Arcade Check-in App
June 2022 - September 2022
Role and Responsibilities
Project Manager, Product Owner and UX Designer leading the app and responsive website design from conception to delivery including research, interviews, design, usability studies, accessibility considerations and prototyping.
Project Summary
The Arcade Check-In App is a solution for remotely checking-in for special events. The app aims to solve some of the issues of waiting in long lines to attend events for both individuals and groups.
The Challenge
Long lines to get into events when you've already bought tickets and registered online can be frustrating to experience. It can be worse when checking in as a group, as some events don't offer this functionally at all.
I wanted to design an app that allows attendees and venue owners to decrease wait times by allowing remote check-in for both individual and group registrations.
User Research
I conducted interviews to understand the users I’m designing for and their desires. Interviewees were young individuals who use check-in apps for events and daily shopping.
This user group gave insight into their pain points of using check-in apps and confirmed that checking-in using an app should be faster and more consistent than ordering in person. Participants often cited cold food, incorrect pick-up times and group check-in as areas to improve.
Ideation
Paper Wireframes
Drafting screens on paper allowed me to rapidly explore ideas and discover ways to present the needed information. I decided that sectioning off information was the best way to allow the user to flow through the app with the least resistance.
Digital Wireframes
Because the goal is to easily check-in for events with minimal effort, a section of the screen is dedicated to highlighting any event of that same day. This allows users to skip looking at other events and improving speed of check-in.
Users may want to provide optional additional information about themselves for event staff, we have given the option to allow for so.
Low Fidelity Prototype
The low-fidelity prototype connected the primary user flow of checking-in to an event, so the prototype could be used in a usability study with users.
Usability Study
I conducted two rounds of remote unmoderated usability studies to discover what features and pain points were beginning to emerge at the prototype phase. The first study used wireframes and helped plan the direction of the app. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype to determine what challenges users are still experiencing.
Accessibility Considerations
For the high-fidelity prototype and mockup, I chose to implement better choices for reds, blues and grays to achieve a better contrast ratio. The color scheme is meant to invoke the arcades of yesteryear. Animations are short and snappy and buttons include text for screen readers and readability.
Mockups
The original wireframes did not separate and group information in a user friendly way, after the usability study, I used gestalt principles to improve how information is presented on pages. The result are screens that feel more cohesive.
The second usability study revealed some users were having trouble with seeing buttons in both the main design and the pop-up overlays. I adjusted the colors to be more accessible and increased the size of some elements to make them easier to select.
High-fidelity Prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype presented a refined layout, better button labeling and accessible colors. It also added better options for users to enter optional information about themselves.
View the Arcade Check-In App high-fidelity prototype.
Takeaways
The app helps users avoid frustrations with waiting in lines and offers a level of customization that can allow them to feel more comfortable at events. The usability studies helped in deciding what the app needed to solve some worries users had and what could be useful in the future. More usability testing could determine if accessibility changes were appropriate, testing of group check-ins and testing with venue owners to explore how it helps them check-in guests quicker.