Orbit: Learn the game behind the glass
Independent Case Study
Pinball has survived for decades without ever explaining itself. Orbit explores how progressive learning, practice drills, and gamification could help new players build confidence — and help manufacturers teach their games.
Context
Mission: make pinball accessible and enjoyable for beginners by creating a modern, digital-first onboarding experience that complements real-world machines.
Pinball is one of the longest-surviving gaming devices in US history, yet most modern machines lack meaningful onboarding. New players often learn through trial and error, instruction cards, or word-of-mouth. This creates frustration, confusion, and churn. Orbit explores how progressive, gamified learning can empower players to build confidence and skill, while giving manufacturers a modern way to engage new audiences.
Key issues:
- New players don’t understand objectives, modes, or rules
- Learning relies heavily on trial and error, which discourages engagement
- Manufacturers have no modern onboarding, reducing long-term retention
- Manuals and instruction cards are static, inaccessible, or ignored
Design Goal: create a progressive digital experience that teaches the game, reinforces skills through practice drills, and motivates players via gamification.
My Role
Lead Product Designer / UX Strategist / Visual Designer
I conceptualized Orbit as a self-initiated project to explore progressive onboarding in pinball. My role included:
- Structuring the digital learning model (Lesson → Drill → Real-World Play)
- Designing abstract, motion-driven visuals and interface components
- Integrating gamification mechanics to reinforce learning
- Thinking strategically about scalability and manufacturer integration
Process & Design
Problem
New players often feel lost when approaching a pinball machine. Objectives aren’t explained, modes are hidden, and there’s no guidance for mastering key mechanics. Manufacturers provide little onboarding, which can frustrate beginners and reduce long-term engagement. Orbit identifies these pain points and frames the design challenge: how to make learning accessible, engaging, and effective.
Player Confusion
Beginners struggle to understand scoring, objectives, and mode interactions, leading to repeated failure and discouragement.
Learning by Trial and Error
Without structured guidance, players often rely on guesswork, which slows skill acquisition and reduces enjoyment.
Manufacturer Challenges
Pinball makers lack modern onboarding tools; static manuals and instruction cards are often overlooked or inaccessible, limiting user retention and engagement.
Digital Opportunity
By leveraging a structured learning model, gamification, and interactive practice, Orbit provides an environment where mistakes become learning opportunities rather than frustration, bridging the gap between new players and real-world machines.
By understanding these pain points, Orbit frames the opportunity: structured lessons, targeted practice drills, and real-world reinforcement can transform how beginners approach pinball, making learning intuitive, engaging, and confidence-building.
Lesson → Drill → Real-World Play
New pinball players often struggle because rules are hidden, objectives aren’t explained, and machines offer no guidance. Orbit addresses this by structuring learning into a loop of lessons, drills, and real-world practice.
Lessons
Breaks down rules into digestible, actionable pieces. Each lesson explains “what to do and why,” helping new players understand core mechanics without feeling overwhelmed.
Drills
Interactive exercises simulate specific skills, such as flipper traps, identifying targets, reading ball speed, and evaluating danger, letting players practice safely in a digital environment. Feedback is immediate, turning mistakes into learning opportunities rather than frustration.
Real-World Practice
Optionally integrates with physical machines, allowing players to validate their skills, earn XP, and unlock bonuses. This creates a tangible connection between digital learning and real-world play.
This loop reinforces learning through repetition and progression: lessons build knowledge, drills build competence, and real-world practice builds confidence. Gamification elements like streaks, badges, and visible progress help maintain engagement and motivate continued improvement.
Visual / UI Direction
A visual direction grounded in pinball physics, motion, and restraint.
Orbit’s visual system draws from the physical qualities of pinball such as glass, light, motion, and depth, while remaining minimal and instructional. The interface avoids mascots or literal theming and instead uses abstract forms and motion to communicate timing, trajectories, and risk.
Visual hierarchy supports learning by directing attention where it matters most. High-contrast elements focus on the ball, flippers, and targets, while secondary information recedes into the background. Subtle motion, glow, and parallax help players read ball speed and danger without relying on text-heavy explanations. Texture and grain add tactility, grounding the experience in the physical nature of pinball while keeping the UI clean and modern.
Player Experience
Orbit’s interactive screens guide players from learning to mastery, making skill-building clear, engaging, and rewarding.
Entry & Orientation
Introduces players to the app and its learning philosophy. Clear, minimal visuals explain the purpose of lessons and drills, helping players start with confidence.
Skill Selection
Players choose which skills to practice. Abstract, approachable tiles communicate categories like ball control, shot planning, game flow, and risk evaluation.
Lesson Detail
Each lesson presents focused guidance, breaking mechanics into digestible, actionable pieces. Visual cues and motion reinforce understanding without relying on text-heavy explanations.
Practice / Drill
Interactive exercises let players practice specific skills safely in a digital environment. Feedback is immediate, helping players identify mistakes and improve. This includes flipper traps, identifying targets, reading ball speed, and evaluating danger.
Progress & Vision
Shows player growth and mastery. XP, streaks, and optional real-world verification create a sense of progression and connect digital learning to physical play.
This flow demonstrates how Orbit transforms onboarding into a structured, engaging, and measurable experience. Players move seamlessly from orientation to mastery while the design emphasizes clarity, progression, and feedback. View the interactive prototype ↗
Scaling Learning & Engagement
Orbit is designed to grow with players and manufacturers, blending gamified progression with future-ready features.
XP & Streaks
Players earn XP by completing drills and lessons. Consistent play builds streaks, showing progress and encouraging regular practice without interrupting learning.
Badges & Unlocks
Achievements mark skill milestones and unlock new content as players advance. These rewards recognize mastery and give players clear goals without relying on competitive pressure.
Real-World Integration
Future iterations could let players validate skills on physical machines, linking digital progress to real-world gameplay, reinforcing learning, and rewarding mastery across both environments.
Future Vision
Concepts like QR codes, API integrations, and manufacturer platform support could extend Orbit beyond onboarding, creating lasting engagement across digital and physical play.
By combining engagement mechanics with strategic scalability, Orbit supports both player growth and manufacturer adoption. Players progress confidently while manufacturers gain a modern, adaptable way to teach their games. Future iterations could explore additional integrations, such as real-machine skill validation or connections with manufacturer platforms, extending learning and engagement beyond onboarding.
Impact
Designing onboarding for a timeless game
Orbit shows how structured, gamified digital learning can help beginners build confidence, while providing manufacturers with modern ways to teach and engage players.
Key Takeaways
- Progressive Learning: Breaking rules and mechanics into digestible lessons allows players to build knowledge without feeling overwhelmed.
- Skill Transfer: Drills and practice simulations bridge digital and physical play, showing how digital experiences can support real-world skill acquisition.
- Engagement Through Gamification: Visible progress, XP, and streaks encourage repeated practice and foster intrinsic motivation.
- Strategic Scalability: Conceptual integration with QR codes, APIs, and manufacturer platforms demonstrates forward-thinking design for long-term engagement.
- Abstract Visual Communication: The interface uses motion, trajectories, and visual hierarchy to teach subtly, without heavy text or literal theming.
Together, these elements illustrate a holistic approach to onboarding and gamified learning, highlighting how design, strategy, and experience converge to create meaningful, educational, and engaging products.
