Good Time Arcade App Design

My First UX Exercise

Duration:  January 2022 to June 2022

Exercise Overview

The first project in the Google UX Design course introduced me to several new concepts of UX design.

I chose to start simple and pick a topic familiar to me.

I worked at an arcade once.

I decided to design a game preview app for an arcade.

I felt my previous experience helped provide direction for my later designs.

The Problem

Families and Arcade Players do not always know what games are available at a given arcade.

This can deter them from trying an arcades' services.

The Company:  GoodTime Arcade

GoodTime Arcade is a small family-oriented arcade located in the suburbs of a metropolitan area.

They offer various activities for family enjoyment but want to appeal more to a younger audience.

The small business is interested is providing an app to potential customers that can list information about their games and various services.

The Goal

Design a game preview app for GoodTime Arcade that allows users to quickly and efficiently look up information about various games in the Arcade. 

My Role

UX designer building an app for GoodTime Arcade.

My Responsibilities

Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs. 

User Research


Interviews

 I conducted interviews to understand the needs and personalities of Users that have experience playing Video Games.


I found there is a real strong lack of trust when it comes to believing the information game companies provide.


My participants preferred things to be simple yet honest.


I found this information a great foundation for brainstorming my designs.

Pain Points

I noticed these themes from my interviews.

Lying

Users do not like when companies lie to them about a game.

Hiding Information

Users want to know if something is wrong or needs improvement.

Don’t hide it.

Overhyping

Users do not like when only the good parts of a game are shown.

Overcomplicating

Users want to see what the core of what the game is about, which includes Game Play Videos.

Persona: Jess

Based on the interviews, I created personas and made a user journey map and problem statement for Jess Tomako.

Problem Statement:

Jess Tomako is daily player of arcade games who needs to know the honest simple features of games in an arcade because they hesitate to use their time or money on games, they know little to nothing about.

User Journey Map:

I mapped Jess's User journey as she enjoys her time at the arcade.

Lo-Fi Design and Testing


Paper Wireframes

I tried to keep things simple.

I prioritized important features towards the bottom to help support one handed accessibility.

Digital Wireframes in Figma

I used Figma to create my first digital wireframes.

Here are the main screens of the User flow.

Home Screen

I added large buttons at the bottom to help with navigation.

The two carousal screens help provide quick information.

Game Info Screen

I created this screen for the less important game information.

Users click the More Information button to continue along the main User flow.

More Information Screen

I wanted this screen to contain more important game information.

Users end their journey here and start again if they wish.

Low-Fidelity Prototype

The User flow for this prototype focuses on finding information about an arcade game.

The flow starts on the home screen and continues to explore a database.

I tried to include as many options as possible in this prototype.


View the GoodTime Arcade
Low-Fidelity Prototype.

Usability Study Findings

I tested my prototype with 5 participants.

I found I needed to refine my designs to better meet User needs.

Finding 1

Users want game play videos to be more obvious to find.

Finding 2

Users do not understand what the "Equipment" button is for.

Finding 3

Users do not understand what the "Known Issues" button is for.

Hi-Fi Design and Testing


Accessibility Considerations

I tried to follow these ideas when designing my mockups.

Center the design of the app around one-handed use.

Use arcade machine images to help users distinguish between games.

Use large images and buttons to help users navigate between screens.

Mockups

I rearranged the design to focus more on the User's needs.

Game Info Screen

I moved the Game Play Videos to the Game page and other non-essential information to the More Information page.

More Information Screen

I moved the Ability Explanations down and grouped the non-essential information above it.


High-Fidelity Prototype

I tried to streamline the High-Fidelity prototype for the second usability study.


View the GoodTime Arcade
High-Fidelity Prototype.

Usability Study Findings

I tested this prototype with 5 participants.

I found I appeared to be on the right track design wise.

Finding 1

Most Users understood the meaning of the main action buttons.

Finding 2

Most Users found the app simple and easy to use.

App User Flow

Here are the main screens a User goes through to search for game information on the GoodTime App.

Final Thoughts


Impact of the App

Users felt the app provided a simple and efficient experience.


User Quote:

"Pretty streamlined. It appeals to me."

Next Steps for the Project

Overall, I feel I can start to expand on the functionality of the app.

First, I want to expand on some core features.

Then, I will focus on non-core features.

What I learned

Being the first project in the Google UX Design Course, I put my knowledge to practice as I tried the UX design cycle for the first time.

I felt the pull of imposter syndrome but gained confidence in my abilities as a designer and general artist.

I enjoyed the design cycle and my interactions with Users.

I learned some of the basics of Figma and built upon my ever-growing skills.

Thank You!

Thank you for taking the time to review my work with the GoodTime Arcade App