✦ Redesigning a Global Creator Platform
At Enthusiast Gaming I worked on The Sims Resource, one of the largest creator platforms for the global The Sims community. The platform operates as a creator economy ecosystem where artists upload custom content and millions of players discover and download assets to personalize their gameplay. My work focused on redesigning key user journeys, improving discovery and VIP conversion, and optimizing the experience through data-driven UX improvements.
The platform operates as a creator economy marketplace, where artists upload content and players discover, download, and engage with community-created assets.
A Hub for Creativity and Community
Acquired by Enthusiast Gaming in 2019 and rebranded in 2021, The Sims Resource, founded in 1999, is a platform offering over 1 million custom content downloads. Players can enhance their gameplay with unique designs, from furniture to fashion, created by talented artists worldwide.
The platform fosters a vibrant, inclusive community, empowering creators to showcase their work and connect with fans, making it a key part of The Sims universe.
✦ Business Impact:
Through a series of UX improvements and iterative redesigns, including navigation, VIP sign-up flows, and ad placement optimization, the platform experienced 300% revenue growth, increasing monthly revenue from $150K to over $830K.
These improvements also supported high-profile partnerships with brands such as Sony Pictures, Amazon, and Electronic Arts.
✦ Info
Role
Senior Product Analyst (UI/UX Design)
Timeline
April 2021 – December 2023
Company
Enthusiast Gaming
Product
The Sims Resource
Team
Product Management, Software Developers, Analytics, Marketing, Key Stakeholders
Industry
Gaming, Creator Economy
Platform
Desktop, Tablet, Mobile
Tools
Confluence, Jira, Figma, UXPin, Hotjar, Unbounce, Google Analytics
✦ Aligning UX with Product Vision
A key objective of the redesign was to position The Sims Resource as the primary destination for custom content in The Sims ecosystem. By improving navigation, discovery, and overall usability, the redesign supported the broader mission of making TSR the one platform users would rely on to find, save, and download custom content created by artists worldwide.
Highlights of My Contributions
As Senior Product Analyst at Enthusiast Gaming, I drove key UX improvements for The Sims Resource, a 23-year-old legacy platform in the Creator Economy Space, serving a vibrant community of creators and players.
Starting with the 2021 rebrand, a key strategic initiative was implementing a design system to enhance visual consistency and improve the overall user experience. Along with ongoing improvements to the UI and content discovery, this work fostered a more engaging and inclusive environment. This blend of creativity, strategy, and user-centered design made it a privilege to contribute to such a dedicated community.
What made the project interesting from a product perspective was balancing community engagement, creator tools, and monetization while improving the overall user journey.
✦ The Design Challenge: Modernizing a 22-Year-Old Creator Platform
The platform’s design had remained largely unchanged for 22 years, resulting in inconsistent page layouts and fragmented user experiences. To address this, I introduced a unified design system that standardized components, labels, and visual patterns across the platform. I also prioritized mobile optimization to ensure a seamless experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
✦ Optimizing the Login & Sign-Up Experience
One of the first issues I noticed was that the login and sign-up experience was very inconsistent with the rest of the platform. The UI looked completely different, so users wouldn’t necessarily feel like they were still on the same website. That disconnect created friction in an important moment of the user journey. I started by redesigning the authentication flow to make it visually consistent and easier to use, and from there we expanded into improving the VIP onboarding experience.
✦ Homepage Redesign for The Sims Resource
Redesigned the homepage to enhance content accessibility for both new users and VIP members by creating two distinct versions. For new users, the design emphasized guiding them through the platform’s features while incorporating ads for monetization. For VIP members, the layout was optimized to highlight exclusive content and benefits without interruptions. Key updates included clear labels, consistent buttons, and hover cards for improved content previews. These changes streamlined navigation, boosted user engagement, and created a more intuitive, cohesive visual experience for both user groups.
✦ Freemium Users Non-VIP Members
Designed to support free users while highlighting the added value of VIP membership through contextual upgrade prompts and limited feature access.
✦ Strategic Call-to-Actions for Non-VIP Members
Designed targeted CTAs for non-VIP members interacting with featured site sections, encouraging exploration of VIP benefits such as ad-free browsing, one-click downloads, and early access to premium content.
These improvements supported a clearer upgrade path for users while maintaining strong engagement from free members.
User research → identified friction → simplified flow → measured growth.
✦ Mobile Optimization & VIP Basket Discovery
Through research I noticed many users browsed The Sims Resource on their phones even though The Sims is a desktop game. Many were saving custom content to download later, so mobile became important for discovery. I focused on improving the mobile browsing and saving experience, especially around the VIP basket feature, which encouraged users to subscribe so they could easily collect content and download it later on desktop.
✦ VIP Onboarding Flow Optimization
When a user clicked a VIP feature, we wanted them to sign up with as little friction as possible. They enter their email, then go straight to payment, mobile-friendly, smooth, and designed like a modern app. This approach encouraged more VIP subscriptions while keeping the experience seamless.
✦ Optimizing the VIP Experience for Subscribers
The VIP layout removes access restrictions and surfaces premium tools and content, creating a streamlined experience for power users and subscribers.
✦ Navigation Bar Redesigned for Engagement
Optimized the navigation bar for both desktop and mobile, improving content discoverability and promoting key features like VIP tools, community links, and featured partnerships. Added rollover menus and dynamic highlights to guide users to high-value content and encourage engagement across the platform.
✦ Data-Driven Product Design
Leveraged user surveys and analytics to identify pain points, guiding redesign decisions that boosted TSR’s reputation by 71%. Insights from this research informed strategic updates across the platform, reinforcing TSR as the premier destination for custom content.
✦ Implemented a Design System
Introduced a design system that unified the platform’s look and feel, gave developers easy access to components, and helped marketing produce consistent, on-brand content, streamlining workflows and creating a memorable experience.
✦ Seasonal Subscription Page Optimization
Created dynamic, themed subscription landing pages using Unbounce, updating designs each season to align with current campaigns. This approach boosted VIP engagement by keeping the experience fresh, visually appealing, and tied to seasonal promotions.
✦ My Account & Profile Optimization
Redesigned the My Account section to create a more personalized, dashboard-style experience. Improved clarity and responsiveness across devices, highlighted missing features for non-subscribers, and guided users toward VIP benefits, making it easier to see the value of subscribing.
✦ Download Details Page Optimization
Redesigned the Download Details page to make content clearer and more engaging. Key improvements included bringing important information above the fold, highlighting VIP-only content, and adding a lightbox feature to simplify interactions, reducing user drop-off and making the download experience feel seamless and enjoyable.
✦ Free User Download Countdown Feature
I redesigned the free user download feature to address clarity issues that were causing users to leave the site. By making required items more visible and intuitive, I helped reduce drop-offs during the download process. I also added a “Did You Know?” section, allowing users to explore the website’s background while waiting for their downloads—enhancing the overall user experience and engagement.
✦ Download Basket VIP Feature
Optimized the VIP Download Basket for mobile and desktop, creating a seamless experience that encouraged subscriptions and made saving content for later effortless.
✦ Advanced Search Redesign for Enhanced Content Discovery
Redesigned and experimented with the advanced search filter to make finding content faster, more intuitive, and accessible. This reduced reliance on external search engines by enabling users to discover content directly on the platform, improving engagement and keeping users within the site.
✦ Streamlined Artist Submission Workflow
Unified the platform’s two separate submission systems into a single, intuitive workflow. Simplified uploading, improved content labeling, and added tools for staff to approve, reject, or communicate with creators. These improvements boosted upload efficiency by 80%, enhanced content discoverability, and made the process easier for both artists and staff.
✦ Artist Profile Redesign: Engagement & Support
Redesigned artist profiles by introducing a donation feature concept, empowering users to support creators directly and enhancing community engagement.
