First-Party Data | Zynga

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I designed player-first advertising experiences that harmonized business goals with authentic gameplay integration. For Zynga's flagship "Words with Friends” game, I developed intuitive data collection interfaces that mirrored the game's distinctive aesthetic while establishing transparent user value. My solutions blended native UX patterns with high-conversion design, transforming mandatory touchpoints into engaging moments that players willingly completed—proving brand objectives and user experience could work in concert.

My Role

Graphic Designer | UI Designer

company -zynga

Creative Director: Matt Sharpe
Architect: Prasad Maruvada | Dale Darling

Tool

Photoshop, Sketch

Platform

Apple, Android

What is First-party Data?

First-party data consists of information users voluntarily share directly with a company through interactions like gameplay, surveys, or account profiles. At Zynga, we responsibly used this data (such as age verification for players 18+) to personalize experiences while maintaining trust.

Design Challenge

As a designer at Zynga, I worked with first-party data—information players voluntarily share through gameplay and interactions. My challenge was designing age-verification flows for Words with Friends that felt native to the game’s friendly brand while building trust. Players needed to understand why we asked for data and how it improved their experience, without feeling interrupted.

How can brands leverage first-party data to enhance consumer experiences

Design Solution

I solved this by creating interfaces that mirrored the game’s warm, approachable style, using clear language and progressive disclosure to explain data use. The result was a seamless experience that balanced compliance with player comfort—turning a mandatory step into a natural part of the journey.

PROJECT 1

Personality Quiz

This project mainly collects the user’s birth year within a limited range. My role is to enhance user engagement through the Intuitive Age Collection, maintaining a consistent visual identity aligned with the Words with Friends brand and designing clear labels and visual cues to guide users on how to drag the handle of the age slide to set their age.

I designed a tactile sliding control that let players easily select their birth year within the required range, using the game's signature visual language to keep the experience cohesive. Clear instructional cues and responsive visual feedback guided users through the process, while playful animations maintained the lighthearted Words With Friends tone. By balancing regulatory requirements with thoughtful UX, I created a solution that players completed effortlessly as part of their natural gameplay flow.

The result was a brand-aligned verification process that achieved our data collection goals without compromising the user experience - proving that even mandatory interactions can be designed with engagement and trust in mind.

PROJECT 2

Fake Birthday

I designed this playful birthday verification flow to encourage accurate data input while maintaining the game's friendly personality. The experience begins with a cheerful birthday greeting, immediately establishing positive engagement. When players indicate it's not their actual birthday through clear response options, the design smoothly transitions them into a thoughtful birthdate entry process that explains the value of providing their real information for personalized experiences.

By framing this mandatory data collection within a celebratory, game-appropriate context, I created an experience that feels natural rather than transactional. The visual design stays true to Words With Friends' brand identity throughout, using familiar UI patterns and warm tones to keep players comfortable while ensuring we collect reliable first-party data.

PROJECT 3

Best Scoring Word

I designed an engaging age-gated feature that celebrates players’ in-game achievements while collecting first-party data. When users input their birth year, the interface reveals how their best-scoring word compares to players in their age group—turning a simple data request into a moment of personalized discovery.

The design maintains Words with Friends’ signature warmth through playful copy (“Your top word beats 80% of players in their 30s!”) and shareable visual results. By tying age verification to immediate value (social comparison) and wrapping it in the game’s friendly aesthetic, I transformed compliance into a rewarding interaction that players actively wanted to complete and share.