ArcadeQuest: UX Case Study
Google UX Design Certificate Course
Roles: UX Designer, Visuals, Interaction, Researcher
Duration: May 2022 to September 2022
The Product
ArcadeQuest is an arcade game preview app service that allows users to search for available games in the arcade from their phones. ArcadeQuest targets any range of customers, from people who value time and wish to find games in the arcade quickly, to people looking to discover a new game to play.
The Goal
Design an app for an arcade that helps users better prepare for and utilize their time at the arcade.
User Research Summary
I conducted interviews with a select group of participants in order to understand their needs when going to an arcade. One primary user group that was identified during research was young adults who enjoy arcades but want better chances of playing new or desired games.
This group confirmed the assumption that information that would be useful in a game preview app would include art of the game, a small description, and a trailer or demo to showcase gameplay. Research also revealed that a means to more easily locate the games within the arcade, and guarantee a chance to play them without waiting for someone else to finish were also desirable.
User Personas
Affinity Diagram
Paper Wireframes to Digital Wireframes
Low-Fidelity Prototype
The low-fidelity prototype shows the user flow of looking for information about a game available at the arcade, finding its location in the arcade, and adding points to the user’s arcade card to be able to play the game.
View ArcadeQuest Low-Fidelity Prototype Here
Usability Study Findings and Iterations
I conducted two separate usability studies during the app design process. The first study helped guide the initial wireframes and low-fidelity prototype to address user needs. The second study helped in refining the high-fidelity prototype and focused on any user needs that had been neglected, or could be expanded upon.
Round 2 findings:
The wording for adding points to the card is confusing
Users want more options for navigation
Round 1 findings:
Users want to access pages quickly
Users want familiar layouts
Users want clear clickable indicators
Results of the First Usability Study
Initial designs for the home screen allowed for an announcements banner, as well as showing some games in each category. After the first usability study, this has been reduced to just large buttons for each category, and the announcements bar was removed to allow for a more simplified layout and less unnecessary information.
Results of the Second Usability Study
The profile screen had minimal navigation options, as I had originally thought them unnecessary as long as there was the menu and back button. The second usability study however revealed the desire for consistent navigation options on all screens, as well as an added feature to further adjust account settings.
Final Mockups and High-Fidelity Prototype
The high-fidelity prototype shows the finalized user flow of looking for information about a game available at the arcade, finding its location in the arcade, and adding points to the user’s arcade card to be able to play the game.
View ArcadeQuest High-Fidelity Prototype Here
Style Guide
Takeaways
Throughout the project, I learned just how much a design can change from start to finish. Ideas that seemed important at first just weren’t as necessary as I thought. Meanwhile, details I thought weren’t needed in the beginning proved to enhance the user experience far more than I anticipated. As I adapted to these changes, the app’s overall design had to change and evolve with each usability study, resulting in a different layout than what was originally planned.
