ArcadeRadar · Arcade Game Preview App
Have you ever paid for a game that you ended up not enjoying at all? No matter if you play on your mobile phone, your desktop or old-school in an arcade, if you play alone or with others, having some information about the game in advance or even having tested it before playing can make the experience much more enjoyable.
The problem
People who love to play Arcade games can have a hard time figuring out what games are available, what the games are about and if they would enjoy playing them. Occasional gamers might find certain games too advanced while avid gamers might have trouble finding people to compete with at their level.
The goal
The primary goal was to design an app that allows users to easily preview and test Arcade games before committing to paying for them and not enjoying the games. The app also offers a way to connect with like-minded people in the community to talk about gaming, arrange meet-ups, or even find a mentor to advance their skills.
My role
UI/UX Design for the app and responsive website (personal project)
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wire framing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, iterating on designs
View the prototype here
Understanding the user
User research and personas
To empathise with the users and to understand their needs, desires, motivations and frustrations, I conducted interviews and built personas. Through research I identified game enthusiasts who don’t have an option to preview games without spending a lot of time and money as primary user group. This confirmed initial assumptions about ArcadeRadar’s customers. Research also revealed that other user groups include occasional users who are less advanced and users with disabilities.
Ideation and design
By sketching story boards I tried to visualise the user’s experience and explore possible user flows. Informed by user research, paper wireframes and story boards I started to create early screen designs for the app. Accessibility was one of the pain points that needed to be addressed in the design. Additionally, there needed to be options for ‘newbie’ gamers to find help and guidance.
Usability testing
I used feedback from usability testing to see if pain points were adequately addressed, if there are any additional frustrations and what aspects of the design still needed refinement.
Refining the design
Early designs allowed the user to click on an image to select a game. After usability testing I added additional buttons to give users more options and make the app easier to use. I also revised the layout of the listed games and filter option to make it more accessible for people with disabilities.
Final designs
Esther Streich 