Steam is one of the most iconic digital gaming platforms, with a long-standing history and a massive global user base. However, despite its success, Steam’s user interface has started to show its age. Navigating the site can feel overwhelming, and finding specific games or features often becomes a frustrating experience. Many players—myself included—have found themselves thinking: Why is this still so hard to use?

This case study focuses on identifying the core pain points within Steam’s current e-commerce experience and proposing a redesign that better aligns with the expectations of modern gamers. In addition to the UX challenges, this was also a collaborative school project, which gave us the opportunity to explore how to work effectively as a design team—balancing communication, planning, and execution throughout the process.

As the Design Lead, I was responsible for overseeing the timeline, assigning tasks, and ensuring quality across all deliverables. Since every member of the team was a fellow design student, I also actively participated in every phase of the project—from setting goals and conducting user interviews to defining key improvement areas and crafting the final design, including the style guide.