UX Designer & Problem Solver
I am a passionate UX Designer focused on creating intuitive, user-centered experiences. My understanding of front-end development allows me to bridge the gap between design and implementation, ensuring feasible and impactful digital products.
My Work
A selection of projects that showcase my skills in UX design and problem-solving.
Pixelated Scorecade: Enhancing the Arcade Experience
This case study details the UX design process behind Pixelated Scorecade, a mobile application designed to modernize and enhance the traditional arcade experience by providing seamless high-score tracking and community engagement.
My Role & The Challenge
As the UX Designer, I was responsible for the entire user experience lifecycle, from initial research and problem definition to designing the interface and collaborating on the development of the functional prototype. The primary challenge was to transform a manual, often unreliable, and isolating process into a trustworthy, real-time, and engaging digital experience that would not only accurately track scores but also build a vibrant community around arcade gaming.
My Process
Activities:
- User Interviews: Conducted interviews with arcade enthusiasts, casual players, and arcade operators to understand current pain points, desires, and behaviors related to high-score tracking and arcade visits.
- Competitive Analysis: Researched existing scorekeeping methods (manual sheets, rudimentary digital systems) and other gaming platforms (console leaderboards, online communities) to identify gaps and opportunities.
- Contextual Inquiry: Observed players in arcade environments to understand their natural interactions and frustrations.
- Surveys: Distributed surveys to gather quantitative data on preferences for features like real-time updates, player profiles, and reward systems.
Outcome:
- A comprehensive understanding of user needs, including the desire for instant score verification, real-time global and local leaderboards, personalized player profiles, and a system for earning and redeeming tickets digitally.
- Identified critical pain points: manual entry errors, lack of visibility for scores, delayed updates, and absence of a unified player identity across games/arcades.
- Validated the market need for a reliable, engaging digital solution.
Learnings:
- Trust is Paramount: Users deeply value accuracy and fairness in high-score tracking; any digital solution must prioritize robust verification to build user trust.
- Real-time Feedback is King: Instant gratification from seeing one's score on a leaderboard significantly boosts engagement.
- Community & Recognition: Players are motivated by social recognition and the ability to compare their skills with others.
- Simplicity is Key: The score submission process needed to be as effortless as possible to encourage adoption.
Activities:
- Persona Development: Created detailed user personas (e.g., "The High Score Hunter," "The Casual Gamer," "The Arcade Manager") based on research findings to represent target users and their diverse needs.
- Problem Statement Refinement: Articulated a concise, user-centered problem statement: "Arcade players lack a reliable, real-time, and engaging system to track high scores and connect with a competitive community, leading to frustration and reduced motivation."
- Feature Prioritization: Collaborated with stakeholders to define core features (QR scan for score, real-time leaderboards, player profiles, digital play card, ticket redemption) and secondary features (arcade map, transaction history).
- User Flows & Information Architecture: Mapped out key user journeys (e.g., "Submit a New High Score," "Check Leaderboard," "Load Play Card") and structured the app's content logically.
Outcome:
- A clearly defined problem statement and a shared vision for the solution.
- Prioritized feature set focusing on the most impactful user needs.
- A robust information architecture and intuitive user flows ensuring ease of navigation and task completion.
- Established the core value proposition: a transparent, rewarding, and community-driven arcade experience.
Learnings:
- Focus is Crucial: Narrowing down the problem and prioritizing features early prevents scope creep and ensures the core solution is strong.
- User-Centered Problem Framing: Defining the problem from the user's perspective ensures the solution truly addresses their needs.
- Early Flow Mapping: Visualizing user journeys helps identify potential friction points before design begins.
Activities:
- Sketching & Wireframing: Began with low-fidelity sketches and digital wireframes to explore various layout options and content placement for each screen (Login, Dashboard, QR Scan, Input, Confirm, Leaderboard, Play Card, Profile, Settings).
- Prototyping: Developed interactive prototypes using the wireframes to simulate user interaction and test initial flows.
- UI Design & Visual Language: Created a retro-inspired visual design, incorporating pixelated aesthetics, neon colors, bold typography (Press Start 2P font), and animated elements to evoke a classic arcade feel while maintaining modern usability.
- Iconography & Imagery: Designed custom icons and selected appropriate emojis to enhance visual communication and brand identity.
- Iterative Refinement: Conducted informal usability tests with prototypes, gathering feedback to refine layouts, interactions, and visual elements.
Outcome:
- A comprehensive set of high-fidelity UI designs for all key screens, reflecting the retro-futuristic aesthetic.
- Interactive prototypes demonstrating core functionalities like QR scanning, score submission, and play card management.
- A consistent visual language and design system that reinforces the app's unique arcade theme.
- Improved user flows and reduced cognitive load through iterative design and feedback integration.
Learnings:
- Themed Design Impact: A strong, consistent visual theme significantly enhances user engagement and brand recall.
- Iterative Testing Saves Time: Even informal testing with prototypes helps catch usability issues early, preventing costly reworks during development.
- Micro-interactions Matter: Subtle animations and visual feedback (like the error shake or pulsing logo) improve the perceived responsiveness and delight of the app.
- Accessibility Considerations: Ensuring clear contrast and legible typography within a themed design is vital.
Activities:
- **Collaborated with Front-End Developers:** Ensured design feasibility and provided detailed specifications for translating UI designs into functional components.
- **Understood Technical Constraints:** Worked closely with the development team to ensure designs were implementable within the chosen technology stack (React, Tailwind CSS).
- **Reviewed Developed Prototypes:** Participated in usability testing and bug fixing on the developed prototype to ensure the implemented design accurately reflected the intended user experience.
- **Advocated for User Experience:** Acted as the user's advocate throughout the development cycle, ensuring design integrity and responsiveness across devices.
Outcome:
- A fully functional and interactive mobile application prototype (MVP) that accurately simulates the core user experience, ready for developer hand-off.
- Validated the technical feasibility of the core features and the overall user flow through close collaboration.
- A design that is optimized for responsive implementation and performance.
Learnings:
- Collaboration with Developers: Close communication with the development team ensures design feasibility and efficient implementation.
- Real-World Testing Reveals Edge Cases: Testing on actual devices and with diverse inputs uncovers issues not apparent in design tools.
- Flexibility & Adaptability: Being prepared to make minor design adjustments during development based on technical constraints or new insights is crucial for project success.
- Performance Optimization: Understanding how design choices impact performance is important for a seamless user experience.
Outcome & Learnings
The result is a highly usable and interactive prototype that demonstrates a streamlined user experience. This project was instrumental in deepening my understanding of creating dynamic, user-friendly applications, and the challenges involved in ensuring a seamless and engaging user journey within a complex system.
QueerSafeSpace: Building a Community Hub
This project focuses on the UX design and prototyping of QueerSafeSpace, a mobile application dedicated to providing a secure and inclusive platform for the LGBTQ+ community to connect, share resources, and find safe spaces.
My Role & The Challenge
As the UX Designer for QueerSafeSpace, I led the user research, information architecture, interaction design, and visual design. The primary challenge was to create a digital space that felt genuinely safe, supportive, and intuitive for a diverse user base, addressing sensitive topics with empathy and clear navigation.
My Process
Activities:
- In-depth user interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals to understand needs for safety, connection, and resources.
- Analysis of existing community platforms and safe space directories to identify best practices and areas for improvement.
- Conducted surveys to gather quantitative data on preferred features and privacy concerns.
Outcome:
- Identified critical needs for verified safe spaces, moderated community forums, and accessible resource listings.
- Understanding the importance of privacy settings and robust reporting mechanisms for user safety.
- Validated the strong demand for a dedicated and trusted platform.
Learnings:
- The nuanced definition of "safe space" varies, requiring flexible categorization and robust user-generated content moderation.
- Empathy and sensitivity are paramount when researching and designing for vulnerable communities.
Activities:
- Developed user personas representing different needs within the LGBTQ+ community (e.g., "The Newcomer," "The Advocate," "The Resource Seeker").
- Crafted problem statements and defined core objectives focused on fostering connection, providing verified information, and ensuring user safety.
- Mapped out comprehensive user flows for key interactions, such as finding a safe space, joining a discussion, and reporting an issue.
- Designed the information architecture to ensure intuitive navigation for sensitive and diverse content categories.
Outcome:
- A clear understanding of the app's core functionalities: secure messaging, a searchable database of safe venues, and a curated resource library.
- Defined a robust information architecture that prioritizes intuitive navigation for sensitive content.
- Established a clear roadmap for feature development based on user needs and technical feasibility.
Learnings:
- The challenge of balancing comprehensive features with a streamlined user experience, especially for a diverse user base.
- The importance of clear, unambiguous language and visual cues to build trust and ensure safety.
Activities:
- Created low-fidelity wireframes to explore various layout options for community forums, event listings, and resource pages.
- Developed high-fidelity interactive prototypes in Figma, focusing on intuitive navigation, clear content hierarchy, and a welcoming visual aesthetic.
- Designed a comprehensive visual language, including a color palette that evokes a sense of safety and inclusivity, and custom iconography.
- Conducted iterative usability tests with prototypes, gathering feedback to refine layouts, interactions, and visual elements, ensuring accessibility standards were met.
Outcome:
- A complete set of high-fidelity UI designs that convey empathy, safety, and community.
- Interactive prototypes validated through usability testing, demonstrating seamless user journeys for finding support and information.
- A consistent and inclusive visual design system that reinforces the app's mission.
Learnings:
- The importance of inclusive language and visual representation in building trust and belonging within the target community.
- Designing for sensitive content requires careful consideration of user control, privacy, and reporting mechanisms.
Activities:
- **Collaborated with Developers:** Provided detailed design specifications and assets to the development team, ensuring accurate translation of UX/UI designs into functional code.
- **Ensured Technical Feasibility:** Worked closely with engineers to understand platform constraints and optimize designs for efficient implementation.
- **Reviewed Developed Prototypes:** Conducted thorough design reviews and participated in user acceptance testing to ensure the implemented features aligned with design intent and user needs.
- **Advocated for User Experience:** Acted as the user's advocate throughout the development cycle, ensuring design integrity and responsiveness across devices.
Outcome:
- A high-fidelity, interactive prototype (or MVP) that effectively demonstrates the core functionalities and user experience of QueerSafeSpace.
- Successful hand-off of design specifications, facilitating efficient and accurate development.
- A responsive and accessible design verified through collaborative testing.
Learnings:
- The nuances of translating complex social interactions into intuitive digital flows.
- The value of continuous feedback loops between design and development for maintaining design integrity.
- Understanding the technical implications of design choices, especially concerning data security and moderation.
Outcome & Learnings
The result is a compelling and highly usable prototype for QueerSafeSpace, demonstrating a thoughtful approach to designing for a sensitive and specific community. This project significantly enhanced my understanding of inclusive design principles, the importance of trust in community platforms, and the complexities of creating a truly safe and engaging digital environment.
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My Skills
I have a versatile skill set that spans the entire product development process.
UX & Design
- ✓User Experience (UX) Design
- ✓User Interface (UI) Design
- ✓User Research
- ✓Wireframing & Prototyping
- ✓Usability Testing
- ✓Information Architecture
- ✓Interaction Design
- ✓Visual Design
- ✓Accessibility (WCAG)
Tools & Methodologies
- ✓Figma
- ✓Moqups
- ✓Mural
- ✓Wix
- ✓Adobe Creative Suite
- ✓Salesforce
- ✓Supabase
- ✓Tally
- ✓Microsoft Office Suite
- ✓Git & Version Control
- ✓Chrome DevTools
- ✓Design Thinking
- ✓Agile Methodologies
Let's Connect
I'm currently seeking new opportunities. If you have a project in mind or just want to say hello, feel to reach out!
AmandaRita0814@gmail.com