Building a mobile companion app extending the physical board game experience into digital
The Big Potato companion app is a mobile app built to enhance and extend the experience of physical board games created by the well renowned team at Big Potato. The goal was to create a digital layer that supports gameplay, improves accessibility, and strengthens the relationship between players and the brand, without detracting from the core, in-person nature of the games themselves.
The app serves as a central hub for players, combining digital game tools, guides, account features, and commerce into a single, intuitive mobile experience.
Big Potato
Consumer / Entertainment
Mobile App (iOS + Android)
End-to End Product Delivery
Product Owner
Technical Architect
UX Designer
Project Manager
Product Strategy
UX & User Flows
Technical Planning
Delivery Oversight
5 months
Product Lead + Dev Team
Challenge
While Big Potato’s games are highly social and physical by design, players often rely on external tools, printed instructions, or improvised setups during gameplay. This created friction and limited opportunities to deepen engagement beyond the table. Key challenges included:
Supporting gameplay without distracting from it
Making game instructions and tools easier to access
Creating a digital experience that felt fun, not forced
Integrating commerce and accounts without harming UX
Designing something scalable across a growing games library
The challenge was to build a companion app that added value, rather than competing with the physical experience.
My Role
I worked as Product Lead and UX Lead, responsible for shaping the product vision and overseeing delivery.
My responsibilities included:
Product discovery and feature definition
UX and mobile-first design
Structuring core user flows and navigation
Planning third-party integrations
Working closely with developers during build
Ensuring brand alignment throughout the experience
This role required balancing product strategy, user experience, and practical delivery within a commercial environment.
Results
Upon project completion, version 1 of the Big Potato companion app was successfully launched and is live. Version 2.0 is now in the works and I'm looking forward to releasing new features and most importantly working alongside the BP team.
Process
Discovery & Product Definition: The project began by clearly defining what a companion app should and shouldn’t be. The focus was on support, not replacement. Key activities included:
Defining primary and secondary user journeys
Identifying where digital genuinely added value
Scoping a realistic MVP that could evolve over time
Aligning feature with brand tone and audience expectations
This helped avoid feature creep and kept the product focused.
UX & Mobile Design: UX design was driven by simplicity and speed. The app needed to work seamlessly mid-game, often with multiple users referencing it at once. Key UX considerations:
Clear, distraction-free navigation
Game-specific digital tools and guides
A scalable games library structure
Simple account creation and login
Brand-led visual design that matches brand an duser persona
All flows were designed mobile-first, with extensibility in mind.
Wire-framing & Prototyping: We designed low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the new layout and navigation, iteratively refining them based on user feedback. Afterward, we built a high-fidelity, interactive prototype to test the design.
Technical Architecture & Integrations: The app required several key integrations to support its functionality and future roadmap. These included:
Multiple user accounts and authentication
A commerce layer powered by Shopify
In-app support via Helpshift
Notifications and analytics tooling
A flexible architecture to support new games and features
Technical decisions prioritised stability, scalability, and ease of iterations as the product grows.
“ With our new visual branding and language in place, the new Shopify brand clearly captures the essence of our current and target customer base, our employees, and our values. ”
Will Cox
Head of Mobile & Digital | Big Potato
Conclusion
This project reflects my belief that the best digital products don’t try to do everything — they do the right things well. By supporting, rather than replacing, the physical game experience, the app adds real value while staying true to the brand.
It showcases my ability to lead consumer-facing products from concept to delivery, balancing design quality, technical foundations, and commercial realities to build platforms that are made to last.
Some key areas that were challenging but fulfilling to figure out was the integration of Shopify Plus. This brought up some hurdles during the development phase.