The Universe of League of Legends 2.0
Creating interactive journeys for the Universe of League of Legends website.
Project Length
April 2019 to September 2019
My Role
UX Strategy, Design, Research, Content Strategy
Background
Riot Games' Universe of League of Legends website is the official resource for fans of League and its related game titles to consume lore (e.g. stories, videos, concept art, etc.) about its characters and world known as "Runeterra". Unfortunately, the Universe site has long suffered from major usability issues, including confusing navigation, lack of onboarding, and buried content. All of these problems prevent the Universe site from offering a cohesive narrative journey about what the world of Runeterra is really about, especially to those who are new to it, and as a result prevent stronger engagement with the IP as a whole.
Goals
Our goal was to deliver a curated experience that emphasized interactivity, visual enticement, and contextually-linked content that was friendly for people new to the IP.
As part of a team of several designers, I designed four experiences: The Runeterra Primer, an overview of the world of Runeterra, its inhabitants and systems; and interactive journeys for three Runeterra regions: Shurima, Demacia, and Freljord.
Research & Strategy
In addition to working with the team to conduct a usability analysis of the Universe site, I also led a content audit of the entire site to uncover the distribution of content types and how everything was connected—this last part was critical. We discovered a total lack of context surrounding the content offered on the site and important relationships between characters and events were never surfaced.
I helped to define the strategy for our project by clearly linking the problem spaces we discovered to design solutions for improvement.
Runeterra Primer
For this experience, I designed a guide to the world of Runeterra to introduce players to its realms, magic systems, history, geography, inhabitants, technology and artifacts, and major characters.
The project was concluded before I could further explore these concepts in higher visual fidelity, however I was able to define the overall beats and key interaction points for the entire concept.
Below are my wireframes for each major section of the Runeterra Primer, intended as a continuous scrolling narrative experience for both desktop and mobile.
Interactive Journeys Through Runeterra
My other contributions to the Universe site were interactive experiences for three major regions of Runeterra: Shurima, Demacia, and Freljord.
Design Discovery
As part of my discovery process, I created mood boards for each region that dissected the visual and written work done by the Riot Games worldbuilding and narrative teams. I extracted key themes from these works and created potential interactive experiences based on them.
My goal was to surface the geographic narratives of each region in formats that were digestible and engaging, beyond the standard encyclopedic text entry. The results were ultimately inspired by my experience across a variety of media, including adventure and puzzle games, visual novels, and survival strategy games.
The Region of Shurima
Interactive Experience - Discover Shurima
Description
"Discover Shurima," is a cinematic journey through the region where users could soar through the present-day capital of Shurima, Nashramae, discover natural wonders, and uncover the secrets of an ancient empire.
It was inspired by my experience with games like The Witness, Myst, Dear Esther, and a Twine game called Metrolith by the designer Porpentine.
What happens
Players follow what is ostensibly an educational tour through the land of Shurima, in the vein of a National Geographic documentary.
They can deep dive into the bustling city of Nashramae, then journey south to discover landmarks along the way. They can learn about the beautiful, severe landscapes of Shurima and the religious mysteries of Shuriman culture.
During the tour, players can deviate from the narrative path and discover easter eggs and environmental puzzles that reveal entry into hidden areas, including The Tomb of the Emperors. In this case, the journey culminates in an "Ascension Ritual" where the player may attempt to undergo spiritual transformation.
The Region of Demacia
Interactive Experience - The Mageseeker
Description
"The Mageseeker" is a visual novel mystery game where players act as a mage seeker hunting down an elusive magic user who is stirring up a rebellion in the Demacian kingdom.
This experience was inspired by a number of different visual novels, games, and books including the Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin.
What happens
Players piece together evidence and interrogate witnesses to follow the trail of a notorious mage and resistance leader throughout Demacia's districts.
Players learn about Demacian social conflicts and unravel their own character's ties to what they are trying to destroy. They eventually learn that the mage they are hunting is close to them, and that they, themselves, were born with a "magical affliction".
Player choices ultimately determine whether the mage escapes or is captured, and whether they "stand with Demacia" or aid the mages' resistance.
The Region of Freljord
Interactive Experience - Survive the Freljord
Description
"Survive the Freljord" is a roguelike survival resource management game where players guide a tribe through the Freljord's harsh and unforgiving environment.
This experience was inspired by the Oregon Trail first and foremost, but also other games like Dwarf Fortress, Darkest Dungeon, This War of Mine, Frostpunk, and the Banner Saga.
What happens
Players experience what it's like to manage the day-to-day survival of tribes in the Freljord. They can choose from sub-tribes within the Avarosans, Winter's Claw, and the Frostguard.
Players learn about the social hierarchies in Freljordian culture and also the motivations behind each tribe's distinct sociopolitical viewpoints. They encounter and can ally with major figures from the Freljord, like Ashes, Sejuani, Lissandra, as well as demi-god spirits like Anivia, Ornn, and Volibear.
Player choices help elevate tribal rankings in a guild-based competition against other tribes of users on the Universe site.
