Microsoft
Solitaire

senior ux designer

Senior UX Design for a flagship,
cross-platform product

Microsoft

My role

Led end-to-end UX design strategy
Navigation & feature discovery flows
Cross-platform UI systems
Monetization UX & accessibility

About the project

How do you evolve a game played by tens of millions without breaking what makes it beloved? That was the challenge behind Microsoft Solitaire Collection.

The vision was to introduce new engagement loops, improve accessibility, and optimize monetization—all without disrupting deeply ingrained player behaviors.

The outcome was a refined cross-platform experience that balanced innovation with familiarity, proving that mature products can still grow.

The Challenge

Design improvements needed to land within a mature product ecosystem where even small UX changes could negatively impact trust, retention, or revenue.

Introducing new engagement loops without altering established play patterns
Improving accessibility and customization while preserving fast, low-friction gameplay
Balancing limited screen real estate on mobile devices
Adapting Solitaire UX to the constraints of Microsoft Teams layouts

My Contributions

I played a key role across multiple initiative areas:

Designed and refined navigation and feature discovery flows across mobile and desktop
Contributed to cross-platform UI systems supporting accessibility and consistency
Supported monetization UX, including premium feature visibility and ad placement strategies
Created and iterated on interactive prototypes, informed by user research and data insights
Collaborated cross-functionally with product, engineering, and design partners

Design Decisions

Navigation & Discovery

Focused on surfacing additional game modes and features without competing with core Solitaire gameplay, preserving familiarity while enabling exploration.

Mobile Optimization

Adapted classic Solitaire interactions for smaller screens by prioritizing visual hierarchy, touch accuracy, and minimal interruption during play.

Accessibility

Applied Microsoft accessibility guidelines to improve readability, interaction clarity, and customization options across all game modes.

Monetization Balance

Evaluated ad density and interruption patterns to reduce fatigue. Prioritized fast game starts and clear dismissal behaviors.

Microsoft Teams Exploration

Explored Solitaire experiences integrated directly into Microsoft Teams—designing multiplayer flows suitable for meetings and shared screens.

Adapted UX to unique breakpoint, layout, and interaction constraints. Presented concepts to senior stakeholders and iterated based on feedback.

This proof-of-concept demonstrated how casual gaming could enhance workplace culture and team bonding within enterprise collaboration tools.

Impact & Learnings

Reinforced the importance of incremental UX changes in long-lived products
Demonstrated how accessibility and customization can coexist with speed and simplicity
Highlighted the need for platform-specific UX strategies across consumer and enterprise surfaces
Strengthened my ability to design within tight constraints while improving engagement and clarity

MicrosoftSolitaire