Neon
Design Journey Transforms Brand from Level Zero to Chart-Topping Success
Design Manager
Services
Product Design
Marketing Design
Design Systems
The Client
Neon aims to revolutionize the gaming sector by enhancing accessibility to mobile game development, ultimately crafting a more enjoyable future for gamers. Their innovative approach focuses on creating tools and services that empower both developers and players in the mobile gaming ecosystem.
The Challenge
Neon engaged with us as a new entrant in the gaming industry, seeking our expertise from their inception in 2022. Their rapid evolution from concept to disruptive market force required a comprehensive design strategy centered around their MVP product, NPay. This payment platform serves multiple audiences: providing management support for game developers, offering a direct-to-consumer Super App, and delivering enhanced functionality for gamers. Our challenge was to translate Neon's ambitious vision into tangible, high-quality design solutions that could scale with their growth trajectory.
The Solution
We began with extensive research into mobile gamer behavior patterns and payment friction points, analyzing existing games and payment systems to identify critical pain points. This research revealed significant flaws in current mobile payment experiences that created barriers for both developers and players. By synthesizing insights from fintech and B2B SaaS industries, we developed a holistic design approach that extended beyond the core app to encompass partner communications and marketing assets.
Multiplayer Mode
Our collaborative process started with structured workshops that aligned stakeholders on style direction, tone, and design scope. These sessions established a shared vision that guided subsequent development. We maintained continuous engagement with Neon's leadership and technical teams, creating feedback loops that ensured our designs remained both technically feasible and strategically aligned with business objectives. This collaborative approach allowed us to pivot quickly when new insights emerged during the development process.
Leveling Up
We leveraged our fintech expertise by analyzing previous payment research and our own checkout design work. This analysis identified which elements could benefit mobile gamers—such as enhanced security protocols and streamlined transactions—while avoiding potential pitfalls like complex cryptocurrency purchasing flows or restrictive payment plans that might alienate users.
Our B2B software experience proved invaluable in bridging payment systems with gaming mechanics. We applied lessons from previous projects to address critical challenges including payment dispute resolution, intuitive digital wallet navigation, and seamless integration of payment flows within existing game architectures. This cross-industry knowledge allowed us to anticipate friction points that might otherwise have emerged only after launch.
We synthesized these insights into actionable best practices and presented comprehensive design solutions including:
A versatile storefront for mobile game items and bundles that could adapt fluidly to any game's aesthetic and inventory requirements
A secure, accelerated payment method that simplified user onboarding while maintaining robust security protections
Clear value propositions highlighting Neon's advantages over competitor payment systems, emphasizing unique benefits for both developers and players
Conclusion
Over an intensive four-month engagement, we transformed Neon's vision into a compelling MVP that extended across their core application, partner communications, and marketing materials. Under our design guidance, Neon experienced significant growth, expanding their team with key talent acquisitions and securing their initial commercial partners for NPay. The success of our MVP design has created momentum for the next phase of development: their comprehensive Super App is now in design, the MVP continues to evolve based on user feedback, and Neon is positioned for continued disruption in the mobile gaming market.
