The Sims has entertained players for decades with its quirky, open-ended life simulation, making it one of EA’s most beloved franchises. For the launch of The Sims 4, I led the visual design for thesims.com, partnering with Maxis Marketing and web development teams to create a site that captured the excitement of the new game. I designed, tested, and optimized multiple iterations, ensuring every page aligned with the broader digital marketing campaign. Throughout the go-to-market cycle, I helped shape a cohesive, engaging online experience that drew players in and amplified pre-launch anticipation.

Examples shown:

The Sims - Brand & E-commerce Design

I led the creation of a unified online destination for The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, designing a new brand identity, custom fonts, localized logos, and visual assets that captured the franchise’s spirit. Working with an external agency, we launched thesims.com—a fully responsive site optimized for desktop and mobile that balanced the overall franchise identity with the unique personality of each game.

For the first time, the site included an e-commerce presence, making it easy for players to browse and purchase games while reducing clicks and enhancing the brand experience. Standardized product pages showcased curated content like in-game screenshots, gameplay videos, and promotional hero images, helping fans explore all titles at a glance.

The shopping cart proved highly successful, simplifying purchases while generating behavioral insights that allowed for targeted, personalized messaging—strengthening engagement and driving revenue.

The Sims - The Academy Campaign

As part of thesims.com, The Academy campaign offered an interactive learning experience, showing players how the smarter, more dynamic Sims could lead to fun and quirky stories. To boost engagement and encourage shareable content, I collaborated with an external partner to design What Kind of Sim Are You? for both desktop and mobile. Players answered playful, personality-driven questions that highlighted the new features of The Sims 4, and could share their results via Facebook, amplifying reach and fostering a sense of community.

Strategically positioned to drive pre-orders for The Sims 4, The Academy successfully achieved its goals and earned recognition as Best Digital Marketing Campaign at the 2015 Game Marketing Awards.

The Sims 4 Rewards Campaign

The Sims 4 Rewards campaign was a loyalty program designed to engage players with The Sims 3 suite leading up to the launch of The Sims 4. Insights showed that players who interacted more with previous iterations were more likely to adopt the newest release. To reward their dedication, we offered a virtual “thank-you” by granting in-game content in The Sims 4 based on ownership of The Sims 3 expansion packs. The main incentives were colorful Plumbob trophies for their Sims’ homes, unlocked upon completing their suite of expansions.

The campaign promoted a smooth transition from The Sims 3 to The Sims 4, sparking curiosity and excitement while strengthening player loyalty and engagement ahead of the launch.

The Sims – The Gallery Companion App

The Gallery is a companion app for The Sims 4 designed to showcase and share user-generated content, fostering community interaction and creativity. I played a key role in developing both the online and mobile versions of the in-game community gallery, ensuring a seamless experience across platforms. My work involved designing an intuitive user interface and optimizing the presentation of player content so that users could easily discover, share, and engage with creations from the broader Sims community. By making community content more accessible and interactive, the app strengthened player engagement, encouraged sharing, and amplified the sense of connection among fans of the franchise.