Unity App Mobile Key + Technical Flows
2023 || Client: Hard Rock
Create a mobile key and checkin system for Hard Rock property guests within the Unity app, while coordinating functionality across five different backend platforms.
Methods:
Technical flows and user journeys, requirement gathering, competitive analysis, wireframes, prototyping, stakeholder presentations
Impact
Efficiently aligned workflows across 6 separate teams by creating technical infrastructure flows
Key currently being used on Hollywood Florida property by thousands of users, with plans to expand to more properties
The Ask
Hard Rock wanted to introduce a mobile key/checkin system for guests at its properties—a functionality that did not exist previously. The goal was to create a seamless, user-friendly experience that allowed guests to check in, verify their identity and access their rooms via their mobile devices.
In order to do this, we would need to coordinate across 5 backend platforms and collaborate their corresponding teams.
The Challenge
For a successful product, we would need to integrate across 5 backend platforms, 3 of which were from external third-party vendors, while maintaining a seamless and unified experience for our users.
Myself and a developer colleague conducted working sessions with each backend system team or third-party vendor to understand their systems’ requirements and constraints.
The Platforms & Teams Involved
Internal GALE Design Team
Collectively, we organized the teams and the experience, aligning the backend technologies across platforms and bringing the key to life.
Virtual Checkin Platform
This third-party vendor’s system interacted closely with the PMS to facilitate the virtual checkin and checkout of the user.
Hard Rock App
Our development team built the key within the Hard Rock Unity app. This was the primary touch point for the user’s experience and where all of the backend systems had to connect to.
ID Verification System
A popular security vendor provided their SDK that uses facial recognition technology via the phone’s camera to verify the user's identity.
Property Management System
A PMS is where a user’s reservation was stored and managed. From reserving a room, to checking in, to checking out, the PMS keeps track of the user’s status during their stay.
Mobile Key API
The last vendor provided us with the actual digital key functionality that a user could open from their phone to unlock the door’s lock mechanism.
Best way to align teams?
Technical Flow 🤝 User Journey
A Unified Flow
To ensure all 6 teams were aligned within the user’s experience, we created a “Happy Path” document that showed a flow integrating all technical parties and ensuring each platform would communicate effectively with the others at the correct time.
In addition to this, we layered in the user journey, as well to provide extra temporal and story context. The user journey helped the design team to align on messaging timings, as well as the overall experience of the user from checkin to checkout.
Edge Case Examples
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'IRL' User
The user chooses not to participate in the digital key experience, but backend systems will continue to run.
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Checkin / Checkout Error
Error within virtual checkin/checkout platform that prevents user from completing task.
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Room Not Ready
User has checked in virtually and verified their ID, but the PMS has not assigned a ready room yet.
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Late Checkout Request
User contacts front desk to request late checkout, meaning all systems must update to new time parameter.
Then it was time to create
Wireframes
And compile
