This is a passion project focused on redesigning the current TFT Team Planner to improve usability and functionality through a design sprint approach.  ദ്ദി (｡•̀ᴗ-)
‍Disclaimer: This is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Riot Games. All branding and assets related to Teamfight Tactics are the property of Riot Games.

CONTEXT & PROBLEM

Teamfight Tactics is a strategy game made by Riot Games featuring characters from their main title, League of Legends. It is Riot’s take on auto chess, where players go through rounds of drafting champions, managing economy, and positioning units on a board to create unique and powerful team synergies to fight for first place.

I have been an active player of Teamfight Tactics since 2020, and have especially been enjoying the climb and grind this recent set (Into the Arcane Set 13). I often use external sites such as Mobalytics or tftactics to plan my comps for future and during games. TFT currently has a built in Team Planner, but find it lacking in some areas and don’t reach for it. Curious, I started to dig around to see if other players use this tool and how. With that, I found that many players, like myself, but have expressed frustration about its limitations and doesn't have the features they expect. This made me think and wonder...

How can the Team Planner be redesigned to better meet players’ needs?

CURRENT TEAM PLANNER

USER RESEARCH

To understand the issues players face with the current Team Planner, I conducted a survey and did research through community threads. My goal was to identify pain points and gather feedback on how the existing planner could be improved.

I ran the survey to understand their usage and frustrations with the Team Planner. A key takeaway from it was that:

This high usage percentage meant that many players rely on the planner, but there are still parts of it that could be improved to better serve their needs. Although widely used, feedback indicated that the tool often fails to meet players’ expectations for efficiency and how easy it is to use. Many players said it sometimes wasn’t helpful during the game because they struggled to find their units quickly on the planner while managing other other things in the game.

To better understand these challenges, I researched player feedback in TFT’s online communities. I focused on discussions about the planner, looking for common complaints and suggestions. By combining this with the survey data, I was able to pinpoint key usability issues that affect the player experience:

KEY USER PAIN POINTS

• Difficult Navigation: Players find it challenging and time consuming to find the champions they need in the planner. This is especially frustrating during rounds that are fast paced, where quick decisions are necessary. Champions are also not listed alphabetically, and users feel like they are wasting game time to look for what they need.
• Lack of Sorting/Filtering: Many players noted that there are no options to sort or filter champions by trait, origin, and class. This makes it difficult to quickly narrow down the list of champions to the ones that fit their board.
• Restricted Flexibility/Planning: The current slot limit of selecting only 10 champions in the Team Planner is a significant constraint, especially for users who are flexible their comp and/or rolling down. Some players resort to clearing their entire planner just to select specifics units they need during their rolldown as 10 slots can feel restricting.

These findings highlight a gap between player needs and the current planner's functionality, showing the need for improved organization, efficiency, and flexibility.

USER PERSONAS

To build something players actually want to use, I needed to understand what they care about. Creating some user personas helped me step into the shoes of players, showing me what they need and how they interact with the planner. This approach helped me design a more intuitive experience that works for all types of players and fits their needs.