The National Lottery

As a UX designer collaborating with Camelot, the company behind The National Lottery in the UK, I tackled the challenge: 'How might we encourage players to connect with good causes?' The project demanded rapid delivery, from initial brief to presenting the solution to the client within six weeks. I deployed a user-centered design approach throughout, the project encompassed data collection, synthesis, rapid ideation, and idea validation through user testing.
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The outcome, Beluga, represents a service design solution integrating web and mobile applications to establish a community network. Beluga is a movement aimed at empowering users to make a positive impact in their communities, leveraging the lottery network of good causes to promote company volunteering. The objective was to provide a direct avenue for engagement with the lottery beyond traditional gameplay, raising awareness without disrupting the existing playing model. The ultimate goal was behavioural change, fostering a shift in mindsets and awareness toward lottery-supported causes which in turn would drive increased ticket sales for a new audience of lottery players.

The problem

Problem 1
Camelot had been running the National Lottery since 1994. They sought assistance to aid their license bid to the UK gambling commission to run the lottery beyond 2023.

Problem 2
Camelot recognised the License commission wanted to see better community benefits represented. A core principle for the establishment of the national lottery in 1994.

Problem 3
Camelot’s core mission is to increase ticket sales, which ultimately allow Camelot to support more charitable causes.

Interviews

To understand the why behind user actions, decisions and behaviours. Building empathy along the journey.

Service Safari

To test usability of the product and service, I used heuristics as guiding measurements.

Competitor Analysis

To capture insight in the marketplace and how competitors differentiate. What can we learn and test against?

Secondary Research

To build understanding of key theories and industry insight to help guide the roadmap.

Shadowing

To gain understanding of player interaction with National lottery products and affiliated services at key touch points.

Ethnography

To be familiar with the playing experience and gain empathy whilst mapping out the As Is User Experience

On the ground to digital apps

I prioritised ethnographic techniques to gain a comprehensive understanding of the service proposition across all interaction channels, including from both the user and service provider point of view. Understanding in-depth behaviours, motivations, and challenges in context was key to the projects success. It also allowed me to consider the entire ecosystem and secondary forces, such as social, cultural and commercial factors which allowed me to unpick the underlying issues beyond the obvious surface level insights.

Affinity Mapping

Was used to make data non linear, cluster into groups and identify emergent themes to take forward.

Empathy Mapping

Was used to articulate user empathy across the team using user data collection to drive its creation.

Persona building

Was used to build understanding of users and cluster similarities into shareable personas profiles of key attributes.

Stakeholder Mapping

Was used to understand the landscape, capturing primary, secondary and third party groups to engage, keep informed or be aware of.

Stakeholder Mapping

To enable a holistic overview I created several user focused, stakeholder maps. The advantage was this enabled the project to identify secondary and third party influencers. From the bank account which enabled the purchase of the ticket via debit card to the mobile operating system used to allow the lottery App to work.

Challenges I faced

The project faced numerous challenges understanding user motives, lifestyles, and playing habits within the context of the National Lottery, an entity intended to be inclusive for all. An undercurrent was the negative association to gambling which persisted across generations.

Informed by my user research, it became evident that the project needed to focus on behavioural change, not the original ask by the client. Why? It was found that the lottery excluded key groups such as playing syndicates, but more profound was a lack of awareness of the National Lottery's core purpose; charity giving. With two possible directions, it was decided that although improving syndicate gameplay was a worthwhile direction. Focus on reconnecting people to the original intent of the National Lottery would have a more sustainable, longer-lasting impact and put Camelot in the best position for the new license bid.

The new goal was to shift users' perspective from 'I play the National Lottery to win money' towards a more inclusive 'I play to contribute to good causes through the magic of play,' without compromising the playing experience or Camelot's core mission to increase ticket sales to ultimately support more charitable causes.

The Outcome

Welcome to Beluga, the home of good causes powered by The National Lottery. Beluga is a movement born from extensive user research, which uncovered a gap between the joy of playing and the impact on charitable initiatives. Research highlighted a desire for deeper connections, actively getting involved in supporting causes they care about in their community. Beluga addresses these pain points by offering avenues for participation beyond monetary involvement, but carefully not taking away from game play. It’s believed the opposite is true, that raising awareness and participation in good cause initiative will foster a stronger connection between game play and good cause initiatives.

Beluga offers two primary entry points: direct voluntary engagement and corporate volunteering empowerment. Why? Well despite the UK having 11 million volunteering days available, only 14% were utilised (Benefacto, 2019). Corporate HR departments typically aim for a 20% participation rate, indicating low ambition and a untapped audience to target which is currently underused. Beluga leverages the vast network of good causes associated with The National Lottery, connecting volunteers with local community voluntary initiatives. This approach enables individuals to witness firsthand the impact participation in the lottery can have, bridging the knowledge gap. By alleviating this disconnect, Beluga addresses several pain points and promotes meaningful engagement in both play and philanthropy. Allowing people to recognise the essential role national lottery funding has on charitable causes locally and nationwide.

The National Lottery

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