Business Challenge & Scope

Haste Arcade transforms the nostalgic arcade experience for the crypto era. Players pay small entry fees to compete in hyper-casual games, climb leaderboards, and earn cryptocurrency rewards when others challenge their scores—essentially digitizing the classic "insert quarter, beat the high score" experience.

The platform had promising early momentum when I joined in late 2021, with 500 users signing up in the first month. But as growth began to plateau, I took ownership of diagnosing the retention challenges and developing solutions to reignite user engagement.

Research & Discovery

The team had developed compelling new value propositions to attract users, but this information was scattered throughout the platform, creating a fragmented user experience.

Beyond the information architecture challenges, I suspected our advertising channels were reaching risk-averse audiences with negative perceptions of cryptocurrency, which could explain the declining conversion rates.

To validate this hypothesis, I created a brief user survey using Google Forms, asking existing users about their discovery journey and their comfort level with cryptocurrency. This quick research approach would help us understand both our user acquisition funnel and potential barriers to adoption.

After collecting 100+ survey responses, I found that several of my hypotheses were validated.

Primary Problems

• Limited crypto literacy among target users hindered platform comprehension and adoption

• High barrier to entry from mandatory crypto wallet creation prevented users from trying games casually

• Negative public perception of cryptocurrency contributed to declining conversion rates over time

• Low user trust required leveraging exceptional design quality to establish platform credibility

Strategic Approach & Methodology

I approached this challenge holistically, redesigning the marketing page, signup flow, and onboarding experience to address each barrier systematically. For this case study, I'll focus on the signup and onboarding flow improvements.

Using design thinking methodology, I focused on deeply understanding user barriers before developing solutions. This human-centered approach would not only create better user experiences but also signal to users that we prioritized their needs over technical requirements.

Implementation & Adoption Strategy

Rather than front-loading crypto education in the onboarding process, I focused on removing barriers to initial commitment.

The marketing page addressed common concerns, but once users were invested in the platform, I could strategically introduce blockchain concepts through carefully paced onboarding touchpoints.

We also introduced anonymous gameplay, letting users sample games without any signup requirements. These modifications created a low-pressure environment where users could evaluate the platform on its merits rather than navigating unnecessary obstacles.

Product Mockups

Let's explore the mockups for Haste's signup and user onboarding by following a user's path through the feature from start to finish.

Signup Flow

Haste Arcade Signup - Account Creation Method

Based on user insights, I implemented Google and Twitter signup options to leverage users' preference for quick, one-click authentication methods.

Haste Arcade Signup - Create a Haste Account

I streamlined data collection to only essential fields, reducing barrier to entry.

Haste Arcade Signup - Email Verification

Email verification remained mandatory to ensure authentic user registrations.

Haste Arcade Signup - Avatar and Display Name

Avatar and display name capture remained optional—users could either customize immediately or use auto-generated defaults and modify them later.

This simplified flow addressed the primary barrier from our previous version: requiring users to connect a crypto wallet before they could even try the platform.

Onboarding Flow

After signup, I designed an onboarding experience that highlighted key arcade features and current promotions while respecting user autonomy—the modal-based flow could be skipped entirely for users eager to start playing.

I chose this approach over a guided site tour to avoid excessive navigation and maintain user control over their experience.

Haste Arcade Onboarding - Welcome

I crafted the UX content to balance brevity with the platform's playful tone, ensuring information was digestible while maintaining brand voice consistency.

Haste Arcade Onboarding - Modes of Play

Haste Arcade Onboarding - Introduction of HST Rewards

Haste Arcade Onboarding - Referral Program

Haste Arcade Onboarding - Deposit Matching Program

Haste Arcade Onboarding - Daily Freeroll

Results & Impact

Implementation across all touchpoints delivered immediate and significant impact. The redesigned marketing site, frictionless signup flow, and anonymous gameplay functionality drove a 66% increase in new signups within two weeks.

Beyond acquisition metrics, user engagement improved substantially. Time to first game increased by 25%, indicating users were getting into gameplay faster, while daily freeroll tournament participation jumped 55%. This improved engagement translated to business results—18% more new users took advantage of deposit matching, contributing to a 33% overall revenue increase for the platform.

For me, these results validated that crypto-hesitant users would actively engage with the platform once technical and psychological barriers were removed. The key was meeting users where they were, rather than expecting them to adapt to our initial crypto-first approach.

Lessons Learned

• User research doesn't always require extensive resources—a simple Google Forms survey with 100+ responses provided the critical insights needed to guide the entire redesign strategy

• Progressive disclosure works better than education-first approaches when dealing with user hesitancy—let users experience value before introducing complex concepts

• Users' stated preferences don't always match their behavior—while our target audience was interested in gaming, their crypto resistance was stronger than anticipated

• Comprehensive UX audits are more effective than feature additions when facing declining user acquisition—we needed to remove barriers, not add features

• Cross-functional collaboration with marketing teams is essential when user acquisition problems span multiple touchpoints

In Closing

This case study captures one key project from my two-year tenure with Haste's talented team. The intersection of gaming, emerging technology, and user psychology made this some of the most engaging design work of my career. I'd be happy to share more details about this project or other initiatives I led at Haste.