A capstone journey through the Google UX Design program.
Galaxy Gaming is a fictional eCommerce platform created as the capstone project for my Google UX Design Certification. My assignment was to design a website or mobile app that allowed users to complete a full journey from start to finish seamlessly.
Role
UI/UX Designer
What's the problem with digital game shopping?
Gamers often encounter cluttered interfaces, confusing purchase flows, and unclear product information. This leads to frustration, decision fatigue, and high cart abandonment rates.
How might we improve the user's experience?
By simplifying navigation and reducing visual clutter, users can focus on clear product details, pricing, and a streamlined checkout process.
1.DISCOVERY
Competitive Analysis
I explored platforms like Steam, PlayStation Store, Green Man Gaming, and Instant Gaming to uncover their UVP, advantages and disadvantages. Steam dominated with its massive library but felt cluttered and limited to PC players. PlayStation offered exclusivity and polish but trapped users inside a single ecosystem. Green Man Gaming and Instant Gaming made buying cheaper and faster, yet often at the cost of trust and discovery.
Qualitative Research
Through in-depth user interviews, I uncovered consistent patterns in gamers’ motivations, behaviors, and frustrations during the online purchasing experience. Participants emphasized the importance of speed, clarity, and transparency when buying digital titles, expressing frustration with cluttered interfaces and confusing checkout flows.
Overwhelming UI
Most participants described current gaming eCommerce sites as “cluttered and distracting.” They felt overwhelmed by ads, promotions, and excessive navigation options that made finding specific products frustrating.
Frustration at checkout
Four out of five users expressed irritation with long or confusing checkout processes. Many described unnecessary steps, no trusted payment sources and unclear progress indicators. These pain points reinforced the importance of a simpler checkout flow that minimizes friction and supports trusted payment methods.
Participants mentioned uncertainty about the credibility of online gaming stores and the authenticity of discounted digital codes. Many were unsure whether lower prices meant legitimate products or potential scams.
Desire for speed and simplicity
Every user emphasized a preference for fast, intuitive experiences. They wanted clear categories, visible filters, and instant feedback when adding items to the cart. Slow load times, hidden fees, or cluttered layouts were deal breakers.
User Persona
The user persona represents the everyday gamer who values convenience, clarity, and trust when purchasing digital titles. Research revealed that players want a smooth experience, one that allows them to quickly find, compare, and buy games without dealing with cluttered interfaces or platform restrictions.
So what did we learn?
Major platforms like Steam and PlayStation Store offer strong ecosystems however, they isolate players and create friction for anyone seeking cross-platform convenience. Interviews confirmed that gamers value speed, transparency, and trust above all else, yet current stores often overwhelm them with cluttered layouts and confusing navigation. Users want a unified, simpler shopping experience where they can quickly discover, compare, and purchase games without feeling trapped or second-guessing the platform’s legitimacy. These insights became the foundation for Galaxy Gaming’s design direction.
DEFINE & IDEATE
User Flow
I started by mapping the journey of Alex, from landing on the homepage to selecting a platform, adding a game to the cart, and completing checkout, I traced every step to ensure it felt effortless and intuitive.
Site Map
Next, I created a site map to organize all the pages and features Galaxy Gaming needed. From the main store and platform-specific pages to account management. The map showed how everything connected.
Wireframing
Using insights from research and user flows, I began translating concepts into wireframes that mapped out the structure of Galaxy Gaming.
UI DESIGN
Color Palette
White makes up the majority of the interface. It creates an open, minimal foundation that keeps the layout clean and readable while allowing key elements and imagery to shine.
The black tone adds depth, contrast, and sophistication to the overall design. Used for backgrounds, text, and key visual anchors, it enhances readability while giving the interface a sleek, modern feel.
The accent color, deep violet, introduces a sense of depth and sophistication to the interface. Used purposefully, it highlights key interactive elements, calls to action, and focus states. Its cool undertone reinforces the space-inspired theme, bringing a modern, futuristic energy to the overall design.
White
HEX
#FFFFFF
RGB
255, 255, 255
Black
HEX
#000000
RGB
0, 0, 0
Deep Violet
HEX
#5A4FCF
RGB
90, 79, 207
Feature Product Page
The featured product layout was designed to put each game in the spotlight, with bold visuals displayed front and center. Clear pricing, platform selection, and edition options were all structured to make browsing effortless and intuitive. To enhance usability, I leaned on visual hierarchy and color contrast to guide the user’s eye through the experience.
UX Psychology applied: Von Restorff Effect (Isolation Effect) – The deep violet “Add to Cart” button stands out against the neutral white background, instantly drawing attention to the main conversion point.
Your Cart, Simplified
The high-fidelity mockup focused on translating functionality into a visually engaging shopping flow, ensuring every detail, from layout spacing to color hierarchy, enhanced the user experience.
UX Psychology applied: Hick’s Law - The fewer choices a user has, the faster they can make a decision. This screen keeps interaction minimal. Users can only adjust quantity or proceed to checkout which streamlines decision-making and reducing friction in the buying process.
Fitts’s Law – The “Checkout” button is large, bold, and placed in a reachable area at the bottom of the screen, making it quick and easy for users to tap. Its size and color reinforce the importance of the action.
A Trustworthy Purchase
Creating the checkout screen was about removing friction and building trust. I wanted users to feel confident and secure as they completed their purchase.
UX Psychology applied: Jakob’s Law - The inclusion of PayPal leverages users’ familiarity with a trusted platform to make the experience feel intuitive and secure. Most people in general, already interacted with PayPal, so keeping recognizable visual cues and patterns made the process feel natural and trustworthy.
Aesthetic-Usability Effect - The clean, minimal design with plenty of breathing space gives users confidence that the system is reliable and professional, encouraging them to follow through with their purchase.
The Finish Line
The confirmation page was designed to give gamers a clear sense of closure and satisfaction after their purchase. It provides an instant game code with a convenient copy button, an order summary, and an email confirmation for their records ensuring the experience ends as smoothly and confidently as it began.
UX Psychology applied: Zeigarnik Effect – People remember incomplete tasks better than completed ones. Showing clear confirmation and sending a follow-up email helps the brain close the loop, creating psychological satisfaction and trust.
Law of Clarity – Every element communicates one clear message: You’ve successfully completed your purchase. Visual hierarchy and white space help reinforce that clarity.
4.USABILITY TESTING
Putting the Design to the Test
I conducted moderated usability tests with five participants who regularly purchase digital games online. Each user completed core shopping tasks such as selecting a platform, adding a game to the cart, and checking out. Observing their interactions uncovered key insights - most users found the process fast and intuitive, though some initially struggled with platform selection. These findings guided refinements that streamlined navigation and improved clarity across the purchasing flow.
Quicker Checkout
Four out of five participants described the checkout process as “fast” and “frictionless.” They appreciated the minimal number of steps and clear progress indicators, which reinforced their sense of control throughout the purchase flow.
Clearer CTA
Most users located the “Add to Cart” button intuitively without guidance. The button’s size, contrast, and fixed placement near game details contributed to its visibility and ease of use.
Platform Selection Confusion
Three participants hesitated during the platform selection step, initially overlooking the dropdown menu. This feedback led to repositioning the dropdown above the primary call-to-action, improving task completion speed in later tests.
Positive Perception
Participants described the interface as “clean,” “modern,” and “energetic.” The bright white background combined with bold black text and borders established strong readability and contrast. The use of a vivid purple accent for calls-to-action added a sense of energy and focus, resulting in a visually balanced design that felt both approachable and professional.
5.RESULTS & IMPACT
Where the Design Delivered
Usability testing and participant feedback confirmed that the Galaxy Gaming redesign successfully reduced friction and improved user confidence throughout the shopping experience. Across two testing rounds, users consistently described the interface as faster, clearer, and more intuitive, reinforcing the design’s focus on speed and simplicity.
Qualitative Insights
User testing revealed significant improvements in both usability and perception. Participants easily located key features such as Shop by Category and Add to Cart, demonstrating stronger navigation clarity. The redesigned checkout flow felt faster and smoother, with 80% of users completing the task in under a minute. Consistent visuals and verified icons increased trust, while the cleaner layout helped users focus more on products. Several participants described the darker palette and balanced spacing as “premium” and “modern,” reinforcing the site’s alignment with gaming aesthetics.
Design Impact
The redesign effectively reduced cognitive load by streamlining navigation and maintaining consistent call-to-action patterns, allowing users to make decisions faster and with greater confidence. Unified branding and a clear information structure strengthened overall trust and credibility, one of the project’s key goals. User feedback also directly guided refinements such as repositioning platform selectors, clarifying product filters, and simplifying form fields, resulting in a smoother and more intuitive shopping experience.
My Final Thoughts
Designing Galaxy Gaming was more than just a project - it was a deep dive into understanding how gamers think, shop, and connect with the titles they love. This journey challenged me to balance functionality with emotion, simplicity with depth, and creativity with usability.
Winning Moments
Unity: Creating a unified marketplace where gamers could purchase titles across PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, and Epic felt like solving a real industry gap.
Consistency: Developing a cohesive design system using a clean black, white, and vivid orange palette maintains accessibility and readability across screens.
User Trust: Integrating PayPal and clear, minimal checkout flows directly addressed user concerns about security - boosting confidence and reducing friction in the buying process.
Lessons Learned
Less is More: Early sketches taught me that removing clutter made navigation smoother and the overall experience more intuitive.
Designing With Psychology in Mind: Applying UX laws helped guide users naturally by reinforcing that intuitive design isn’t accidental, it’s intentional.
Iteration Is the Real MVP: Every stage from user flow to final mockups, evolved through testing, feedback, and reflection. I learned that great design rarely happens in one pass; it’s refined through constant iteration.