NHL ALL-STAR FAN VOTE
A first-of-its kind interactive voting technology. Hockey fans get to pick and drop players into line-ups to create their very own NHL All-Star roster.
Amplifying fan engagement
The NHL All-Star Fan Vote was designed as an interactive voting experience that allowed fans to actively participate in team selection by building their own All-Star line-ups. Through a drag-and-drop interface, users could select players and create personalised rosters, transforming a traditionally passive voting process into a more engaging and hands-on experience.
The product achieved significant engagement, with over 285,000 users participating across free-to-play games and more than 26 million votes submitted during a 13-day period. While primarily targeting audiences in the United States and Canada, the experience reached a global audience, with users from 141 countries taking part.
The project demonstrated how interactive design and gamification can enhance fan participation, contributing to increased engagement across the NHL’s digital platforms.
1. Understanding the Problem
The traditional All-Star voting experience was largely passive, limiting user engagement and interaction. The goal was to create a more immersive and participatory experience that would encourage fans to engage more deeply with the product.
2. Exploration & Ideation
Early concepts focused on introducing interaction and personalisation into the voting process. We explored ways to give users more control, leading to the idea of a drag-and-drop interface where fans could actively build their own line-ups.
3. Interaction Design
The core experience was built around a simple, intuitive drag-and-drop mechanic. User flows were designed to minimise friction, allowing fans to quickly understand how to select players, build teams, and submit their votes.
4. Prototyping & Testing
Wireframes and interactive prototypes were created to test usability and refine interactions. Feedback loops helped improve clarity, responsiveness, and overall ease of use across devices.
5. Iteration & Delivery
The design was iterated based on stakeholder and user feedback, ensuring the final product balanced engagement with simplicity. Close collaboration with developers ensured a smooth handoff and implementation.
With social media engagement around the NHL growing by a whopping 221% year-by-year, the league aimed to deepen its connection with a growing global fanbase. The objective was to evolve existing free-to-play games and introduce new interactive experiences that would drive engagement, increase first-party data capture, and support sponsorship activation through integrated commercial opportunities.
Results
Over an eight-day period, the product drove 36 million votes, with voting increasing by 34% and unique registrants rising by 30%.
Designing for a global audience highlighted the importance of simplicity and clarity in interaction design. Reducing friction and making the experience instantly understandable was key to driving engagement at scale. The project reinforced how gamification and interactivity can transform traditionally passive experiences into something more engaging and memorable.
