QUIZ
ME
[ PRETO-TYPING ]
[ BUSINESS STRATEGY ]
[ UX RESEARCH ]
QUIZ
ME
[ PRETO-TYPING ]
[ BUSINESS STRATEGY ]
[ UX RESEARCH ]
[ ACADEMIC ]
[ 2024 ]
Reimagining Online Trivia Gameplay and Using Preto-typing to Test and Validate New Ideas.
Preto-typing tests showed 100% engagement in gameplay, but low initial interest in niche Quiz topics. 8/57 (14%) users signed up for early access, and 1/91 (0.04%) requested for a niche topic.
[ PROJECT DETAILS ]
Type
Mobile App, Preto-typing
My Role
UX Design, UX Research & Design
Timeline
2024
Project Stack
Figma, Obsidian, Reddit, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Google Calendar, MS Excel, Calendly, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Freepik, Framer, Waitlist
[ ACADEMIC ]
[ 2024 ]
Reimagining Online Trivia Gameplay and Using Preto-typing to Test and Validate New Ideas.
Preto-typing tests showed 100% engagement in gameplay, but low initial interest in niche Quiz topics. 8/57 (14%) users signed up for early access, and 1/91 (0.04%) requested for a niche topic.
[ PROJECT DETAILS ]
Type
Mobile App, Preto-typing
My Role
UX Design, UX Research & Design
Timeline
2024
Project Stack
Figma, Obsidian, Reddit, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Google Calendar, MS Excel, Calendly, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Freepik, Framer, Waitlist
Other
PROJECTS
[ EXPLORE MORE ]
INTRODUCTION
[ QUIZ ME ]
The problem QuizMe aims to solve stems from the limitations of traditional online Quiz Platforms, which often lack personalization, social engagement and a sense of progression.
[ WHAT IS THE PROBLEM ]
Traditional quiz platforms like Kahoot!, Quizizz, ProProfs, Sporcle, and Google Forms often deliver the same static experience to all users, lacking personalization, adaptive learning, and meaningful social engagement.
No Social Elements – Most quiz platforms are solitary experiences. They lack features that allow users to interact, compete, or collaborate.
Lack of Diversity in Topics – Quizzes are often limited to a narrow range of subjects, which can alienate users with niche interests or diverse backgrounds.
Lack of spontaneous playing options – Outdated or clunky interfaces make navigation frustrating and reduce engagement.
[ SOLUTION ]
The Mobile App Quizme seeks to offer a gamified platform for people to gather and demonstrate their skills in their areas of interest.
discovery
RESEARCH
[ WHY I CHOSE THIS PROBLEM ]
Coming from a community of trivia experts and enthusiasts, I've often noticed how fragmented and unorganized the online quiz space feels. To explore this issue further, I took two key steps:
First, I conducted interviews with a range of individuals — from passionate trivia enthusiasts to hardcore academics — to understand their habits, frustrations, and expectations around quizzing platforms. Secondly, I employed a UX research method called “A Day in the Life” to immerse myself in their daily routines and observe how quizzes fit into their lives, if at all.
[ USER INTERVIEWS ]
USER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Can you tell me more about the last time you spent time on your phone to learn something new or just for fun?
What did you do?
How was your experience with it?
Can you walk me through the last time you played any quiz or a trivia game?
What made you stop?
What made you keep playing?
Can you tell me about any app which you used for Trivia?
Can you tell me how that went?
Can you tell me about the experience?
What kind of frustrations or problems did you encounter while taking online quizzes in general?
How did you overcome those?
Did it make you stop using the app?
How do you usually spend your downtime on your phone?
Any favorite apps or games?
What's frustrating about these apps?
Tell me about the last time when you learned something new or challenged yourself in an app or a game.
What did you like about the experience?
Did anything bug you?
What would make a quiz or trivia online game exciting enough for you to keep playing it?
What do you do when you want to challenge your knowledge on something?
HYPOTHESES - BEFORE INTERVIEWS
Users who frequently take online quizzes and trivia games primarily do so for entertainment purposes only.
The availability of high-quality, engaging quiz content is missing from online quiz platforms available today.
Users find personalized quiz experiences, such as leaderboards, progress tracking, and a sense of competition more engaging than general knowledge quizzes.
Users are more likely to continue using online quiz platforms if they play with other players or friends(multiplayer).
Bad UI, slow loading times, frequent crashes, repetitive questions can significantly impact user satisfaction with online quiz platforms.
FINDINGS - AFTER INTERVIEWS
Users who frequently take online quizzes and trivia games primarily do so for entertainment purposes only
Users who frequently take online quizzes and trivia games primarily do so for entertainment purposes only
PROVEN RIGHT
Interviewees stated that they primarily take quizzes for entertainment and fun. While they may also learn something new, the major motivation is still enjoyment for them. This aligns with the hypothesis that users primarily take quizzes for entertainment purposes.
Interviewees stated that they primarily take quizzes for entertainment and fun. While they may also learn something new, the major motivation is still enjoyment for them. This aligns with the hypothesis that users primarily take quizzes for entertainment purposes.
The availability of high-quality, engaging quiz content is missing from online quiz platforms available today.
The availability of high-quality, engaging quiz content is missing from online quiz platforms available today.
PROVEN RIGHT
Interviewees said that they were frustrated with the quality of quiz content on the platforms they tried. One of them complained about repetitive questions and lack of diversity, while the other expressed concern over unclear questions and bad UI. This suggests that there is a gap in the market for high-quality, engaging quiz content.
Interviewees said that they were frustrated with the quality of quiz content on the platforms they tried. One of them complained about repetitive questions and lack of diversity, while the other expressed concern over unclear questions and bad UI. This suggests that there is a gap in the market for high-quality, engaging quiz content.
Users find personalized quiz experiences, such as leaderboards, progress tracking, and a sense of competition more engaging than general knowledge quizzes.
Users find personalized quiz experiences, such as leaderboards, progress tracking, and a sense of competition more engaging than general knowledge quizzes.
CANNOT BE DETERMINED
Interviewees mentioned that they prefer more personalized quizzes but also enjoyed general knowledge quizzes. They did not explicitly mention any preference for personalized quizzes. While an interviewee’s experience suggests that personalized quizzes can be engaging, it's not strong evidence that all users prefer them over general knowledge quizzes. More data would be needed to determine the result of this hypothesis.
Interviewees mentioned that they prefer more personalized quizzes but also enjoyed general knowledge quizzes. They did not explicitly mention any preference for personalized quizzes. While an interviewee’s experience suggests that personalized quizzes can be engaging, it's not strong evidence that all users prefer them over general knowledge quizzes. More data would be needed to determine the result of this hypothesis.
Users are more likely to continue using online quiz platforms if they play with other players or friends(multiplayer).
Users are more likely to continue using online quiz platforms if they play with other players or friends(multiplayer).
PROVEN RIGHT
Interviewees said that the social aspect of quizzes, enjoying playing with friends or competing against strangers of similar expertise. This indicates that multiplayer features can enhance the user experience and encourage continued engagement with quiz platforms.
Interviewees said that the social aspect of quizzes, enjoying playing with friends or competing against strangers of similar expertise. This indicates that multiplayer features can enhance the user experience and encourage continued engagement with quiz platforms.
Bad UI, slow loading times, frequent crashes, repetitive questions can significantly impact user satisfaction with online quiz platforms.
Bad UI, slow loading times, frequent crashes, repetitive questions can significantly impact user satisfaction with online quiz platforms.
PROVEN RIGHT
Interviewees expressed that they were dissatisfied with technical issues like slow loading times, crashes, and poor user interfaces. They also mentioned that these issues make them exit the quiz sometimes. This supports the hypothesis that bad UI, slow loading times, and frequent crashes can negatively affect user satisfaction.
Interviewees expressed that they were dissatisfied with technical issues like slow loading times, crashes, and poor user interfaces. They also mentioned that these issues make them exit the quiz sometimes. This supports the hypothesis that bad UI, slow loading times, and frequent crashes can negatively affect user satisfaction.
[ A DAY IN LIFE ]
The UX Technique “A Day in Life” of a Trivia/Quiz Enthusiast revealed many insights about the world Current Online Trivia and Quiz situation.
The UX Technique “A Day in Life” of a Trivia/Quiz Enthusiast revealed many insights about the world Current Online Trivia and Quiz situation.
HYPOTHESES - BEFORE EXPERIMENT
User will not feel like taking a quiz within 3 hours of waking up.
User will find his IQ result
User will complete at least 3 quizzes on different topics each.
User will look for and find at least one quiz app they like.
User will play at least 5 quizzes on an app before going to bed.
FINDINGS - AFTER EXPERIMENT
Users will not feel like taking a quiz within 3 hours of waking up.
PROVEN RIGHT
I’ve been thinking about taking an IQ test recently. I’ve just been feeling a little sharper than usual and was curious to see where I stand. I did not feel like taking any kind of quiz for 4 hours since I woke up.
There was a lot of work to do before I could relax. One of the other reasons was the uncertainty in which IQ test to take because I didn’t know what it was like and how long it would take. Was also anxious about being disappointed by any of the online IQ Test Results.
User will find his IQ result.
PROVEN WRONG
I attempted about 8 different websites to test my IQ, but I did not complete even a single one of those. Reasons being:
Looking at those black and white, seemingly random shapes on the screen gave me a headache and I started thinking if this counts as intelligence.
The questions were tedious and it took me a lot of time and effort to answer.
Even the short IQ tests I found were not short. They had at least 50 questions.
One quiz which I did complete after immense effort, Brain Metrics Initiative, asked to buy my results. It was infuriating.
User will complete at least three quizzes on different topics each.
PROVEN WRONG
After taking a Harry Potter Quiz and a Quiz about soccer, I looked for other quizzes that could peak my interest, but even after searching for about 1 hour, I didn't really find any quiz that peaked my interest. Most of the quizzes I came across were un-interesting, too easy, or had terrible interface.
User will look for and find at least one quiz app.
PROVEN RIGHT
Although I did not feel like it, I looked for a Mobile App for quizzes to get into a competitive environment, I downloaded the first search result, Trivia Crack and signed up.
User will play at least 5 quizzes on an app before going to bed.
PROVEN WRONG
The app had a lot of game elements which I did not enjoy and felt like they were distracting the user from the main game. Also there was no way to choose a topic of interest, instead there are random General Knowledge questions floating around the Screen.
SOLUTION
[ QUIZ ME ]
The Mobile App Quizme seeks to offer a gamified platform for people to gather and demonstrate their skills in their areas of interest.
The Mobile App Quizme seeks to offer a gamified platform for people to gather and demonstrate their skills in their areas of interest.
Helping individuals who enjoy learning, testing their knowledge, and engaging in intellectual challenges with a platform to showcase their trivia skills across various topics.
Play vs Friend: Challenge your friends to a one-on-one quiz on any topic of your choice.
Play Online: Test your knowledge in 1v1 challenges on the topics you love, online.
Gamification: Climb the leaderboards, earn badges, join exclusive events, level up, and explore niche topics tailored to your passions.
TARGET
MARKET
[ TRIVIA ENTHUSIASTS ]
Quizme primarily targets individuals between the ages 18-34 who are highly active on mobile devices.
Secondary target audience include teenagers who are drawn to the social aspects of fun and competition.
Next, I needed to validate whether
my idea could work in
the real world
as a viable business
RISKY
ASSUMPTIONS
MATRIX
[ THE RISK ]
I identified and organized the core assumptions that needed to be validated for QuizMe to succeed as a business.
Users will play with friends and other people online (multiplayer).
Gamification (levels, badges) will retain users.
Ads and in-app purchases will generate revenue.
Users want more quiz topics that resonate with heir interests.
Corporate training will generate a lot of revenue.
Teens and young adults will be primary users.
Word-of-mouth is key.
The MVP will attract early users.
Competitors won’t copy and improve features.
Marketing and influencer campaigns will drive user acquisition.
I narrowed it down to the 3 most critical assumptions — ones that, if incorrect, could be detrimental to QuizMe’s entire foundation.
I narrowed it down to the 3 most critical assumptions — ones that, if incorrect, could be detrimental to QuizMe’s entire foundation.
Users will play with friends and other people online (multiplayer).
Users want more quiz topics that resonate with heir interests.
The MVP will attract early users.
PRETOTYPING
[ VALIDATING MY ASSUMPTIONS ]
Pretotyping is a set of tools, techniques, and tactics designed to help you validate any idea for a new product quickly, objectively, and accurately. The goal of pretotyping is to help you make sure that you are building The Right It before you build It right.
Pretotyping was originally developed at Google in 2010 and since then has been tested, refined, taught, and put into practice with great success in hundreds of projects and organizations.
Source: https://www.pretotyping.org/
RISKY ASSUMPTION
Users will play with friends and other people online (multiplayer).
XYZ STATEMENT
I believe that
At least 50% will prefer quizzing(trivia) with friends rather than strangers.
At least 50% of people will tap on take quiz again the first time.
At least 30% of people will take both the quizzes.
At lest 50% of people who take 2 quizzes will tap on watch ad to play third quiz.
At least 50% of people will watch the entire ad.
MECHANICAL TURK
Manually create two Quizzes (Trivia) and test them with:
A Pair familiar with each other
A Pair unfamiliar with one another
Give them a score at the end based on how fast they finish the quiz.
Measure the following using metrics:
Which mode do people prefer?
What percent of people tap on ‘Take Quiz Again’ the 1st time.
What percent of people complete one quiz?
What percent of people both quizzes?
What percent of people tap on watch ad to play the 3rd quiz?
What percent of people will watch the entire ad?
The goal was to assess whether people are interested in playing online trivia games with strangers. To test my assumption, I needed:
Two users familiar
with one another
Two users unfamiliar
with one another
Set of 7 Questions
each for 2 topics
A platform to simulate trivia
Scoring System & Timer to win/lose
A video ad to assess
user’s enjoyment
Initial Assumptions
2/4 will complete the first quiz.
2/4 people will complete the second quiz.
People who play with their friend will rate the app better than those who play with someone they’re unfamiliar with.
People who play with their friend will rate the app better
At least half of those who take 2 quizzes will tap on watch ad to play the third quiz.
At least 50% of those who take 2 quizzes will tap on ad
Data From Mechanical Turk
4/4 completed the first quiz.
4/4 completed the second quiz.
People who played with strangers rated the app better than those who played with their friend.
People who played with strangers rated the app better
All 4 users tapped on watch ad to play the third quiz, showing significant interest in the idea.
All 4 users tapped on watch ad to play the third quiz
The Pretotype was a success,
people loved the fresh, competitive take
on online trivia.
I had to manually calculate the
score by watching the users play
I had to manually calculate the
score by watching the users play
Figma does not allow if-else conditions, so it was impossible fot me to automate the Scoring System. To deal with is challenge, I manually sat beside one of the quiz takers to check the Time and answers and asked one of my friends to do the same with the opponent in real time.
Figma does not allow if-else conditions, so it was impossible fot me to automate the Scoring System. To deal with is challenge, I manually sat beside one of the quiz takers to check the Time and answers and asked one of my friends to do the same with the opponent in real time.
Creating the Scoring system
to decide a winner was difficult
Creating the Scoring system
to decide a winner was difficult
Before using this quiz format I wanted to test another quiz format where people had to answer as many questions as they can under a time limit. This proved to be difficult as I found during the trial phases that some people were so fast that the no. of questions wasn’t enough.
Before using this quiz format I wanted to test another quiz format where people had to answer as many questions as they can under a time limit. This proved to be difficult as I found during the trial phases that some people were so fast that the no. of questions wasn’t enough.
RISKY ASSUMPTION
The MVP will attract early users on the app.
XYZ STATEMENT
I believe that if I launch a landing page about Quizme, at least 30% of the visitors will sign up for early access within the first week.
FAKE FRONT DOOR
Launch a simple landing page announcing Quizme.
Have a "Sign Up for Early Access" button grabbing user’s attention.
Measure how many people sign up or show interest, giving an indication of how appealing the app is.
The goal was to validate initial interest by sharing a fake website in trivia groups on social media.
Initial Assumptions
I believe that out of all the web page viewers, at least 30% will Sign up for early access.
Data From FAKE FRONT DOOR
Only 14% of the people who landed the fake web page provided their email ID.
The Pretotype was a failure,
but 14% of visitors still put skin in the
game by sharing their email
The fake website’s URL made most people believe it was a scam
I built and launched the site on Framer for free, so there was no custom domain — which made it seem fake (ironically). The comments made it hard to keep up the act.
My social media blew up with messages asking if I'd been hacked
A lot of friends and acquaintances messaged me asking if I got hacked — fair enough, it was just an experiment. But it taught me how to make it feel more real next time.
RISKY ASSUMPTION
Users want more quiz topics that resonate with heir interests.
XYZ STATEMENT
I believe that out of all the post viewers, at least 20% will respond with a niche topic of their own.
INFILTRATOR
Set up a post in an active poll of Quiz enthusiasts on a WhatsApp Group where users can suggest quiz topics they wish to see more often online.
Measure the following using metrics:
Which mode do people prefer?
What percent of people tap on ‘Take Quiz Again’ the 1st time.
What percent of people complete one quiz?
What percent of people both quizzes?
What percent of people tap on watch ad to play the 3rd quiz?
What percent of people will watch the entire ad?
The goal was to gauge demand for niche trivia topics among quiz enthusiasts. I used a WhatsApp poll listing common topics, with the last option inviting custom suggestions via reply.
Initial Assumptions
I believe that out of all the poll answerers, at least 2% will respond with a niche quiz topic of their own.
Data From INFILTRATOR
0.04% of the people who viewed the post responded with a niche topic of their own.
OTHER METRICS
No. of people who viewed the post in 72 hours
People who answered the Polls in 72 hours
People who wanted a niche trivia/quiz topic
People who wanted ‘Wrist Watches’ (niche) topic
No. of Facebook and Whatsapp groups posted in
No. of Bans from Reddit, Facebook and Twitter Groups
POLL DATA
900+
91
0.04%
01
04
12+
The Pretotype was a failure,
but there was significant interest in
general quiz topics
as 10% of people
who viewed the poll, responded.
I could not access and was banned from several social media groups
I tried running polls on Reddit, Twitter, and WhatsApp to gather data, but got banned from several communities for violating their guidelines — making it tough to collect meaningful data.
Tracking poll data of several sites at once was a major challenge.
Running polls across multiple platforms made tracking responses messy. I wish there were an affordable tool to poll a targeted audience in one place.
WORLD
AFTER
QUIZME
[ TRIVIA PARADISE ]
Begin with general/famous topics
& on to 'niche' topics later.
Based on the findings from pretotyping experiments, it is a sensible option to start the app with more generalized and well-known topics and then progress to 'niche' topics once additional resources are available.
Allocating Resources to Sales and Product Marketing
With the Mechanical Turk Experiment, I was able to prove that there is significant interest in the app’s gameplay. I believe it is worth allocating significant resources to Branding and Marketing of the QuizMe App.
[ FINALLY! ]
After discovering QuizMe, John has adopted healthier and more productive behaviors during his free time. He now has proof of his skill, which he can share with his peers and across the globe.
Engaging Social Elements – Multiplayer Trivia, Game elements like levels, badges and leaderboards will keep the users engaged to the app and give them evidence for bragging rights.
Diversity in Topics – QuizMe offers a variety of general and niche topics for people with different interests.
Beautiful UI – Modern, casual and grunge Branding to appeal to a younger set of tech-savvy audience.
BUSINESS
STRATEGY
[ REVENUE GENERATION ]
Customer Relationships
Quizme is a sophisticated mixture of Customer Self Service and Automated Service Relationship.
Automated Services
In-built topics, Quiz Stats, Leaderboards, Levels Badges, etc. are automated.
Customer Self Service
Create Topic, Multiplayer Mode, Vs Friends Mode and Single Player Mode.
Marketing Strategy
Email Marketing
Tired of boring online quizzes
Challenge your friends today
Are you an expert in ________
Social Media Content
Videos of people using the App
Demo App Walkthrough
Influencer Marketing
Sales Strategy
Quizme, a mobile app, will be distributed through digital channels, primarily available on app stores for download.
The app is in the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) space, targeting individual consumers. For marketing, social media platforms will bring users to the Website and then to the app.
REVENUE
STREAMS
[ HOW WILL THE BUSINESS MAKE MONEY? ]
Limited Energy
Users will only get to play a limited number of games before they run out of Energy.
Ad Revenue
Ads will be displayed on the app that be watched to gain more Energy and at end of quizzes.
In-app Purchases
Ads will be displayed on the app that be watched to gain more Energy and at end of quizzes.
Sponsored Quizzes
To promote certain topics and brands related to it.
Corporate Training
On the B2B side, for example, company-specific sales training quizzes can be designed.
Data Monetization
Data on what topics individuals are interested in is critical to many businesses.
Management Team
Strategic Alliances:
Content creators & Influencers create and promote high-quality trivia content.
Coopetition:
Game Development Studios to leverage their expertise while maintaining some level of competition in the gaming market.
Joint Ventures:
Advertisers and Sponsors to provide additional revenue and improve user acquisition, potentially involving shared investments or co-branded initiatives with businesses related to Quiz Topics.
Buyer Supplier Relationships:
Payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, or Apple Pay to handle transactions for in-app purchases or micro-transactions.
Use of Investment
Tech & Development (35% | $525,000)
Hiring developers and expanding the tech team.
AI integration, new features, server scaling, UX/UI improvements.
Marketing & User Acquisition (25% | $375,000)
Paid digital ads, influencer marketing, partnerships, and app store optimization.
Operations & Team Expansion (20% | $300,000)
Hiring staff for operations, competitive salaries, remote office setup.
Customer Support & Community Building (10% | $150,000)
Support team, community engagement, quiz tournaments, and virtual events.
Legal & Admin (10% | $150,000)
Legal fees, admin software, compliance, data protection.
OTHER
PROJECTS
[ EXPLORE MORE ]
QUIZ
ME
[ PRETO-TYPING ]
[ BUSINESS STRATEGY ]
[ UX RESEARCH ]
[ MASTERS THESIS ]
[ 2024-ONGOING ]
Reimagining Online Trivia Gameplay and Using Preto-typing to Test and Validate New Ideas.
Preto-typing tests showed 100% engagement in gameplay, but low initial interest in niche Quiz topics. 8/57 (14%) users signed up for early access, and 1/91 (0.04%) requested for a niche topic.
[ PROJECT DETAILS ]
Type
Mobile App, Preto-typing
My Role
UX Design, UX Research & Design
Timeline
2024
Project Stack
Figma, Obsidian, Reddit, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Google Calendar, MS Excel, Calendly, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Freepik, Framer, Waitlist
APP PROTOTYPE
RESEARCH ARTIFACTS
INTRODUCTION
[ QUIZ ME ]
The problem QuizMe aims to solve stems from the limitations of traditional online Quiz Platforms, which often lack personalization, social engagement and a sense of progression.
[ WHAT IS THE PROBLEM ]
Traditional quiz platforms like Kahoot!, Quizizz, ProProfs, Sporcle, and Google Forms often deliver the same static experience to all users, lacking personalization, adaptive learning, and meaningful social engagement.
No Social Elements – Most quiz platforms are solitary experiences. They lack features that allow users to interact, compete, or collaborate.
Lack of Diversity in Topics – Quizzes are often limited to a narrow range of subjects, which can alienate users with niche interests or diverse backgrounds.
Lack of spontaneous playing options – Outdated or clunky interfaces make navigation frustrating and reduce engagement.
[ SOLUTION ]
The Mobile App Quizme seeks to offer a gamified platform for people to gather and demonstrate their skills in their areas of interest.
DISCOVERY
RESEARCH
[ WHY I CHOSE THIS PROBLEM ]
Coming from a community of trivia experts and enthusiasts, I've often noticed how fragmented and unorganized the online quiz space feels. To explore this issue further, I took two key steps:
First, I conducted interviews with a range of individuals — from passionate trivia enthusiasts to hardcore academics — to understand their habits, frustrations, and expectations around quizzing platforms. Secondly, I employed a UX research method called “A Day in the Life” to immerse myself in their daily routines and observe how quizzes fit into their lives, if at all.
[ USER INTERVIEWS ]
USER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Can you tell me more about the last time you spent time on your phone to learn something new or just for fun?
What did you do?
How was your experience with it?
Can you walk me through the last time you played any quiz or a trivia game?
What made you stop?
What made you keep playing?
Can you tell me about any app which you used for Trivia?
Can you tell me how that went?
Can you tell me about the experience?
What kind of frustrations or problems did you encounter while taking online quizzes in general?
How did you overcome those?
Did it make you stop using the app?
How do you usually spend your downtime on your phone?
Any favorite apps or games?
What's frustrating about these apps?
Tell me about the last time when you learned something new or challenged yourself in an app or a game.
What did you like about the experience?
Did anything bug you?
What would make a quiz or trivia online game exciting enough for you to keep playing it?
What do you do when you want to challenge your knowledge on something?
FINDINGS - AFTER INTERVIEWS
Users who frequently take online quizzes and trivia games primarily do so for entertainment purposes only
PROVEN RIGHT
Interviewees stated that they primarily take quizzes for entertainment and fun. While they may also learn something new, the major motivation is still enjoyment for them. This aligns with the hypothesis that users primarily take quizzes for entertainment purposes.
The availability of high-quality, engaging quiz content is missing from online quiz platforms available today.
PROVEN RIGHT
Interviewees said that they were frustrated with the quality of quiz content on the platforms they tried. One of them complained about repetitive questions and lack of diversity, while the other expressed concern over unclear questions and bad UI. This suggests that there is a gap in the market for high-quality, engaging quiz content.
Users find personalized quiz experiences, such as leaderboards, progress tracking, and a sense of competition more engaging than general knowledge quizzes.
CANNOT BE DETERMINED
Interviewees mentioned that they prefer more personalized quizzes but also enjoyed general knowledge quizzes. They did not explicitly mention any preference for personalized quizzes. While an interviewee’s experience suggests that personalized quizzes can be engaging, it's not strong evidence that all users prefer them over general knowledge quizzes. More data would be needed to determine the result of this hypothesis.
Users are more likely to continue using online quiz platforms if they play with other players or friends(multiplayer).
PROVEN RIGHT
Interviewees said that the social aspect of quizzes, enjoying playing with friends or competing against strangers of similar expertise. This indicates that multiplayer features can enhance the user experience and encourage continued engagement with quiz platforms.
Bad UI, slow loading times, frequent crashes, repetitive questions can significantly impact user satisfaction with online quiz platforms.
PROVEN RIGHT
Interviewees expressed that they were dissatisfied with technical issues like slow loading times, crashes, and poor user interfaces. They also mentioned that these issues make them exit the quiz sometimes. This supports the hypothesis that bad UI, slow loading times, and frequent crashes can negatively affect user satisfaction.
[ A DAY IN LIFE ]
The UX Technique “A Day in Life” of a Trivia/Quiz Enthusiast revealed many insights about the world Current Online Trivia and Quiz situation.
HYPOTHESES - BEFORE EXPERIMENT
User will not feel like taking a quiz within 3 hours of waking up.
User will find his IQ result
User will complete at least 3 quizzes on different topics each.
User will look for and find at least one quiz app they like.
User will play at least 5 quizzes on an app before going to bed.
FINDINGS - AFTER INTERVIEWS
Users will not feel like taking a quiz within 3 hours of waking up.
PROVEN RIGHT
I’ve been thinking about taking an IQ test recently. I’ve just been feeling a little sharper than usual and was curious to see where I stand. I did not feel like taking any kind of quiz for 4 hours since I woke up.
There was a lot of work to do before I could relax. One of the other reasons was the uncertainty in which IQ test to take because I didn’t know what it was like and how long it would take. Was also anxious about being disappointed by any of the online IQ Test Results.
User will find his IQ result.
PROVEN WRONG
After taking a Harry Potter Quiz and a Quiz about soccer, I looked for other quizzes that could peak my interest, but even after searching for about 1 hour, I didn't really find any quiz that peaked my interest. Most of the quizzes I came across were un-interesting, too easy, or had terrible interface.
User will complete at least three quizzes on different topics each.
PROVEN WRONG
After taking a Harry Potter Quiz and a Quiz about soccer, I looked for other quizzes that could peak my interest, but even after searching for about 1 hour, I didn't really find any quiz that peaked my interest. Most of the quizzes I came across were un-interesting, too easy, or had terrible interface.
User will look for and find at least one quiz app.
PROVEN RIGHT
Although I did not feel like it, I looked for a Mobile App for quizzes to get into a competitive environment, I downloaded the first search result, Trivia Crack and signed up.
User will play at least 5 quizzes on an app before going to bed.
PROVEN WRONG
The app had a lot of game elements which I did not enjoy and felt like they were distracting the user from the main game. Also there was no way to choose a topic of interest, instead there are random General Knowledge questions floating around the Screen.
SOLUTION
[ QUIZ ME ]
The Mobile App Quizme seeks to offer a gamified platform for people to gather and demonstrate their skills in their areas of interest.
Helping individuals who enjoy learning, testing their knowledge, and engaging in intellectual challenges with a platform to showcase their trivia skills across various topics.
Play vs Friend: Challenge your friends to a one-on-one quiz on any topic of your choice.
Play Online: Test your knowledge in 1v1 challenges on the topics you love, online.
Gamification: Climb the leaderboards, earn badges, join exclusive events, level up, and explore niche topics tailored to your passions.
TARGET
MARKET
[ TRIVIA ENTHUSIASTS ]
About 150 million people take online quizzes everyday.
Source: Statista
Quizme primarily targets individuals between the ages 18-34 who are highly active on mobile devices.
Secondary target audience include teenagers who are drawn to the social aspects of fun and competition.
RISKY
ASSUMPTIONS
MATRIX
[ THE RISK ]
I identified and organized the core assumptions that needed to be validated for QuizMe to succeed as a business.
Users will play with friends and other people online (multiplayer).
Gamification (levels, badges) will retain users.
Ads and in-app purchases will generate revenue.
Users want more quiz topics that resonate with heir interests.
Corporate training will generate a lot of revenue.
Teens and young adults will be primary users.
Word-of-mouth is key.
The MVP will attract early users.
Competitors won’t copy and improve features.
Marketing and influencer campaigns will drive user acquisition.
I narrowed it down to the 3 most critical assumptions — ones that, if incorrect, could be detrimental to QuizMe’s entire foundation.
Users will play with friends and other people online (multiplayer).
Users want more quiz topics that resonate with heir interests.
The MVP will attract early users.
PRETOTYPING
[ VALIDATING MY ASSUMPTIONS ]
Pretotyping is a set of tools, techniques, and tactics designed to help you validate any idea for a new product quickly, objectively, and accurately. The goal of pretotyping is to help you make sure that you are building The Right It before you build It right.
Pretotyping was originally developed at Google in 2010 and since then has been tested, refined, taught, and put into practice with great success in hundreds of projects and organizations.
Source: https://www.pretotyping.org/
RISKY ASSUMPTION
Users will play with friends and other people online (multiplayer).
XYZ STATEMENT
I believe that
At least 50% will prefer quizzing(trivia) with friends rather than strangers.
At least 50% of people will tap on take quiz again the first time.
At least 30% of people will take both the quizzes.
At lest 50% of people who take 2 quizzes will tap on watch ad to play third quiz.
At least 50% of people will watch the entire ad.
MECHANICAL TURK
Manually create two Quizzes (Trivia) and test them with:
A Pair familiar with each other
A Pair unfamiliar with one another
Give them a score at the end based on how fast they finish the quiz.
Measure the following using metrics:
Which mode do people prefer?
What percent of people tap on ‘Take Quiz Again’ the 1st time.
What percent of people complete one quiz?
What percent of people both quizzes?
What percent of people tap on watch ad to play the 3rd quiz?
What percent of people will watch the entire ad?
The goal was to assess whether people are interested in playing online trivia games with strangers. To test my assumption, I needed:
Two users familiar
with one another
Two users unfamiliar
with one another
Set of 7 Questions
each for 2 topics
A platform to simulate trivia
Scoring System & Timer to win/lose
A video ad to assess
user’s enjoyment
Checkout the Quiz
Initial Assumptions
2/4 will complete the first quiz.
2/4 people will finish second quiz.
People who play with their friend will rate the app better than those who play with strangers.
At least half of those who take 2 quizzes will tap on watch ad to play the third quiz.
Data From Mechanical Turk
4/4 completed the first quiz.
4/4 completed the second quiz.
People who played with strangers rated the app better than those who played with their friend.
All 4 users tapped on watch ad to play the third quiz, showing significant interest in the idea.
The fake website’s URL made most people believe it was a scam
I built and launched the site on Framer for free, so there was no custom domain — which made it seem fake (ironically). The comments made it hard.
My social media blew up with messages asking if I'd been hacked
A lot of friends and acquaintances messaged me asking if I got hacked — fair enough, it was just an experiment. But it taught me how to make it feel more real next time.
RISKY ASSUMPTION
Users want more quiz topics that resonate with heir interests.
XYZ STATEMENT
I believe thatI believe that out of all the post viewers, at least 20% will respond with a niche topic of their own.
INFILTRATOR
Set up a post in an active poll of Quiz enthusiasts on a WhatsApp Group where users can suggest quiz topics they wish to see more often online.
Measure the following using metrics:
Which mode do people prefer?
What percent of people tap on ‘Take Quiz Again’ the 1st time.
What percent of people complete one quiz?
What percent of people both quizzes?
What percent of people tap on watch ad to play the 3rd quiz?
What percent of people will watch the entire ad?
The goal was to gauge demand for niche trivia topics among quiz enthusiasts. I used a WhatsApp poll listing common topics, with the last option inviting custom suggestions via reply.
Initial Assumptions
I believe that out of all the poll answerers, at least 2% will respond with a niche quiz topic of their own.
Data From INFILTRATOR
0.04% of the people who viewed the post responded with a niche topic of their own.
OTHER METRICS
No. of people who viewed the post in 72 hours
People who answered the Polls in 72 hours
People who wanted a niche trivia/quiz topic
People who wanted ‘Wrist Watches’ (niche) topic
No. of Facebook and Whatsapp groups posted in
No. of Bans from Reddit, Facebook and Twitter Groups
POLL DATA
900+
91
0.04%
01
04
12+
I could not access and was banned from several social media groups
I tried running polls on Reddit, Twitter, and WhatsApp to gather data, but got banned from several communities for violating their guidelines — making it tough to collect meaningful data.
Tracking poll data of several sites at once was a major challenge.
Running polls across multiple platforms made tracking responses messy. I wish there were an affordable tool to poll a targeted audience in one place.
WORLD
AFTER
QUIZME
[ TRIVIA PARADISE ]
Begin with general/famous topics & on to 'niche' topics later.
Based on the findings from pretotyping experiments, it is a sensible option to start the app with more generalized and well-known topics and then progress to 'niche' topics once additional resources are available.
Allocating Resources to Sales and Product Marketing
With the Mechanical Turk Experiment, I was able to prove that there is significant interest in the app’s gameplay. I believe it is worth allocating significant resources to Branding and Marketing of the QuizMe App.
[ FINALLY ]
After discovering QuizMe, John has adopted healthier and more productive behaviors during his free time. He now has proof of his skill, which he can share with his peers and across the globe.
Engaging Social Elements – Multiplayer Trivia, Game elements like levels, badges and leaderboards will keep the users engaged to the app and give them evidence for bragging rights.
Diversity in Topics – QuizMe offers a variety of general and niche topics for people with different interests.
Beautiful UI – Modern, casual and grunge Branding to appeal to a younger set of tech-savvy audience.
BUSINESS
STRATEGY
[ REVENUE GENERATION ]
View in High Quality
Customer Relationships
Quizme is a sophisticated mixture of Customer Self Service and Automated Service Relationship.
Automated Services
In-built topics, Quiz Stats, Leaderboards, Levels Badges, etc. are automated.
Customer Self Service
Create Topic, Multiplayer Mode, Vs Friends Mode and Single Player Mode.
Marketing Strategy
Email Marketing
Tired of boring online quizzes
Challenge your friends today
Are you an expert in ________
Social Media Content
Videos of people using the App
Demo App Walkthrough
Influencer Marketing
Sales Strategy
Quizme, a mobile app, will be distributed through digital channels, primarily available on app stores for download.
The app is in the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) space, targeting individual consumers. For marketing, social media platforms will bring users to the Website and then to the app.
REVENUE
STREAMS
[ HOW WILL THE BUSINESS MAKE MONEY? ]
Limited Energy
Users will only get to play a limited number of games before they run out of Energy.
Ad Revenue
Ads will be displayed on the app that be watched to gain more Energy and at end of quizzes.
In-app Purchases
Ads will be displayed on the app that be watched to gain more Energy and at end of quizzes.
Sponsored Quizzes
To promote certain topics and brands related to it.
Corporate Training
On the B2B side, for example, company-specific sales training quizzes can be designed.
Data Monetization
Data on what topics individuals are interested in is critical to many businesses.
Management Team
Strategic Alliances:
Content creators & Influencers create and promote high-quality trivia content.
Coopetition:
Game Development Studios to leverage their expertise while maintaining some level of competition in the gaming market.
Joint Ventures:
Advertisers and Sponsors to provide additional revenue and improve user acquisition, potentially involving shared investments or co-branded initiatives with businesses related to Quiz Topics.
Buyer Supplier Relationships:
Payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, or Apple Pay to handle transactions for in-app purchases or micro-transactions.
OTHER
PROJECTS
[ EXPLORE MORE ]
[ UX RESEARCH ]
[ PRETO-TYPING ]
[ 2024 ]
Reimagining Online Trivia Gameplay and Using Preto-typing to Test and Validate New Ideas.
Preto-typing tests showed 100% engagement in gameplay, but low initial interest in niche Quiz topics. 8/57 (14%) users signed up for early access, and 1/91 (0.04%) requested a new topic.
[ DESIGN STRATEGY ]
[ UX DESIGN ]
[ 2024-25 ]
Helping Enhance a Platform for Sales Professionals to Achieve Higher Conversion Rates.
Contributed to strategy and design for the startup’s funding success and re-designed the website.
[ UX DESIGN & RESEARCH ]
[ 2023 ]
Re-designed the Post-its app to Cater to the Needs of its Existing Audience and Validated the Idea with Testing.
Achieved a 99% average task completion rate with 12 participants in a 20-min Usability Test Session. The idea being tested was designed and Prototyped in Figma within a span of 2 months.
Shoot me an E-mail
darwaivarun@gmail.com
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VARUN KUMAR DARWAI
©2025 VARUN KUMAR DARWAI // ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Shoot me an E-mail
darwaivarun@gmail.com
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VARUN KUMAR DARWAI
©2025 VARUN KUMAR DARWAI // ALL RIGHTS RESERVED