Uplay is a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications service developed by Ubisoft. It offers a similar experience to the achievements/trophies offered by other game companies and was launched in June 2012. According to recent statistics, Uplay has over 90 million users.

I have noticed a large number of individuals expressing their frustration with Uplay’s “Recover Password” feature on various social media platforms and forums. This motivated me to conduct a UX Research project to improve this aspect of the platform.

The steps in a UX Research process can generally be as follows:

It is known that this process may change depending on the project.

Summary of the research

Embarking on a mission to enhance the “Uplay” app’s “Recover Password” feature, as a devoted UX researcher, I uncovered crucial insights through surveys, user testing, and social media analysis.

User dissatisfaction centered around confusion, lack of clarity, and technical glitches, leading to poor ratings and reluctance to recommend Uplay’s password recovery. Hypotheses were formulated to address root causes, emphasizing confusing navigation and inconveniences requiring log-out.

Examining user behaviors revealed a crucial step – the redirect to Ubisoft’s website, causing confusion. To address these issues, a user-friendly solution was proposed: conducting the password change entirely within the Uplay app, streamlining the process and aligning with user desires for efficiency and simplicity.

In conclusion, the journey into Uplay’s “Recover Password” realm unveiled user frustrations, guiding the path toward a more user-friendly and efficient password recovery process.

First Solution

The solution to this is that the password change should happen inside the Uplay app. When “Recover Password” is clicked, the e-mail address should be written in Uplay. We confirm that our account is ours by entering the number (or symbol) received in our e-mail address and going to the next page to change our password.

Prototype Link

Second Solution

The main difference between the alternative solution from the first solution is that instead of writing numbers or symbols in the message to the e-mail address, by clicking on the confirm e-mail button, Uplay automatically redirects you to the new password selection page.

Prototype Link 2

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Details of Research

1. Defining user targets and objectives

Defining user targets and objectives 🐱‍🏍 is crucial in UX Research as it helps align the design with the users’ needs, motivations, and goals. This step involves understanding the target audience and their expectations from the design, ensuring that the end result meets their needs. In the case of the “Recover Password” feature in Uplay, defining user targets and objectives could have helped improve the user experience by making the password recovery process more straightforward and user-friendly.

Based on my research, Uplay account holders have the following goals, objectives, expectations, and requirements when it comes to recovering their passwords:

Goals: To easily recover lost passwords and regain access to their Uplay accounts.

Objectives: To retrieve the password necessary for accessing their Uplay account and re-enter it.

Expectations: A simple, easy, and fast password recovery process, a secure and user-friendly platform.

Requirements: The password recovery process should be located within Uplay, the verification steps should be simple and understandable, and secure and up-to-date technology should be used.

2. Researching user needs and pain points.

As a UX Researcher, I believe that conducting research to understand user needs and pain points 🤦‍♂️is key to addressing this issue.

User research helps to uncover the root causes of user complaints and determine what needs to be improved in the design. By gathering data and feedback from users, designers can gain a better understanding of the users’ expectations and what they find to be problematic in the password recovery process. To understand the user needs and pain points regarding the password recovery process in Uplay and find ways to enhance the user experience.

Methods:

– Surveys and online questionnaires to gather information on user experiences and opinions about the password recovery process in Uplay.

– User testing to observe and receive feedback from users as they go through the password recovery process in Uplay.

– User interviews to have in-depth conversations with Uplay users to gain a better understanding of their needs and challenges regarding password recovery.

Expected Outcomes:

– A comprehensive understanding of the user needs and pain points regarding password recovery in Uplay.

– Recommendations for improving the password recovery process and overall user experience in Uplay.

As a UX Researcher, I wrote the 8 questions with the aim of gathering information and insights from the users about their experiences with the “Recover Password” process in the Ubisoft’s Uplay app. The objective of these questions was to understand the reasons behind the complaints and to identify the users’ pain points and needs. By gathering this information, it becomes possible to come up with solutions that can enhance the overall user experience in the Uplay app. These questions were written with the intention of providing valuable data that can be used to create a more efficient, user-friendly password recovery process within the app.

Results:

Participants in a survey expressed dissatisfaction with the password recovery process in the Uplay app. Responses indicated confusion and lack of clarity, with users rating the experience poorly (2 or 1 out of 5). Technical issues were encountered, adding frustration to the process. The speed of password recovery received mixed reviews, but some found it unacceptable. Concerns were raised about the app redirecting to the Ubisoft website during recovery. Participants compared Uplay unfavorably to other platforms like Steam, highlighting inefficiencies and inconvenience in Uplay’s process. Suggestions for improvement included a complete overhaul or redesign to enhance user-friendliness. Ultimately, participants would not recommend Uplay’s password recovery due to issues with instructions, technicalities, and overall dissatisfaction with the experience.

3. Formulating Hypotheses:✨

• The confusing navigation within the “Recovery Password” section of Uplay may be causing frustration and dissatisfaction among users.
• The requirement to log out of Uplay in order to access the password recovery process is causing inconvenience for users.
• The lack of a clear and easy-to-use password recovery process on Uplay is negatively impacting the overall user experience.
• There may be alternative solutions to the password recovery process that would provide a better user experience for Uplay users.

Expected Outcomes:

By testing these hypotheses, we aim to better understand the root causes of user frustration and dissatisfaction with the password recovery process on Uplay. The outcome of this research will inform the development of solutions to improve the overall user experience on Uplay.

4. Examining user behaviors 👆

By examining user behaviors, we can gain insight into how they interact with the app and identify the root cause of their frustration. In this case, we can see that users expect the password recovery process to be straightforward and within the app. However, the redirect to the Ubisoft website creates an additional step in the process, making it more time-consuming and confusing for users.

Many users on Twitter Common complaints of the Uplay application include not receiving password reset emails, being unable to reset passwords through the app or website, and difficulty accessing account information. Some users have also expressed frustration with the lack of responsiveness from Ubisoft customer support on these issues.

On Reddit, many users have also expressed frustration with password recovery issues on Ubisoft’s Uplay app. In addition to the complaints mentioned above, some Reddit users have reported problems with verifying their email addresses or phone numbers, making it difficult to reset their passwords. Some users have also raised concerns about the security of their accounts, and have called for improvements to Ubisoft’s account management and password recovery processes.

5. Generating solutions to meet user needs 🚑

The main purpose of user research is to find out what users are concerned about and give them what they want. Users want a “user-friendly” product. They want to reach their goals with fewer clicks.

The solution to this is that the password change should happen inside the Uplay app. When “Recover Password” is clicked, the e-mail address should be written in Uplay. We confirm that our account is ours by entering the number (or symbol) received in our e-mail address and going to the next page to change our password.

Prototype Link

6. Evaluating alternative solutions

I evaluate different solutions in the stage of evaluating alternative solutions. I compare their strengths and weaknesses, considering user research and technology/design limitations. I use methods such as user testing and design evaluation methodologies to choose the best solution that meets users’ needs and improves the user experience.

The main difference between the alternative solution from the first solution is that instead of writing numbers or symbols in the message to the e-mail address, by clicking on the confirm e-mail button, Uplay automatically redirects you to the new password selection page.

Prototype Link 2