Mission

The goal of SpotYa was to design and develop a fully functioning social mobile game that encourages interaction, curiosity, and real-world exploration through time-based gameplay. The project was created as part of the Designstudio course, where the focus was to take an idea from concept to a functional and designed digital experience.

My contributions

I worked closely with the team throughout the project, with a primary focus on the design process and the development of the prototype and overall visual experience. I also contributed to the implementation using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, although my main focus was on the design process, while other team members focused more extensively on the programming side of the project

Stages

Timeline & overview of the 5 stages for RetroResan

Research

The research process mainly consisted of desktop research focused on how social media platforms are structured and how social interaction could be combined with gameplay in a mobile experience. We explored existing platforms and game concepts, drawing inspiration from apps like BeReal and the location-based gameplay of GeoGuessr to better understand user engagement, spontaneity, and interaction patterns.

User flow

Design process

Graphic profile

We aimed for a dark mode interface to create a modern and immersive experience, using vibrant purple and bold orange as accent colors to highlight interaction throughout the app. Dark grey tones replaced pure black for a softer feel, while Rethink Sans was chosen for its clean and modern character.

Design Approach

We worked iteratively throughout the process, exploring different versions of key design elements and continuously refining them. Ideas were tested, adjusted, and revisited, combining the strongest parts into the final design.

High fidelity wireframes

Interactive prototype

User testing

We conducted a short user test on the Figma prototype. The test participant had no issues completing the tasks or understanding the core flow of the design. Since the test was only carried out with one participant, the results were limited and mainly served as a quick validation of the overall usability. With more time, additional testing with more users would have provided deeper and more reliable insights.

Implementation

Alongside the design process, I also contributed to the implementation of the project through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While my primary focus was on the UX/UI and visual design work, a teammate was mainly responsible for the backend and larger parts of the frontend development.

SpotYa time!

The project was presented to our class and teachers at the end of the course, where we showcased both the interactive prototype and the finished product. One of the biggest takeaways from the project was learning how to balance social interaction and gameplay mechanics within the same experience, while also designing features that feel intuitive, engaging, and fast-paced in a mobile context.