AKIHABARA
AKIHABARA
AKIHABARA
How it Started
How it Started
The Context
The Context
AT A GLANCE:
Role: Product Designer | Timeline: 3 months | Team: Solo project
Arcade bars operate successful entertainment businesses but rely on outdated coin-based payment systems in an increasingly cashless world.
Customer reviews across Colorado arcade bars identify payment frustration as the #1 complaint. Patrons experience 2-4 interruptions per visit to withdraw cash, purchase coins, and manage physical currency, often paying ATM fees and buying more coins than needed.
I designed a venue-branded app that eliminates physical coins while preserving the authentic arcade experience.
AT A GLANCE:
Role: Product Designer | Timeline: 3 months | Team: Solo project
Arcade bars operate successful entertainment businesses but rely on outdated coin-based payment systems in an increasingly cashless world.
Customer reviews across Colorado arcade bars identify payment frustration as the #1 complaint. Patrons experience 2-4 interruptions per visit to withdraw cash, purchase coins, and manage physical currency, often paying ATM fees and buying more coins than needed.
I designed a venue-branded app that eliminates physical coins while preserving the authentic arcade experience.
UX/UI Skills Utilized
UX/UI Skills Utilized
Market Research
Competitive Analysis
User Research
Usability Testing
Wireframe
Prototyping
UI Design
Tools Used
Tools Used
#1 Complaint Payment frustration in arcade bar reviews
2-4 Interruptions Per typical arcade visit for coins
Colorado-wide Issue Problem across multiple venues
Was There Ever a Problem?
Was There Ever a Problem?
The Challenge
The Challenge
Arcade bars today face a fundamental disconnect, they operate on coin-based systems in an increasingly cashless world. At Akihabara, customers were repeatedly forced to interrupt their social experience to withdraw cash and purchase coins, often incurring ATM fees and frustration.
Through customer reviews analysis, I discovered this wasn't just my personal frustration, it was the #1 complaint across multiple arcade bar venues.
The core question became:
How might we eliminate physical coins while preserving the authentic arcade experience?
Arcade bars today face a fundamental disconnect, they operate on coin-based systems in an increasingly cashless world. At Akihabara, customers were repeatedly forced to interrupt their social experience to withdraw cash and purchase coins, often incurring ATM fees and frustration.
Through customer reviews analysis, I discovered this wasn't just my personal frustration, it was the #1 complaint across multiple arcade bar venues.
The core question became:
How might we eliminate physical coins while preserving the authentic arcade experience?
Arcade bars today face a fundamental disconnect, they operate on coin-based systems in an increasingly cashless world. At Akihabara, customers were repeatedly forced to interrupt their social experience to withdraw cash and purchase coins, often incurring ATM fees and frustration.
Through customer reviews analysis, I discovered this wasn't just my personal frustration, it was the #1 complaint across multiple arcade bar venues.
The core question became:
How might we eliminate physical coins while preserving the authentic arcade experience?
Payment frustration was the #1 complaint in reviews of arcade bars across Colorado
The typical arcade bar visit involved 2-4 interruptions to get more coins
Reviews indicated customers were highly receptive to digital payment solutions
The opportunity gap I identified was for a venue-branded app that offered a complete experience beyond just payments
User Journey Map
User Journey Map
Discovery: Payment frustration was just the symptom. The real problem was multiple interruptions destroying the social experience.
Strategic insight: Digital intervention needed to address the entire experience from arrival to departure, not just payments.
Discovery: Payment frustration was just the symptom. The real problem was multiple interruptions destroying the social experience.
Strategic insight: Digital intervention needed to address the entire experience from arrival to departure, not just payments.
UX Process
UX Process
Finding the Friction
Finding the Friction
To identify the most impactful solution, I needed to understand both user pain points and market opportunities for arcade bar experiences.
To identify the most impactful solution, I needed to understand both user pain points and market opportunities for arcade bar experiences.
Market Analysis
Competitive audit examining both direct and indirect competitors in the digital payment space for entertainment venues.
Empathy Map
I created an empathy map from my customer review analysis to better understand the arcade bar patron's perspective and emotional journey.
User Journey Map
I created detailed journey maps to visualize the current arcade bar experience, focusing on pain points and emotional states throughout the customer journey.
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
Maybe you’ve noticed, but I use this phrase often. I always start with paper wireframes first so I can get the gist of the key components in my design.
I’m really trying to focus on structure here and getting a feel of the layout. Usually, I make multiple versions of the same page and pick out key areas that I like and then add them to a final paper wireframe.
Maybe you’ve noticed, but I use this phrase often. I always start with paper wireframes first so I can get the gist of the key components in my design.
I’m really trying to focus on structure here and getting a feel of the layout. Usually, I make multiple versions of the same page and pick out key areas that I like and then add them to a final paper wireframe.
Maybe you’ve noticed, but I use this phrase often. I always start with paper wireframes first so I can get the gist of the key components in my design.
I’m really trying to focus on structure here and getting a feel of the layout. Usually, I make multiple versions of the same page and pick out key areas that I like and then add them to a final paper wireframe.
Strategic implementation: Customer profile directly executes 'Enhanced Gaming' principle.
Strategic implementation: Customer profile directly executes 'Enhanced Gaming' principle.
Customer profile directly executes 'Enhanced Gaming' principle.
Key features: Coin balance, reward points, game access in one dashboard.
Business impact: Transforms payment utility into core arcade experience.
Key features: Coin balance, reward points, game access in one dashboard.
Business impact: Transforms payment utility into core arcade experience.
Key features: Coin balance, reward points, game access in one dashboard.
Business impact: Transforms payment utility into core arcade experience.
Design approach: Balanced innovation with familiar e-commerce patterns to reduce cognitive load.
Strategic decision: Streamlined checkout with saved payment methods for purchase ease.
Design approach: Balanced innovation with familiar e-commerce patterns to reduce cognitive load.
Strategic decision: Streamlined checkout with saved payment methods for purchase ease.
Design approach: Balanced innovation with familiar e-commerce patterns to reduce cognitive load.
Strategic decision: Streamlined checkout with saved payment methods for purchase ease.
From UX to UI
From UX to UI
Data to Design
Data to Design
Research insights informed three strategic design priorities:
Research insights informed three strategic design priorities:
Friction-Free Payments: Create a digital wallet that eliminates the need for physical coins and ATM visits, addressing the #1 pain point identified in review analysis
Integrated Experience: Combine game activation, drink orders, and tab management into a single interface, eliminating the disjointed experience revealed in the journey mapping
Enhanced Gaming: Add value through leaderboards, game information, and social features to transform the app from a utility into an essential part of the arcade experience
Friction-Free Payments: Create a digital wallet that eliminates the need for physical coins and ATM visits, addressing the #1 pain point identified in review analysis
Integrated Experience: Combine game activation, drink orders, and tab management into a single interface, eliminating the disjointed experience revealed in the journey mapping
Enhanced Gaming: Add value through leaderboards, game information, and social features to transform the app from a utility into an essential part of the arcade experience
Where to begin transforming these insights into an interface? I started with sketches, exploring multiple approaches before committing to digital wireframes.
Where to begin transforming these insights into an interface? I started with sketches, exploring multiple approaches before committing to digital wireframes.
Before
After
After
Oh Behave…
Oh Behave…
Test Early & Refine
Test Early & Refine
I tested my low fidelity prototype through a moderated usability test with 5 participants with tasks matching the key function for the business: Use the app to purchase coins for the arcade game.
After the studies, I used an affinity diagram to reveal a couple of patterns, those being:
I tested my low fidelity prototype through a moderated usability test with 5 participants with tasks matching the key function for the business: Use the app to purchase coins for the arcade game.
After the studies, I used an affinity diagram to reveal a couple of patterns, those being:
I tested my low fidelity prototype through a moderated usability test with 5 participants to with tasks matching the key function for the business: Use the app to purchase coins for the arcade game.
After the studies, I used an affinity diagram to reveal a couple of patterns, those being:
The Tap-to-Play screen needed a clear indicator that a physical action was needed to start the arcade game.
The game overview page needed to indicate to users when their coins would be deducted and when the game would actually start.
The Tap-to-Play screen needed a clear indicator that a physical action was needed to start the arcade game.
The game overview page needed to indicate to users when their coins would be deducted and when the game would actually start.
I iterated the low fidelity designs by adding clear signposting ("Insert Coins", "Tap-to-Play") to eliminate conversion friction
I iterated the low fidelity designs by adding clear signposting ("Insert Coins", "Tap-to-Play") to eliminate conversion friction
Visual Design
Visual Design
Channeling Retro-Futurism
Channeling Retro-Futurism
Design direction: 90's Japanese retro-futurism to align with arcade culture.
Color palette: Electric blues, hot magentas, cyber yellows - bridging nostalgic arcade and modern mobile interface.
Typography:
Oxygen: Primary serif for exceptional legibility
Roboto Mono: Monospaced font evoking early computer interfaces
Iconography: 8-bit/16-bit gaming heritage with deliberately pixelated elements.
Impact: Cohesive visual language transforms payment utility into authentic arcade experience extension.
Design direction: 90's Japanese retro-futurism to align with arcade culture.
Color palette: Electric blues, hot magentas, cyber yellows - bridging nostalgic arcade and modern mobile interface.
Typography:
Oxygen: Primary serif for exceptional legibility
Roboto Mono: Monospaced font evoking early computer interfaces
Iconography: 8-bit/16-bit gaming heritage with deliberately pixelated elements.
Impact: Cohesive visual language transforms payment utility into authentic arcade experience extension.
Evolution Digitized
Evolution Digitized
From Retro to Brutalist
From Retro to Brutalist
Several months after the initial launch, I revisited the app's design with fresh perspective gained from real-world experience. My work as a co-founder at Ziva Energy had sharpened my understanding of user-centered design principles, while continued education expanded my design methodology toolkit.
This growth prompted a bold design pivot: I embraced brutalist design principles that felt more authentic to the raw, unpolished energy of classic arcade culture.
Several months after the initial launch, I revisited the app's design with fresh perspective gained from real-world experience. My work as a co-founder at Ziva Energy had sharpened my understanding of user-centered design principles, while continued education expanded my design methodology toolkit.
This growth prompted a bold design pivot: I embraced brutalist design principles that felt more authentic to the raw, unpolished energy of classic arcade culture.
Project Challenges
I'm anticipating a critical user acquisition barrier: requiring app registration for casual arcade visits could create significant adoption friction. Recognizing that arcade gaming is inherently spontaneous, I identified the tension between necessary business data collection and user convenience early in the design process, prompting consideration of progressive engagement models like guest modes and social authentication (Google, Apple ID) to maximize conversion rates.
Project Changes
Several months post-launch, I completely redesigned the visual direction from retro-futurism to brutalist design principles. This major aesthetic pivot, informed by professional growth and expanded design education, required rebuilding the entire interface hierarchy and visual system to better capture the raw, utilitarian energy of authentic arcade culture.
Let Me Cook
Let Me Cook
Moving Forward
Moving Forward