A Case Study in Designing a 5-Minute Interactive Experience for 10,000 people
A Case Study in Designing a 5-Minute Interactive Experience for 10,000 people
A 5-Minute Interactive Experience for 10,000 people
A 5-Minute Interactive Experience for 10,000 people
Company
Company
Sphere, Las Vegas
Sphere, Las Vegas
Industry
Games/ Entertainment
My Role
Lead UX Designer
Lead UX Researcher
Timeline
11 Months
Overview
A 5-minute game to turn pre-show wait time into a shared, high-energy experience. Players make moves on their phones and watch the action unfold on the Sphere’s giant screen. Designed for 10,000+ participants, it had to be fast, intuitive, and accessible to all.
Context
Sphere is a 20,000-seat venue in Vegas, wrapped in the world’s highest-res screen (16K). I joined the R&D team to explore how that tech could go beyond spectacle—and into shared interaction. This project was our first step: using mobile + screen gameplay to spark collective engagement at scale.
Insight
"
The wait felt endless—I was just playing Candy Crush until the lights finally dimmed.
The wait felt endless—I was just playing Candy Crush until the lights finally dimmed.
Concertgoer, Pre-show Observation Interview
It started with a simple observation: before a show or concert, the wait felt endless for many audience members. We noticed people were already glued to their phones—often playing games to pass the time. That got us thinking:
What if idle time became something engaging, interactive, and memorable?
Design Goals
Design Goals
GOAL 1
GOAL 1
Fast & Fun
Fast & Fun
How do we design a 5-minute experience with quick cycles of delight?
How do we design a 5-minute experience with quick cycles of delight?
GOAL 2
GOAL 2
Easy to Understand
Easy to Understand
How do we make it accessible to 10,000 players, regardless of their background?
How do we make it accessible to 10,000 players, regardless of their background?
The Concept
The Concept
Megapachinko is a large-scale pachinko game where players bet on an emoji. Their chosen emoji drops through the board, bouncing off hazards along the way. Surviving emojis earn points, which can be redeemed for concession credits at the Sphere.
Players make their picks on their phones, then watch the action unfold on Sphere’s massive screen—turning individual taps into a shared, high-energy spectacle.
Megapachinko is a large-scale pachinko game where players bet on an emoji. Their chosen emoji drops through the board, bouncing off hazards along the way. Surviving emojis earn points, which can be redeemed for concession credits at the Sphere.
Players make their picks on their phones, then watch the action unfold on Sphere’s massive screen—turning individual taps into a shared, high-energy spectacle.
01
Scan QR code to join
No app needed. Players scan a QR code to instantly jump in—familiar, fast, and frictionless.
01
Scan QR code to join
No app needed. Players scan a QR code to instantly jump in—familiar, fast, and frictionless.
02
Pick a team
Players join teams based on their seating section. Teams created a sense of bonding and collective excitement—we wanted those 'oohs' and 'ahhs' in unison.
02
Pick a team
Players join teams based on their seating section. Teams created a sense of bonding and collective excitement—we wanted those 'oohs' and 'ahhs' in unison.
03
Pick an Emoji
Players pick emojis strategically for survival odds or emotionally to match their mood—adding personality and playfulness to each round.
03
Pick an Emoji
Players pick emojis strategically for survival odds or emotionally to match their mood—adding personality and playfulness to each round.
04
Place a bet
Wager your points on your chosen emoji’s survival. The higher the risk, the greater the reward.
04
Place a bet
Wager your points on your chosen emoji’s survival. The higher the risk, the greater the reward.
05
Watch the Drop
Attention guided towards the Sphere’s massive screen where emojis bounce through hazards.
05
Watch the Drop
Attention guided towards the Sphere’s massive screen where emojis bounce through hazards.
The Drop
The Drop
On the Sphere’s screen, emojis crash through fences, dodge beehives, and race toward reward cups below. Top teams earn points redeemable for Sphere perks—free drinks included.
On the Sphere’s screen, emojis crash through fences, dodge beehives, and race toward reward cups below. Top teams earn points redeemable for Sphere perks—free drinks included.
Design Challenges
Design Challenges
Split Attention
Split Attention
How do we guide attention without overwhelming players?
How do we guide attention without overwhelming players?
Simplified Onboarding
Simplified Onboarding
How do we onboard players quickly and effectively?
How do we onboard players quickly and effectively?
Player Agency
Player Agency
How do we give 20,000 people a sense of control?
How do we give 20,000 people a sense of control?
Socialization
Socialization
How do we break the silence between strangers?
How do we break the silence between strangers?
These questions guided our research across the board—but none more urgently than Split Attention. It was the first and most critical challenge we tackled, setting the tone for everything that followed.
These questions guided our research across the board—but none more urgently than Split Attention. It was the first and most critical challenge we tackled, setting the tone for everything that followed.
Split Attention: The Two-Screen Challenge
Split Attention: The Two-Screen Challenge
When players split attention between two screens, chaos follows — missed moments, confused glances, and dropped engagement.
My biggest challenge? Guiding focus clearly.
So I treated attention like a ping-pong ball—choreographing clear, rhythmic shifts between input and payoff. The key was guiding focus to one side at a time, never both.
When players split attention between two screens, chaos follows — missed moments, confused glances, and dropped engagement.
My biggest challenge? Guiding focus clearly.
So I treated attention like a ping-pong ball—choreographing clear, rhythmic shifts between input and payoff. The key was guiding focus to one side at a time, never both.
Asking players to focus on both screens at once felt like the ball was on both sides—causing confusion. Additionally, rapid switching created cognitive whiplash and overwhelmed users.
A key UX win was realizing: keep attention on one screen longer, then hand it off—like a smooth, intentional game of ping pong.
Asking players to focus on both screens at once felt like the ball was on both sides—causing confusion. Additionally, rapid switching created cognitive whiplash and overwhelmed users.
A key UX win was realizing: keep attention on one screen longer, then hand it off—like a smooth, intentional game of ping pong.
Wireframes
Wireframes
Early wireframes helped us answer two critical questions
Early wireframes helped us answer two critical questions
01
01
What needs to stay visible at all times?
What needs to stay visible at all times?
02
02
What updates dynamically as the game progresses?
What updates dynamically as the game progresses?
Main Content
Helper text
Visuals/animations
Info HUD
Banner text
Individual score
Selected emoji
Button
Choice confirmation
Screen navigation
Info HUD
Banner text
Individual score
Selected emoji
Button
Choice confirmation Screen navigation
Main Content
Helper text Visuals/
animations
Score, emoji pick, and status banners stayed in predictable zones to cut scan time.
Buttons were anchored in thumb zones for one-handed use (drink in the other, naturally).
Score, emoji pick, and status banners stayed in predictable zones to cut scan time.
Buttons were anchored in thumb zones for one-handed use (drink in the other, naturally).
Goal: speed, clarity, comfort.
Goal: speed, clarity, comfort.
User Testing
User Testing
We conducted small playtests with 20–40 users, then scaled to 300-person live venue trials—complete with snacks, chatter, and background noise—to simulate real-world chaos.
We conducted small playtests with 20–40 users, then scaled to 300-person live venue trials—complete with snacks, chatter, and background noise—to simulate real-world chaos.
From onboarding to attention shifts, every detail was pressure-tested in noisy, distracted, one-handed play environments.
From onboarding to attention shifts, every detail was pressure-tested in noisy, distracted, one-handed play environments.
92%
92%
of players felt clear about when to look down vs. look up
of players felt clear about when to look down vs. look up
82%
82%
of players didn’t feel overwhelmed by the information.
of players didn’t feel overwhelmed by the information.
76%
76%
of players said the game guided them effectively through the first round.
of players said the game guided them effectively through the first round.
Impact
Impact
The 5-minute interactive game we designed for Sphere in Vegas had a significant impact on audience engagement and business metrics:
The 5-minute interactive game we designed for Sphere in Vegas had a significant impact on audience engagement and business metrics:
26%
26%
increase in ticket sales for Postcards from Earth
increase in ticket sales for Postcards from Earth
72%
72%
of surveyed players said it made the wait time feel shorter
of surveyed players said it made the wait time feel shorter
32%
32%
increase in positive mentions about the Sphere experience on social media
increase in positive mentions about the Sphere experience on social media
"
"
Didn’t expect to be playing a game before the show, but this was so fun especially with thousands of people cheering together!
Didn’t expect to be playing a game before the show, but this was so fun especially with thousands of people cheering together!
Audience member, Post Show Interview
Audience member, Post Show Interview
"
It had a wonderful sense of novelty and a flavor of being part of something epic.
Audience member, Post Show Interview
"
It had a wonderful sense of novelty and a flavor of being part of something epic.
Audience member, Post Show Interview
Learnings and Takeaways
Learnings and Takeaways
01
01
Easy to pick up, hard to master
Easy to pick up, hard to master
From kids to grandparents, interactions had to be simple, familiar, and intuitive—easy to start, with depth that rewarded repeat play.
From kids to grandparents, interactions had to be simple, familiar, and intuitive—easy to start, with depth that rewarded repeat play.
02
02
Well-Timed = Well-Understood
Well-Timed = Well-Understood
In a live crowd, it’s not just what you show—it’s when. We used motion and cues to guide attention without overwhelming, helping 10,000 users stay in sync.
In a live crowd, it’s not just what you show—it’s when. We used motion and cues to guide attention without overwhelming, helping 10,000 users stay in sync.
03
03
Engagement = Socialization
Engagement = Socialization
Giving users a sense of agency helps—but connecting them with each other drives deeper, lasting engagement.
Giving users a sense of agency helps—but connecting them with each other drives deeper, lasting engagement.
04
04
Clear Goals = Faster Progress
Clear Goals = Faster Progress
I created custom research benchmarks to test faster, measure progress, and make confident decisions—crucial when designing a live 10,000-person experience with no precedent.
I created custom research benchmarks to test faster, measure progress, and make confident decisions—crucial when designing a live 10,000-person experience with no precedent.