Madden NFL 25
First-time user experience (FTUE) Redesign
I led the redesign of the Madden NFL 25 FTUE – the onboarding flow where players set up their team, difficulty, and core settings. The new design simplified a multi-step process into a single horizontally scrollable screen, reducing friction and improving clarity.
Title
Madden NFL 25
Onboarding systems
Interaction design
Player flow optimization
Focus Area
Contributions
Led the end-to-end redesign of FTUE flow
Release
Shipped with Madden NFL 25 (2024)
Problem
The legacy FTUE (from Madden 24) presented users with a multi-step vertical flow, forcing them to navigate several disconnected screens. Key issues included:
Excessive steps: Setup was fragmented across too many pages, delaying gameplay.
Unclear language
Terms like “Simulation” or “Performance Mode” were poorly explained.
Disorientation
Users had no clear sense of progress or what decisions were required/made.
Visual overload
Large character imagery and modal overlays distracted from key settings.
This resulted in user confusion, misconfigurations during a critical engagement window.
Solution
To streamline the experience, I redesigned the bootflow as a single-screen, horizontally scrollable interface. This new design emphasizes clarity, efficiency, and player control while reducing cognitive load.
Design Improvements
Horizontal scroll layout: Consolidated all core decisions into one unified screen with left-to-right navigation.
Side-by-side comparisons: Allowed users to evaluate difficulty levels, control schemes, and gameplay styles without modal interruptions.
Visual overload: Large character imagery and modal overlays distracted from key settings.
Consistent UI behavior: Simplified controller inputs and UI feedback for a smoother setup experience.
Scalable structure: Created a framework that can expand to support future onboarding features or personalization.
