Arcade Games
“Arcade Games” is an arcade that offers players classic arcade games. The typical user is 7-45 years old, and most users are children and older adults. Arcade Games’ aims to streamline the video game search process and help new users discover games effortlessly.
My Role: Lead UX Designer
This project enabled me to independently plan and direct every step of the design thinking process as a UX design student.
Client
Portfolio Design Project
Year
2024
Responsibilities:
Define the problem, user research, create personas, user journeys, empathy maps, and user flows, conduct interviews, wireframing, low and high prototyping, usability studies, designing for accessibility, user testing, iterating on designs, and creating the final design.
The Problem:
Arcade Games needs a user-friendly app and website for users to discover and explore new games. Their current website lacks the capability to manage games that players are interested in playing.
The Goal:
Create an app and website for players to explore, “favorite,” and easily discover new games through clear navigation.
I conducted mock interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users. A primary user group was busy adults who do not have the time to search for games.
This user group confirmed initial assumptions about the arcade customers, but research also revealed time was not the only user constraint when searching for games. Another user group included adults who are unfamiliar with games and are unsure where to start looking.
Users find it difficult to navigate through a large number of game previews without clear categories or filters.
Pain Point #1
Pain Point #2
Users struggle to gauge the quality of games without reviews or ratings from other players.
Pain Point #3
Cluttered or unappealing layout deters users from exploring the website further.
Users feel disconnected if the website doesn't offer personalized recommendations based on their gaming preferences or browsing history.
Pain Point #4
Problem Statement:
David is a college student with a packed schedule who needs an effortless way to find new games to play.
Problem Statement:
Jennifer, a new arcade game user, seeks a simple way to start playing arcade games to enjoy with her family.
Mapping David’s user journey revealed how discovering different games, narrowing his search, and selecting desired games can make the experience at the arcade more enjoyable.
Rapid Paper Wireframes
I sketched out rapid paper wireframes using a pen and paper. While doing this, I considered the user’s pain points and overall user flow. I marked the best ideas with stars and incorporated those ideas into the final wireframe.
As the initial design phase continued, I used user feedback to modify the paper wireframes.
Usability Study
Study Type:
Unmoderated Usability Study
Location:
United States, Remote
Participants:
5 Participants
Length:
30 Minutes
I conducted a usability study by interviewing 5 participants. I asked each participant to complete 5 tasks and recorded their click path, observation, quotes, and task completion difficulty. The main findings are below:
Round 1 Findings
Difficult to “like” games
Clear out of entire profile settings after making a change
Condense home explore and explore page
Participant confused about popular games vs top rated games
Round 2 Findings
Confusion on how to filter liked page
No option to comment on games
Before Vs After Usability Study
Before Usability Study
After Usability Study
Users felt overwhelmed by the amount of information on the homepage. Additionally, users were confused between the difference of the home page and the explore page.
Before Usability Study
After Usability Study
Users were confused how to “like” their favorite games. Also, users wanted to be able to comment on games.
Final Review Quotes:
“The site feels very intuitive and accessible.”
- Participant #1
“The navigation is clear, and the site was pleasing to look at and flow through.”’
- Participant #2