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Future Proof Live Ops

Retrofitted legacy mobile game shop UI to support dynamic live ops content deployment and flexible offer layouts

Role

UX Designer

Platform

iOS/Android

Timeline

2022

Team

UX, Dev, Live Ops

HSW Shop redesign hero showing live ops transformation from legacy system to modern flexible interface

From 'Legacy' To 'Live Service'

I designed a flexible shop system with dynamic offer layouts—from featured "Big Offers" to multiple smaller promotions. Live ops teams can reconfigure the shop arrangement and rewards in real-time based on campaign needs, controlling merchandising strategy without developer support. The modular design accommodates any unit size, enabling instant optimization of promotional displays.

Legacy System from a different era

When Hungry Shark World initially launched in 2016, its original design predated modern live service monetization standards, requiring significant adaptation to meet current market expectations.

The Problem

Legacy monetization systems remained untouched since the original release date. The 2016 architecture created fundamental barriers to modern live service operations.

Players received identical offers regardless of their spending habits, play patterns, or progression level. This one-size-fits-all approach left significant revenue on the table—whales saw the same low-value bundles as free players, while price-sensitive users were shown offers beyond their comfort zone. Without behavioral segmentation or dynamic pricing, we couldn't optimize conversion for different player personas or respond to individual engagement signals.

Legacy shop system from 2016 showing rigid tab structure and fixed layouts

Legacy shop system from 2016 showing rigid tab structure and fixed layouts

Legacy System Constraints

Dynamic Pricing

NONE

Cannot adjust by player

Discoverability

POOR

Shop buried in UI

Technical Debt

HIGH

Hard-coded offers

Solution

Redesigning the shop under heavy technical constraints

Built a modular system enabling economy designers to create dynamic offer combinations beyond just currency—including special characters, pets, and bundled content. This flexibility empowers Live Ops to deploy targeted offers and personalized promotions without engineering support, transforming a static shop into a responsive merchandising platform.

Old Hard Coded Shop Arrangement

The legacy shop forced players to navigate through separate tabs for each currency type, with fixed layouts that couldn't adapt to promotional needs. This rigid structure buried offers across multiple screens, creating friction in the purchase flow.

New Horizontal Scrolling Arrangement

Replaced rigid tab navigation with a fully configurable horizontal scroll that surfaces all offers in a single view. Live Ops can dynamically resize, reposition, and prioritize promotional content without players hunting through multiple tabs.

Shop redesign with modular system

Shop redesign with modular system

New modular shop structure showing flexible layout system

New modular shop structure showing flexible layout system

Interactive demonstration of new horizontal scrolling shop interface

Interactive demonstration of new horizontal scrolling shop interface

Success Metrics

Live Ops Performance Impact

The flexible shop system transformed our ability to respond to player behavior in real-time. Live Ops teams gained complete autonomy over merchandising strategy, while players experienced a more dynamic and personalized shopping experience.

Revenue Metrics

Operational Efficiency

Business Impact

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