Yihu Board Game
Led the rebrand and redesign of Yihu Inc.’s global website to support marketing and international board game publishing.
Role
Product Designer
Tools
Figma
Time
2021
Tags
Product Design
Rebranding
Global Marketing Site
📑 Project Overview
Yihu Inc. is one of the leading board game companies in China, specializing in publishing, media, and related board game businesses. A key focus for the company is expanding its international presence through introducing, localizing, and publishing games worldwide.
To align with this vision, we executed a comprehensive rebrand and a full redesign of Yihu’s global website, transforming it into a modern, user-centric platform that supports brand storytelling, marketing, and e-commerce initiatives.
🖍️ Key Highlights
• Global Rebrand & Website Redesign – Built a modern, cohesive platform to support Yihu’s international expansion.
• Responsive & Localized Experience – Designed for multi-language markets with seamless usability across devices.
• Scalable Design System – Delivered a modular UI framework for brand consistency and future growth.‘
• Playful, Board-Game-Inspired Design – Crafted an engaging visual language that reflects the fun and creativity of board games.
📋 Challenges & Design Approach
Redesigning Yihu’s global website was more than a visual update, it was a strategic shift to position the brand for international growth. As an established board game company, Yihu needed to evolve without losing its loyal user base, while also appealing to a broader, global audience.
Three key design challenges shaped our approach:
• Rebranding with balance – We had to modernize the brand identity while retaining familiarity for existing fans.
• Broadening user engagement - The site needed to better serve current players while attracting new users, partners, and communities around the world.
ª Enabling global e-commerce – As board game shopping increasingly shifts online, the new website needed to provide a seamless, intuitive purchasing experience for international users.
Our design solution prioritized clarity, playfulness, and flexibility, delivering a platform that supports both marketing and commerce, while staying true to the spirit of board games.
🔍 Research
As interest in board games surged during the pandemic, players began seeking more digital platforms to discover, explore, and engage with both classic and new titles.
We analyzed a range of existing platforms and competitors to identify gaps and opportunities:
• BoardGameGeek (BGG) offers an extensive database, filtering tools, and community forums, but it’s built primarily for hobbyists and lacks a curated brand experience.
• Publisher websites like CMON, Asmodee, and Z-Man focus heavily on branding and product showcases. However, each has clear limitations: for example, CMON does not support direct online purchases, and Asmodee lacks brand news and updates.
These insights revealed a clear opportunity for Yihu:
To stand out by offering a brand-forward, content-rich website that balances storytelling, product discovery, and a streamlined e-commerce experience: all in one destination for both loyal players and new audiences.
💬 User Interviews and Findings
To better understand user expectations, I interviewed three board game players between the ages of 28 and 31.
All participants emphasized the need for an online platform that not only showcases games but also supports an intuitive shopping experience. While their go-to channels for purchasing remain major retailers like Amazon and Target, they expressed willingness to buy directly from a brand’s official website, if it offered exclusive benefits such as early access to new releases or better pricing.
One participant, Matt, a more experienced and engaged player, also mentioned the importance of staying up to date with the latest news, events, and game releases. For players like him, a brand website could serve as more than just a store, it could be a trusted source of industry updates and community engagement.
These findings revealed an opportunity for Yihu to go beyond brand storytelling and provide a rich, content-driven platform that adds ongoing value for both casual shoppers and dedicated players.
🙋 Persona
Jeff is a 25-year-old board game fan with basic tech knowledge. He enjoys discovering fun, social games and often shops through Amazon or Target.
He represents Yihu’s target users - casual players who value entertainment, easy access, and better deals. He’s open to using official brand websites if the experience is smooth and offers exclusive content or pricing.
📊 Sitemap & User flow
Following early research and strategy sessions with the co-founders, we defined a site structure that blends brand storytelling with e-commerce functionality. The core pages include Search, Products, Events, News, About, Cart, and Account - supporting both discovery and conversion.
To better support different entry points and user behaviors, we also mapped out the full purchase journey. Users can explore games through multiple paths: browsing the product list, reading news updates, or using search. This omnichannel flow ensures that players can engage with the brand in a way that feels natural and flexible.
The sitemap and flow chart together reflect a user-centered approach - balancing intuitive navigation with clear business goals.
🎨 Rebranding
I refreshed Yihu’s brand by keeping the original meeple icon and shifting to English logotypes. The visual direction is playful and lively, with a warm red as the primary color and bright accents. The Quicksand typeface adds a clean, approachable tone to the overall system.
▶️ Design & Prototype
After defining the brand system and site structure, I designed a responsive web experience that blends playful visuals with clear user flows.
The design process included high-fidelity wireframes, visual mockups, and interactive Figma prototypes covering key pages like product listings, checkout, and account. All components were built with scalability and handoff efficiency in mind.
✍️ What I Learned
Leading this project from scratch gave me the chance to shape both the brand and product direction from the ground up. It pushed me to think holistically - from defining the visual identity to organizing content and building scalable components.
Working from a blank slate, I collaborated closely with the co-founders to translate early ideas into a clear and cohesive website experience.
This project helped me better understand how branding choices influence product design - from color and typography to layout, iconography, and overall storytelling. It also reminded me how important clear communication and shared vision are, especially when working with a small, fast-moving team.
