Steam App Redesign
Steam, developed by Valve in 2002, is one of the largest digital distribution platforms for games and software. Originally designed for desktop, the Steam mobile app has struggled to provide an intuitive experience on smaller screens, presenting an opportunity for a complete redesign to enhance usability and functionality on mobile.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Project Type
Self Project
Duration
2 Weeks
Identifying the Core Problem
While the Steam mobile app brings over many of the desktop platform’s features, it lacks mobile-specific design considerations. This results in crowded screens, confusing navigation, and hidden entry points, making essential tasks challenging on a smaller screen. With mobile being crucial for on-the-go access, the challenge was to make the app intuitive and mobile-friendly without sacrificing functionality.
Redesign Strategy
The redesign focused on creating a mobile-optimized information architecture to streamline navigation, reduce clutter, and enhance user flow. Key adjustments included reorganizing core features and refining interactions to deliver a seamless experience that aligns with user needs. This approach ensures the app feels intuitive on mobile while maintaining consistency with the desktop version, empowering users to access their game library, store, and social features effortlessly.
User Research
Online surveys were conducted to better understand why users engage with the Steam mobile app and which features are most important to them. Survey data highlighted user priorities, such as accessing their game library and purchasing new games, guiding the design to focus on these core functions.
Issue Identification
A complete audit of the existing Steam mobile app revealed key usability issues. The current app’s navigation was complex, with many features crowded into single screens or spread across separate screens with hidden entry points. These findings informed the areas of improvement and set the foundation for the redesign.
Revised Information Architecture & Wireframing
The original IA, adapted from the desktop version, was not optimized for mobile. A new IA was developed to streamline content and reorganize features into a mobile-friendly structure, allowing for easier navigation. Paper wireframe sketches explored solutions to these issues, which were then refined into digital wireframes to improve usability and test layout options at mobile scale.
Design with System
A cohesive design system was established to maintain consistency and align with the Steam brand aesthetic. This system defined UI components, typography, color schemes, and interaction patterns, ensuring a cohesive and accessible experience across screens. The design system served as a foundation for high-fidelity mockups, supporting intuitive interactions and a polished visual experience.
Design Highlights
The redesigned Steam mobile app features a cohesive, mobile-optimized interface with high-fidelity mockups that showcase simplified navigation, organized content, and a streamlined layout. This refined approach balances Steam’s branding with user-centered functionality, creating an intuitive experience for users engaging with game libraries, store features, and social elements on the go.
Reflection
This redesign project offered hands-on experience in auditing an existing app to identify core usability issues and developing mobile-specific solutions. Redesigning the Steam app reinforced the importance of adapting desktop functionalities to mobile constraints and aligning with user expectations. The iterative design process underscored the value of prioritizing user needs, highlighting how targeted IA adjustments and simplified navigation can improve overall app usability. If given additional time, a usability study could further validate these design decisions and offer insights for continued refinement, evolving this redesign into a comprehensive UX case study.
