About the project
About the project
What is
What is
Podeum is a cricket-focused platform where users can play fantasy games, predict match outcomes, and join discussions through interactive pods. By engaging in pods, users boost their Podeum Club rank, earning points, unlocking new tiers, and gaining access to monetary rewards—bringing together competition, community, and incentives in a single experience.
Podeum is a cricket-focused platform where users can play fantasy games, predict match outcomes, and join discussions through interactive pods. By engaging in pods, users boost their Podeum Club rank, earning points, unlocking new tiers, and gaining access to monetary rewards—bringing together competition, community, and incentives in a single experience.
Challenges and goal
Challenges and goal
With major competitors like MPL, Dream11, and others dominating the market, capturing user attention is challenging. Their reward structures often heavily favor a single winner, leaving most participants with very little.
Our goal is to increase user participation by offering better overall rewards, ensuring more players benefit, feel valued, and stay consistently engaged with the app.
With major competitors like MPL, Dream11, and others dominating the market, capturing user attention is challenging. Their reward structures often heavily favor a single winner, leaving most participants with very little.
Our goal is to increase user participation by offering better overall rewards, ensuring more players benefit, feel valued, and stay consistently engaged with the app.
Project Type
UI UX Design
Mobile app
Internship Project
Project Timeline
8 Weeks
February - June 2024
Team
1 Manager
1 Designer
4 Developers
Project Type
UI UX Design | Mobile app | Internship Project
Project Timeline
8 Weeks | February - June 2024
Team
1 Manager | 1 Designer | 4 Developers
What I accomplished?
What I accomplished?
Build attractive UI for a mobile app. Significantly increasing the user base.
Build attractive UI for a mobile app. Significantly increasing the user base.
Successfully created Club, redesigned economy and designed KYC within the app.
Successfully created Club, redesigned economy and designed KYC within the app.
Collaborated with developers and led design handoffs.
Collaborated with developers and led design handoffs.
Research
Research
Where are we today?
Where are we today?
Podeum currently has 50K+ downloads on the Play Store and a daily active user base of 10K+, actively engaging in games and pods.
To understand user expectations, identify improvement opportunities, and uncover any challenges they face, we conducted 100+ cold calls with existing users and interviewed 5 non-users, gathering valuable insights to guide our next steps.
Podeum currently has 50K+ downloads on the Play Store and a daily active user base of 10K+, actively engaging in games and pods.
To understand user expectations, identify improvement opportunities, and uncover any challenges they face, we conducted 100+ cold calls with existing users and interviewed 5 non-users, gathering valuable insights to guide our next steps.
What did the players say?
What did the players say?
“I earn rewards in games but the only way to redeem them is by gift cards. I should be able to withdraw them directly.”
“I earn rewards in games but the only way to redeem them is by gift cards. I should be able to withdraw them directly.”
Building a Podeum wallet to track game coins.
Building a Podeum wallet to track game coins.
“Because of less competition I win more often but the prize is small as well.”
“Because of less competition I win more often but the prize is small as well.”
Introducing more methods to earn rewards.
Introducing more methods to earn rewards.
“It is confusing and hard to track 4 different medals. I often strugle with which type of badge I need to level up ”
“It is confusing and hard to track 4 different medals. I often strugle with which type of badge I need to level up ”
Simplifying the tracking and making the rankings more intuitive.
Simplifying the tracking and making the rankings more intuitive.
Analyzing apps with similar offerings
Analyzing apps with similar offerings
As we entered the research phase to explore problems related to acquiring more users, driving consistent usage, improving rewards, and strengthening the app economy, I decided to analyze platforms beyond just our direct competitors.
I looked into apps like Dream11, MPL, Clash of Clans, and others that have successfully built strong user habits and sustained long-term engagement.
As we entered the research phase to explore problems related to acquiring more users, driving consistent usage, improving rewards, and strengthening the app economy, I decided to analyze platforms beyond just our direct competitors.
I looked into apps like Dream11, MPL, Clash of Clans, and others that have successfully built strong user habits and sustained long-term engagement.
Wallet’s
Wallet’s
Across most gaming apps, there was a clear distinction between withdrawable balance and deposited balance.
Additionally, many platforms allowed users to redeem in-game coins for gift cards, coupons, and other rewards.
Across most gaming apps, there was a clear distinction between withdrawable balance and deposited balance.
Additionally, many platforms allowed users to redeem in-game coins for gift cards, coupons, and other rewards.
In game rewards
In game rewards
Many apps with in-app currencies offered multiple ways to earn coins through daily tasks—a strong engagement strategy our competitors often lacked.
I also noticed that several gaming apps used effective referral systems, rewarding users for bringing in new players and boosting both growth and engagement.
Many apps with in-app currencies offered multiple ways to earn coins through daily tasks—a strong engagement strategy our competitors often lacked.
I also noticed that several gaming apps used effective referral systems, rewarding users for bringing in new players and boosting both growth and engagement.
Ranking system
Ranking system
Other apps used two types of ranking systems: one based on competition among all players and another built around titles earned by reaching certain milestones.
Since we already have a leaderboard for ranking users by their highest points in a game, we could introduce a title-based system to complement it.
Other apps used two types of ranking systems: one based on competition among all players and another built around titles earned by reaching certain milestones.
Since we already have a leaderboard for ranking users by their highest points in a game, we could introduce a title-based system to complement it.
What does the business need?
What does the business need?
Goal 1:
Goal 1:
More daily user engagement with the app
More daily user engagement with the app
Goal 2:
Goal 2:
Clear in app economy
Clear in app economy
Goal 3:
Goal 3:
Better defined player ranks within the app
Better defined player ranks within the app
Key takeaways
Key takeaways
For the users
For the users
Different ways to earn more rewards and clear ways to withdraw or use cash from the app
Different ways to earn more rewards and clear ways to withdraw or use cash from the app
The business
The business
Get more users, build an ecosystem to keep users engaged and generating cash flow.
Get more users, build an ecosystem to keep users engaged and generating cash flow.
Define
Define
Meet the player
Meet the player
Based on the calls and the interviews conducted I created a general persona, combining his needs and pain points.
Based on the calls and the interviews conducted I created a general persona, combining his needs and pain points.
Aman
Aman
26 yo
26 yo
From Delhi
From Delhi
Engineer
Engineer
Bachelor’s Degree
Bachelor’s Degree
“I’ve been playing on Podeum for the past year, and I really like the pods, they’re quite unique. But Podeum still feels like just another version of existing cricket apps. Can it be made different?”
“I’ve been playing on Podeum for the past year, and I really like the pods, they’re quite unique. But Podeum still feels like just another version of existing cricket apps. Can it be made different?”
Goal
Goal
Win more cash prizes
Have a quality time discussing cricket
Reach higher ranks and titles
Keep track of in app cash
Win more cash prizes
Have a quality time discussing cricket
Reach higher ranks and titles
Keep track of in app cash
Needs
Needs
More opportunities to win rewards
Functionality to withdraw cash from the app
A more intuitive tracking of titles
More opportunities to win rewards
Functionality to withdraw cash from the app
A more intuitive tracking of titles
Pain Point
Pain Point
Prize pool is small; effort vs reward feels off
Wining in a match is the only way to get Podeum cash
Hard to track which badges to aim for
No direct cash withdrawal
Prize pool is small; effort vs reward feels off
Wining in a match is the only way to get Podeum cash
Hard to track which badges to aim for
No direct cash withdrawal
Description
Description
Aman is a 26-year-old engineer and a passionate cricket fan. No matter how busy his schedule gets, he never misses a match—especially when he can watch it with friends. They discuss players, analyze strategies, and enjoy friendly debates over their favourite teams.
Aman is a 26-year-old engineer and a passionate cricket fan. No matter how busy his schedule gets, he never misses a match—especially when he can watch it with friends. They discuss players, analyze strategies, and enjoy friendly debates over their favourite teams.
Addressing business needs
Addressing business needs
Goal 1:
Goal 1:
More daily user engagement with the app
More daily user engagement with the app
Introduce daily rewards and streak reward system.
Introduce daily rewards and streak reward system.
Goal 2:
Goal 2:
Clear in app economy
Clear in app economy
A wallet system that is simple and easy to use
A wallet system that is simple and easy to use
Goal 3:
Goal 3:
Better defined player ranks within the app
Better defined player ranks within the app
New title system based on badges earned with benefits of these ranks
New title system based on badges earned with benefits of these ranks
Presenting ideas to the team
Presenting ideas to the team
I presented my research and possible solutions to the team, to get there feedback and their perspective towards the solutions.
I presented my research and possible solutions to the team, to get there feedback and their perspective towards the solutions.
“We should use referral systems to reward existing users and get more users to install the app”
“We should use referral systems to reward existing users and get more users to install the app”
“Our current app needs a dedicated space to track and showcase the benefits of earning badges”
“Our current app needs a dedicated space to track and showcase the benefits of earning badges”
“We can enable the wallet system but we need KYC to start that”
“We can enable the wallet system but we need KYC to start that”
“To increase daily users we should definitely add streak system”
Our solution (Features)
Our solution (Features)
In-App Wallet &
Transactions
Ranking system and benefits page
Daily rewards and streaks
Design
Design
Podeum club
Podeum club
Introduced a new Club section in the app’s navigation bar to centralize user achievement tracking.
Users can view their total badges earned, current title on their profile, and the benefits they’ve unlocked so far.
The section also highlights future titles and the potential benefits users can unlock as they continue progressing.
Introduced a new Club section in the app’s navigation bar to centralize user achievement tracking.
Users can view their total badges earned, current title on their profile, and the benefits they’ve unlocked so far.
The section also highlights future titles and the potential benefits users can unlock as they continue progressing.
Badge tracking and title progress
Badge tracking and title progress
Designed progress to give users a clear view of the badges they’ve earned and the ones they still need to progress.
Added a dedicated Progress area that begins with the starting title “Fan”, paired with the user’s first medal.
Created a tiered progression system where earning more medals unlocks higher titles.
The highest tier, “Guru”, offers added benefits, motivating users to continue engaging with the platform.
Designed progress to give users a clear view of the badges they’ve earned and the ones they still need to progress.
Added a dedicated Progress area that begins with the starting title “Fan”, paired with the user’s first medal.
Created a tiered progression system where earning more medals unlocks higher titles.
The highest tier, “Guru”, offers added benefits, motivating users to continue engaging with the platform.
All the benefits
All the benefits
Introduced a dedicated Benefits space to clearly showcase all rewards users have unlocked.
Added a special section highlighting the highest title and the exclusive advantages it provides, helping users understand the long-term value of progressing.
Introduced a dedicated Benefits space to clearly showcase all rewards users have unlocked.
Added a special section highlighting the highest title and the exclusive advantages it provides, helping users understand the long-term value of progressing.
Wallet
Wallet
The Wallet section was designed to be simple and easy to understand.
It displays two types of coins: deposited coins added by the user, and winnings earned through games and app activities.
Only the winnings can be withdrawn or redeemed for coupons, ensuring clarity around what is usable and what is not.
The Wallet section was designed to be simple and easy to understand.
It displays two types of coins: deposited coins added by the user, and winnings earned through games and app activities.
Only the winnings can be withdrawn or redeemed for coupons, ensuring clarity around what is usable and what is not.
Daily rewards
Daily rewards
The Earn Coins section allows users to receive daily rewards by answering simple questions that appear on the panel.
Users can also earn coins by maintaining a daily login streak, which encourages consistent engagement.
A streak of 100 consecutive days can reward users with up to ₹1,000, making long-term participation more motivating.
The Earn Coins section allows users to receive daily rewards by answering simple questions that appear on the panel.
Users can also earn coins by maintaining a daily login streak, which encourages consistent engagement.
A streak of 100 consecutive days can reward users with up to ₹1,000, making long-term participation more motivating.
KYC
KYC
While implementing the Wallet functionality, we identified that completing KYC is a crucial step in the process.
To streamline verification, we introduced four different methods for users to complete their KYC, giving them flexibility and making onboarding smoother.
While implementing the Wallet functionality, we identified that completing KYC is a crucial step in the process.
To streamline verification, we introduced four different methods for users to complete their KYC, giving them flexibility and making onboarding smoother.
Measuring success
Measuring success
With the first release of the new features, we received positive user feedback and saw clear improvements in key metrics.
With the first release of the new features, we received positive user feedback and saw clear improvements in key metrics.
Increased the average session from 8 mins to 13 mins
Increased the average session from 8 mins to 13 mins
Daily user base increased by 29%
Daily user base increased by 29%
Increased the app downloads from 50K to 150K+
Increased the app downloads from 50K to 150K+
Lets connect
Lets connect
mayankuxdes@gmail.com
www.mayankux.com
Thank You
For Reading
Thank You
For Reading
Thank You
For Reading