Overview
I sometimes worked as a design mercenary at Zynga — like in this case, designing a scratch card mini-game for Zynga Poker. The scratch effect was a technically and visually difficult feature to design and develop. The outcome was an impressive increase in revenue — generating around $20K in additional revenue per day when first released. Due to its success on iOS, it was implemented on Android and iPad. The feature was then reused across multiple Zynga titles.
Working with Engineers
I collaborated closely with the engineering team locally and in San Francisco to get the scratch effect right. We iterated on the texture in visual design and particle effects in production many times before landing on the final design. The close partnership between design and engineering was essential — the tactile, satisfying feel of the scratch mechanic was the entire product.
Impact
- ~$20K in additional daily revenue at launch
- Implemented on iOS, Android, and iPad due to success
- Feature reused by multiple other Zynga titles
- Still in-game as of last check — created in 2012