Overview
For seven years I served as the creative lead at SOPO — the first and still only mobile poker app on the App Store to offer real-money-value play, made possible by creatively leveraging sweepstakes gaming laws to do what no other poker app had done before. What started as a basic mobile app evolved through 25+ major redesigns into a cross-platform experience spanning five platforms: iOS, Android, web, desktop, and the Solana Seeker mobile device. I shipped features, updates, and design iterations on a biweekly cycle, driven by community feedback and internal testing.
I was responsible for the mobile, tablet, and desktop versions of both SOPO (the U.S. sweepstakes product) and SOPO Pro (the international product powered by crypto wallets). I owned every pixel across both products — from research and wireframes through high-fidelity mockups, interaction design, motion graphics, and developer handoff. Along the way I introduced a gaming-inspired aesthetic pulled from Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Destiny, designed complete gamification systems, and created loading animations that solved a critical screen-freeze UX issue — turning a pain point into a moment of delight.
The Problem
When I joined, the app looked and felt like a prototype. Retention was low, new users dropped off during onboarding, and there was no visual identity to speak of. Key challenges:
- Generic poker UI that didn't stand out in a crowded market of established competitors
- Inconsistent experience across devices — mobile, tablet, and desktop felt like different apps
- Screen freezes during hand loading created the perception of crashes, causing user churn
- No gamification or engagement hooks beyond the core poker game
- Brand identity was an afterthought — no design system, no visual language
- The design needed to serve wildly different contexts: personal mobile play, bar/restaurant tablets, and blockchain hardware
The Process — 3 Design Eras
Design Pass 1 — Foundation (2019–2020)
The first major redesign established a cohesive visual language: color system, typography scale, and a reusable component library. I focused on making the core poker experience intuitive — chip stacks, card animations, table layout — and ensuring the app felt responsive even on slower devices. This pass was about building trust through consistency.
Design Pass 2 — The Dopamine Rush (2020–2023)
I wasn't a poker player when I started — and that turned out to be an advantage. Instead of designing for poker purists, I studied what made digital card games like MTG Arena and Gwent feel irresistible to a younger, gaming-native audience — then brought that energy to poker. I layered in the "dopamine-rush" aesthetic: vibrant gradients, satisfying micro-animations, particle effects, and a full gamification system:
- Daily missions — contextual goals that refreshed every 24 hours
- XP progression system — visible level-up rewards and milestones
- Login streaks — escalating rewards for consecutive days played
- Leaderboards — weekly and all-time competitive rankings
- Loading animation — designed a "doors closing/opening" transition that masked network latency, eliminating the perception of screen freezes entirely
Design Pass 3 — Scale & Cross-Platform (2023–2025)
The final evolution optimized for cross-platform consistency while respecting each device's unique strengths. I developed device-specific UX strategies:
- Mobile (iOS/Android) — Touch-friendly with large tap targets, one-handed play optimization, simplified navigation, and swipe gestures
- Tablet — Landscape-first with split-screen functionality, letting players watch live games while playing at their own table
- Desktop — "Command center" layout for serious players: multi-table support, keyboard shortcuts, and information density
- Solana Seeker — Blockchain-native build with crypto wallet integration and device-specific input adaptations
- Bar/Restaurant tablets — Co-branded simplified UI for live venue deployment, with venue-specific theming support
The Solution
Seven years of iteration produced a cross-platform poker experience that felt native on every device — unified by a shared design system but tailored to each platform's strengths. The visual identity, gamification layer, and motion design all worked together to create something that didn't just function like a poker app — it felt like a game worth coming back to.
Motion & Sound Design
Before SOPO, I produced electronic music and performed as a DJ — so when the app needed sound design, I became the team's go-to. I sourced, layered, and mixed every sound effect in these animations, applying the same ear for impact and timing that I developed producing tracks and performing live. Turn the sound on using the speaker icon in the top right of each video below.
Impact
The numbers tell the story. Every major redesign moved the needle — sometimes dramatically. Here's the cumulative impact of 7 years and 25+ design iterations:
Beta Test Results
Three structured beta tests validated each major design evolution and provided the data we needed to iterate confidently:
Key Takeaways
- Consistency over perfection — Shipping biweekly for 7 years taught me that iteration beats polish every time
- Cross-platform ≠ one-size-fits-all — Each device has unique strengths. Lean into them instead of forcing uniformity
- Outsider perspective is a superpower — Not being a poker player meant I designed for a gaming-native audience instead of copying what already existed
- Gamification is UX — Daily missions and XP weren't "features" — they were fundamental to how the product felt
- Solve with design, not just code — The loading animation solved a technical problem (screen freezes) with a design solution
- Data validates instinct — Every major redesign was backed by analytics, but the best ideas started as creative hunches
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