototype with seniors before launch. Key decisions: invitations show the other player's photo and name, instructions sit front and center, recent games are one tap away, and on mobile the controls collapse into a menu so family can play from anywhere.
What changed
Hundreds of players now play two to three games of checkers with family every day, adding up to thousands of play hours each month. The multiplayer framework became the base for more games.
As one senior put it: "My granddaughter calls me every morning to say good morning and calls most nights to play a game or two of checkers."
Outcome
Hundreds of families playing two to three games of checkers together every day.