R-H
R-H
Rick Holladay

Work

Contact

About

Rick Holladay

Work

Contact

About

Alienware

Position

Product Designer

team

Rick Holladay

Osamu Akatsu

Paulus von den Hoff

Tools

Discovery

These 16 to 34 year olds living in or near cities hold self-expression in

the highest regard. Th e freedom to be anyone end go anywhere with out limitations is exactly why they game. They can become new characters with new abilities and five out their adventures while expressing their unique personalities.

For the research I wanted to get into the mind of a gamer. I wanted to know:


  • How do gamers view Alienware? What do they like and don't like?

  • What are the important factors when buying gaming equipment?

  • Are they loyal to a brand? Why or why not?

  • Pain points of their current equipment and what would make them purchase something new?

These 16 to 34 year olds living in or near cities hold self-expression in the highest regard. Th e freedom to be anyone end go anywhere with out limitations is exactly why they game. They can become new characters with new abilities s and five out their adventures while expressing their unique personalities.


For the research I wanted to get into the mind of a gamer. I wanted to know:


  • How do gamers view Alienware? What do they like and don't like?


  • What are the important factors when buying gaming equipment?


  • Are they loyal to a brand? Why or why not?


  • Pain points of their current equipment and what would make them purchase something new?

Discovery

These 16 to 34 year olds living in or near cities hold self-expression in

the highest regard. Th e freedom to be anyone end go anywhere with out limitations is exactly why they game. They can become new characters with new abilities and five out their adventures while expressing their unique personalities.

For the research I wanted to get into the mind of a gamer. I wanted to know:


  • How do gamers view Alienware? What do they like and don't like?

  • What are the important factors when buying gaming equipment?

  • Are they loyal to a brand? Why or why not?

  • Pain points of their current equipment and what would make them purchase something new?

Insights

During my research, I conducted user interviews encompassing both ends of our target demographic. Additionally, I analyzed various sources, including Twitch streams (with a focus on members of the Alienware Hive), TikTok and YouTube videos featuring product reviews, product comparisons, unboxing experiences, and gaming setups.


Moreover, I discovered that aesthetics hold significant value for many gamers, alongside top-notch performance. Gamers tend to take immense pride in their gaming setups, which was a recurring theme across all three platforms. Furthermore, numerous blog articles extensively discussed the significance of gaming setups, further emphasizing their importance in the gaming community.

Positives


  • Premium design and performance

  • Being apart of the Alienware community

  • Trusted brand

  • Owning Alienware equipment is a status symbol. (Similar to owning a luxury car)

Negatives

  • Very expensive pricing many gamers out of being able to afford the equipment

  • Lack of customizability

  • Can build a similar performing PC at a much lower cost

  • Not as easy to upgrade parts like if you built your own.

Negatives

  • Very expensive pricing many gamers out of being able to afford the equipment

  • Lack of customizability

  • Can build a similar performing PC at a much lower cost

  • Not as easy to upgrade parts like if you built your own.

Hero

We aimed to create an immersive user experience that would captivate individuals and introduce them to the world of Alienware, particularly emphasizing their new campaign, "Defy Boundaries."


The presence of these glyphs not only pays tribute to the origins of Alienware but also serves as a catalyst for initiating the immersive experience we envisioned.

Dream Setup

The biggest challenge faced by customers is the price, and since we cannot alter the product price, we needed to find an alternative solution to overcome this hurdle. Drawing upon my research, I recognized that customers become excited when they have the opportunity to customize and showcase their gaming setups. So, the question was: how could we leverage this?


To find inspiration, I began studying other high-end and luxury brands to explore how they tackle the price barrier. One observation I made was that furniture brands often exhibit different room layouts, featuring furniture items with hot-spot product tags strategically placed throughout the room.


Motivated by this insight, I aimed to develop a similar concept, akin to a showroom, that would effectively present the diverse range of products that Alienware offers.

Product Categories

& New Releases

The decision to place the product categories was made for quick access to the product pages for users who already know what they are shopping for. In addition, it informs new or unsure users of the diversity of products Alienware has to offer.


The new releases also follow a similar logic as they are products/experiences that are being heavily marketed so it was important to place those cards high on the page hierarchy

The decision to place the product categories was made for quick access to the product pages for users who already know what they are shopping for. In addition, it informs new or unsure users of the diversity of products Alienware has to offer.


The new releases also follow a similar logic as they are products/experiences that are being heavily marketed so it was important to place those cards high on the page hierarchy

Stakeholder

Feedback

Stakeholder
Feedback

They loved the idea of building a dream setup and became curious on just how far we can push building a custom setup, specifically if an AR configurator were to be implemented into the site.


I spent a week analyzing configurators and designed a rough idea on how an Alienware Setup Configurator might look

They loved the idea of building a dream setup and became curious on just how far we can push building a custom setup, specifically if an AR configurator were to be implemented into the site.


I spent a week analyzing configurators and designed a rough idea on how an Alienware Setup Configurator might look

Initial Design

In the first go-around hotspots were used as product tags and a flyout menu was added on the right side with icons representing each product category where each tab would contain a condensed version of the products within that category.

In the first go-around hotspots were used as product tags and a flyout menu was added on the right side with icons representing each product category where each tab would contain a condensed version of the products within that category.

Iterated Design

The new iteration removed the hotspots and moved the information into a menu triggered by the CTA “Shop this setup”. Knowing that not everyone has the same aesthetic taste I wanted to include multiple options displaying the diversity of designs you can accomplish with Alienware equipment. To accomplish this I added a tab functionality that the user could browse through multiple setups without leaving the homepage.

The new iteration removed the hotspots and moved the information into a menu triggered by the CTA “Shop this setup”. Knowing that not everyone has the same aesthetic taste I wanted to include multiple options displaying the diversity of designs you can accomplish with Alienware equipment. To accomplish this I added a tab functionality that the user could browse through multiple setups without leaving the homepage.

Entry Points

Initial Design

  • Summary of the products you choose

  • Ability to add all the products to your cart

  • Remove Products from setup

Alienware FX

  • Control the colors to match the room aesthetics

  • User is able to save colors to their profile where they can apply their saved colors to their AW Products

  • Introduces the user to Alienware FX

Adding Products

  • Featured products

  • Ability to search & filter

  • Product name & price

Product Description

  • Star rating to build confidence

  • Add to design or add to cart

  • Product specs

  • Any performance configurations & adding warranties

Menu Screens

Exclusive offers

Exclusive offers

Recognizing that price remains a potential pain point and a barrier for customers, we strategically positioned the exclusive offers section directly below the dream setup. Our objective was to alleviate any potential sticker shock that users might experience when exploring the dream setup and simultaneously present them with viable solutions to make their desired setup more affordable. By placing the exclusive offers section in this manner, we aimed to address customer concerns about price and provide them with enticing opportunities to create their ideal gaming setup within their budget.


Knowing that price is still a potential a pain point/barrier needed to address the exclusive offers section was placed directly under the dream setup. The goal is to reduce any potential sticker shock they encountered in the dream setup and provide solutions on making their setup affordable.

Community & News

Community & News

The community section was designed to showcase various avenues for engagement within the Alienware community. Its purpose was to draw attention to the Alienware Arena, a hub that offers forums, blog articles, and comprehensive information about the equipment and games. Additionally, we aimed to raise awareness about how users can connect with and follow Alienware on social media platforms.


On the other hand, the news section was specifically created to spotlight everything happening in the world of Alienware and the gaming community. This encompassed a wide range of exciting updates, such as events, giveaways, new releases, and updates on their professional gaming team. The news section served as a central source for users to stay informed about the latest happenings and developments in the gaming industry and the Alienware brand.

The community section was designed to showcase various avenues for engagement within the Alienware community. Its purpose was to draw attention to the Alienware Arena, a hub that offers forums, blog articles, and comprehensive information about the equipment and games. Additionally, we aimed to raise awareness about how users can connect with and follow Alienware on social media platforms.


On the other hand, the news section was specifically created to spotlight everything happening in the world of Alienware and the gaming community. This encompassed a wide range of exciting updates, such as events, giveaways, new releases, and updates on their professional gaming team. The news section served as a central source for users to stay informed about the latest happenings and developments in the gaming industry and the Alienware brand.

The community section was designed to showcase various avenues for engagement within the Alienware community. Its purpose was to draw attention to the Alienware Arena, a hub that offers forums, blog articles, and comprehensive information about the equipment and games. Additionally, we aimed to raise awareness about how users can connect with and follow Alienware on social media platforms.


On the other hand, the news section was specifically created to spotlight everything happening in the world of Alienware and the gaming community. This encompassed a wide range of exciting updates, such as events, giveaways, new releases, and updates on their professional gaming team. The news section served as a central source for users to stay informed about the latest happenings and developments in the gaming industry and the Alienware brand.

Additional Work

Vinfast

2022

Alienware

2022

Everfi

2023

USA TODAY S+

2021

Client

Alienware

These 16 to 34 year olds living in or near cities hold self-expression in the highest regard. The freedom to be anyone end go anywhere with out limitations is exactly why they game. They can become new characters with new abilities and five out their adventures while expressing their unique personalities.

About
Position

Product Designer

team

Rick Holladay

Product Designer

Madeline Stoltz

Product Designer

Tools