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Client site: BMW Group
The Problem
BMW released a world in Fortnite called 'Hypnopolis' to establish a presence in the digital space, with plans to develop their own metaverse in the future. However, they faced challenges in strategizing how to bring users to their Virtual Experience (VXP).
While our project was initially scoped to focus on transitioning users from the Fortnite world 'Hypnopolis' to BMW's VXP, our research revealed that Hypnopolis had low engagement rates and that BMW's metaverse plans were still in the early stages still yet to be imagined.
the opportunity?
Find a way for BMW to make Hypnopolis more engaging, create a smooth transition between both worlds, and keep users hooked in the VXP. Focus on the whole ecosystem.
Role
Research, UX Design, Design Strategy, Product Management
Timeline
Sep 2023 - Nov 2023
Tools used
Figma, Figjam, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Snippets of the process
If you want to learn more about the project, feel free to reach out to me to share more!
Uncovering the Real Problem Through Research
BMW wanted to refine the transition from Hypnopolis to VXP, but our research revealed a bigger issue—users weren’t engaging with Hypnopolis. I led the research, conducting interviews and analyzing data to understand the high drop-off rates. The key insight: players expected shooting, not racing, which caused them to lose interest before the transition.
Refining concepts through research insights
We used the Lextant methodology to refine our research into actionable insights. Based on these, we developed four concepts, refined them to three, and presented them to the client. They loved different aspects of each and asked us to merge them.
Storyboarding the Experience to Align with Stakeholders
We identified core ideas and mapped out solutions through workshops using sticky notes. We then created storyboards to visualize the user journey from Hypnopolis to VXP, aligning with BMW early to ensure their support before developing the full strategy.
Key Findings/Moments that impacted the project
what we wanted our users to understand, feel and do
Understand
We aimed to help users understand Hypnopolis, VXP, and their benefits, while highlighting BMW’s brand.
Feel
We wanted Gen Z to feel BMW's newest brand values of moving body, mind and heart.
Do
We wanted to turn Fortnite gamers into future BMW customers, instilling the brand values through digital environments.
Deliverable 1: the vision and roadmap
BMW asked us to design a transition from Hypnopolis to the VXP, but our research revealed they needed a three-phase strategy: Initiation, Transition, and Retention. We showed them how important it was to think beyond just the transition and focus on engaging users from start to finish.
Deliverable 2: phase 1 (INitiation in hypnopolis)
BMW launched Hypnopolis in Fortnite without considering player expectations of shooting gameplay, leading to high drop-off rates. We addressed this by designing a phased gameplay transition, easing players from shooting to driving, and incorporating BMW's brand story with their new virtual character, Julia, as the main protagonist. Each game represented an aspect of BMW's new motto 'Moving Body, Heart and Mind'.
Deliverable 3: Phase 2 (Transition to the vxp)
We guided players from Hypnopolis to the VXP with in-game rewards and exclusive content, but we also wanted to reach more of Gen Z, not just Fortnite players. We reimagined Julia as a social media icon, promoting the VXP with virtual and real-world rewards like BMW events and Coachella, and soon after, BMW started exploring AI influencers.
Deliverable 4: phase 3 (Retention in the vxp)
Getting players to the VXP was just the start—keeping them there was the challenge. We saw an opportunity to help BMW by designing a strategy with competitive gameplay, top-notch graphics, and engaging events and rewards to keep players hooked.
leading client presentations
I led multiple client presentations throughout the project, aligning our story delivery to match with BMW's brand goals.
Thanks for reading!
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