Touchpoint

Modular Self Service Kiosk

Helping drive the global growth of Social Entertainment experiences Urban Playground opened their flagship UK site in Manchester 2022. It is home to the phenomenally successful “The Cube live” experience as well as the “worlds best” tech infused indoor mini golf game “Putters”. Both games blend unique physical and digital experiences to deliver long lasting memories with friends and family. Urban Playground required an interactive touch screen kiosk designed to work across their competitive socialising attractions . The primary challenge was to bake flexibility into the design so that the kiosk could be deployed as a single or double sided configuration with the additional option of integrating an RFID reader module, all whist maintaining the core structure across all variants.

The double sided format allows players to register and receive instructions before they enter The Cube, whilst playing the game they receive in-game feedback from the display on the opposite side, utilising the same kiosk for both tasks. In addition to this the kiosk also functions as a course check in for the Mini Golf, with the unique integration of an RFID antenna that detects the players club. The aesthetic design challenge was to create a solution that worked across urban playground’s competitive socialising experience portfolio and the interior design direction. Controllable LEDs integrated into the side walls allow integration with brand colour and screen content.

Serviceability was central to the success criteria, in case of failure all major hardware needed to be accessed quickly and efficiently whilst being balanced with the aspiration to keep the kiosk as slim as possible. Calling upon our many years of design experience in the Social Entertainment sector allowed us to efficiently arrive at a viable solution. Initially we used low fidelity prototypes to determine the optimum screen size and position that worked across the multiple use cases. We then a range of sketched concept directions before we arrived a fixed concept kiosk design that formed the basis for the production data creation. Prior to production a test prototype was commissioned to review the assembly, hardware fit out and access.

Once minor modifications were integrated into the data pack the kiosks were rolled out an installed in Urban Playground Manchester enabling players to seamlessly interact with the venue’s attractions. We designed the main construction using FSC approved birch plywood and integrated fabricated metal components to provide overall additional strength and stability as well as hardware mounting brackets. By investing in the design process that delivered a configurable kiosk design further venues will benefit from efficiencies in material procurement and deployment time.

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