Project Context

Lucky Numbers was a long-running and popular TV show in the UK, known for allowing viewers to participate in a lottery game from home. The goal of this project was to transition the show’s experience to a mobile app, expanding accessibility and reducing participation costs. My task was to help bring this vision to life through design and collaboration.

Project Background

I joined the project in January 2023 after the original designer’s work didn’t meet client expectations. My friend, the project lead, invited me to step in, as the clients were dissatisfied with the previous designer’s output and there were development inefficiencies. I took on the challenge, expecting it to be straightforward due to my experience, but it quickly became clear that it required a more complex and flexible approach.

Design Process

Migrating from Photoshop to Figma

When I first joined, the designs existed in Photoshop, but the team wanted them transitioned to Figma for easier collaboration and iteration. However, the migration wasn’t seamless, and I chose to recreate the designs in Figma, ensuring all necessary details were maintained. This process only took a few hours due to the limited number of screens. The clients were pleased with the speed and accuracy, helping to establish a positive working relationship early on.

Improving Feedback and Presentation Process

The initial feedback process was unstructured, and it hindered alignment between the design and development teams. I restructured this process by switching from static image presentations to more engaging PDFs, which clients found clearer and more compelling. This led to quicker approvals, reduced revision cycles, and improved overall efficiency.

Additionally, I streamlined collaboration with developers by setting up deployments on my personal device, enabling me to test the app in real time on actual devices. This proactive approach ensured that the development builds closely matched the Figma designs, minimizing discrepancies and further speeding up client approval.

Client Collaboration Challenges

Working with clients unfamiliar with the product development lifecycle posed unique challenges. Communication gaps and shifting deadlines created friction, with clients often requesting deliverables within a week. To overcome these hurdles, I remained proactive in clarifying expectations, staying flexible, and aligning the design process with the changing project scope.

Collaboration with Developers

One of my main responsibilities was ensuring that the app looked and performed as designed across various screen sizes and platforms (iOS/Android). This involved regular check-ins with developers and hands-on testing. By setting clear benchmarks and aligning the team on shared goals, we were able to maintain a high level of design accuracy throughout the development process, leading to a smoother collaboration.

Dashboard Design

In addition to the app design, I was responsible for creating an internal dashboard tool. This dashboard was used to monitor and configure the game’s key functionalities, including setting the winning numbers. The dashboard’s design had to be both functional and intuitive, ensuring easy use for non-technical stakeholders.

Outcomes and Key Learnings

Although this was a short project, I learned quite a lot out of it:

1. Collaboration Drives Success: Close collaboration with developers, proactive feedback processes, and client engagement were essential in delivering a pixel-perfect product.
   
   

2. Presentation Matters: Small changes in the presentation approach can lead to higher client buy-ins, significantly impacting the project's momentum.
   
   

3. Client Relationship Management: Managing client expectations and working through communication gaps is an inherent part of the design process. It's important to maintain flexibility and offer solutions, even in challenging scenarios.

Final Thoughts

This project reinforced my belief in the power of strong collaboration and the impact that small, strategic changes can have on the outcome. Despite the challenges, we successfully transitioned a beloved TV experience into an engaging mobile application.