1PC

Building a PC doesn’t have to be overwhelming. 1PC is a clear, reliable, one-stop guide for beginners to build their optimal gaming system.

Year

2020 - 2021

Project Type

UX/UI Design

Client

Emily Carr University of Art + Design

Dicipline

Product Designer

OVERVIEW

1PC is a clear, reliable, one-stop guide for beginners to build their optimal gaming system. Parts are recommended based on their needs and budget, and tutorials help them through every assembly step. As a Progressive Web App (PWA), information is always up-to-date and available on any platform.

Challenge

Helping people understand, building a PC isn't as hard as it seems, and it's exciting.

Solution

Enter a budget and let the app do the work; all you need to do is build the PC with our guide.

“How to build a PC” Google search results SOARED in 2020.

Users building their PCs has grown in popularity since 2020 due to increasingly more time spent at home engaging in activities like gaming. For gamers, PCs are often seen as the superior platform (compared to consoles), allowing individuals to determine what performance suits their budget.

The price range of builds varies greatly, but people tend to be motivated to build their PC (versus buying pre-built) to maximize value. The system as a whole is an investment due to its modularity. However, aside from price, one obstacle is the degree of specialized knowledge required to obtain parts and assemble the system. Nevertheless, PC building can be a fun and rewarding DIY project.

Meet Connor 👾

Initially, we envisioned that the app could address the needs of both novice and intermediate users. We also wanted to include those who wanted to build a PC for reasons other than gaming (e.g., animation, development, etc.). After further consideration, the decision was made to focus on gamers. Narrowing the scope gave us a more precise direction and helped simplify UI decisions.

This user has likely owned several gaming consoles spanning generations, has tapped into the gaming community and is interested in consumer technology. We consider them novice in some respects, as they have little specialized knowledge regarding the parts and process.

We surveyed several respondents in the 25-35 age bracket interested in gaming (or are at least active computer users) and developed a persona. The persona is confident and motivated enough to attempt a DIY project, and their primary motivator is maximizing value. Despite overall willingness, they still feel overwhelmed by decentralized information.

User Journey

Most people currently piece together information from PCPartPicker/YouTube/Reddit, but more is needed to address the need for a single truth source. Existing mobile apps, such as BuildCores, were focused on acquiring the PC parts but did not offer recommendations or an educational component.

This journey map illustrates the emotional roller-coaster of building a PC from start to finish with today's resources. The user is burdened with finding a current build, learning about each component, weighing opinions and options, budget creep, and an intimidating installation phase. How might a solution address these concerns?

The Solution ✔️

Our app is a one-stop guide that suggests a build (a complete list of compatible parts that can be assembled into a PC) based on budget and performance criteria and then provides the user with a step-by-step tutorial.

1 - The build suggestion algorithm takes the guesswork out of compatibility. You know the parts listed will work together and fit in the case.
2 - The app provides realistic, practical estimates (e.g., FPS) of your system’s performance in relation to the games you pre-selected.
3 - If you want to upgrade a part, hitting the corresponding button will find a higher-end part (represented by the flame icons). The budget will be reallocated to accommodate the costs.
4 -Multimedia tutorials (diagrams, videos, transcripts) for installing your specific build are provided.

Revamp; Simplify

Our onboarding screens give the user an idea of what to expect from the app and reassure them that it is a simple, guided process that caters to beginners. Accounts are necessary so that builds can be saved and purchase shipments can be tracked.

When they initiate a build, two simple questions are presented to the user: what games do you play, and what is your budget? The games chosen will define the performance target. The budget can be firm or adjusted as needed in the later steps.

Installation will cover assembling the physical parts and installing the operating system and optimal configuration.

Outside Insight: User-Testing

Using a low-fidelity prototype that largely resembled the wireframes, users reached the suggested build screen and bought one of the parts. Though the testers completed the tasks, some points of friction were noted.

The primary calls to action resulted in hesitation, such as “Start New Build” and “Install.” The unfamiliarity of the “build” concept made testers uncertain about the result. Explanations provided in the on-boarding were forgotten during actual usage of the app.

Information-dense pages, such as the suggested build page, were seen as too scattered and redundant—furthermore, the method of upgrading parts at this point still needed to be precise.

Final Prototype

The final prototype improved the visual hierarchy with enlarged headings and buttons, while bright strokes were removed. Pages were streamlined and condensed as much as possible. Long descriptions were hidden in optional expanding blocks.Additional preamble text was provided wherever possible (for instance, in the pre-build questions) to remind users of the purpose of any given step. The placeholder content was replaced with real parts and descriptions.

Features such as the performance estimates and upgrading parts were solidified in this stage. On the suggested build screen, these functions work together to help the user determine if their system suits their needs suitably. If the performance estimate is low, upgrading parts is necessary. Of course, doing so would impact the budget and the screens are updated accordingly.