Bubblepay Laundromat Kiosk

Transforming outdated coin-operated laundromats into modern, accessible digital experiences.

Context

Laundromats serve diverse communities with varying language backgrounds, technical abilities, and accessibility needs. As the industry shifts from coins to digital payments, this transition risks excluding the very people who depend on these services. We needed a solution that modernizes payment without leaving anyone behind.

Challenge

Traditional laundromats fragment the experience: exact change requirements create payment barriers, language limitations exclude communities, machine availability remains invisible until approach, pricing lacks transparency, cash-only systems exclude digital preferences, complex interfaces intimidate, and offline failures break trust.

Guiding Purpose

Transform this fragmented, exclusionary experience into a seamless, inclusive ecosystem.

Who Are We Designing For?

Our users range from elderly individuals intimidated by technology to non-English speakers, low-income customers relying on loyalty rewards, immigrant student communities and first-time visitors.

Our challenge was to meet users and owners in the middle, modernize familiar habits, and provide them with a confident experience.

Starting with Questions.

Not Interfaces.

We reviewed support calls, observed users in laundromats, and collaborated with our development team to uncover recurring issues. What we found went beyond aesthetics—the real gaps were clarity, confidence, and trust.

NO CONTEXTUAL GUIDANCE

I paid already... do I need to go start the machine now?

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NO VISIBLE SUPPORT

I am confused…but I am not sure how do I contact someone?

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ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES

This is just beyond my height. Not everything is reachable.

“

LOW TOUCH TARGETS

Why is the Pay Now so low on the screen?

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CONFUSED NAVIGATION

LACK OF FEEDBACK

Where is my cart? Are all the machines same?

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🤨 OUTDATED VISUAL DESIGNS

👀 POOR VISUAL HIERARCHY

existing designs

Learning Beyond Our Industry

Laundromats have long been overlooked as a retail experience. By studying what worked—and didn’t—across competitors and more mature retail spaces like food service, we brought proven patterns and modern expectations into our industry.

Riff on Early Ideas

We moved quickly into exploration, moving through rapid prototyping. Simulated around 17 live prototypes on Vercel. Each prototype tested a specific set of questions—ranging from cart placement and machine tile sizing to checkout visibility, single versus multi-machine flows, etc. With some we did heat map analysis to learn, iterate, and validate decisions in real-world conditions.

Shaping the Design Principle

Design every moment to be instantly clear, confidently usable, delightful and accessible to everyone.

Solution Breakdown

A complete intelligent laundromat payment kiosk solution.

Bringing real-time machine visibility, flexible payments and the first truly accessible experience to the industry. Radically transforming how laundromats serve their communities.

Live Machine Intelligence

Real-time machine availability eliminates guesswork. Users see instant status updates, cycle progress, and countdown timers. This transparency builds confidence and reduces wait times efficiently.

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Research Insight

Observed machine uncertainty as a major frustration—users would walk to machines only to find them occupied, especially during peak hours.

Intelligent Adaptive Layouts

Automatic optimization based on facility size (2-4 column layouts). The system calculates the ideal arrangement for any number of machines, ensuring perfect readability and efficient space utilization regardless of scale.

Transparent Payment Processing that Syncs Automatically

Payment details stay visible throughout the journey—showing selected machines, totals, applied discounts, and surcharges in real time. This removes guesswork, reduces errors, and builds trust before users commit to payment.

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Research Insight

Support calls revealed recurring confusion around pricing, discounts, and payment confirmation or the steps.

Digital Wallet & Loyalty

Faster, confident transactions. Cost savings through automatic loyalty rewards description. Automatic discount application rewards returning customers. Wallet and top-up rewards creates a powerful retention loop.

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Research Insight

A/B testing showed prepaid wallets significantly reduced transaction time. Owners needed wallet to push promotions and discounts.

Meaningful Dynamic

Customer Branding

Each kiosk is fully branded to feel like the laundromat’s own product—not a generic machine. Operators can apply their logo, colors, and visual identity, creating a sense of ownership and recognition. They can choose seasonal themes (Christmas, New Year's) with custom visuals while the system maintains accessibility standards.

Accessibility Highlights

Design informed by reality, not assumptions.

Multilingual

Instant language switching removes barriers for non-English speakers, with native speaker validation.

Integrated Video Call Support

Help is available anytime- integrated Dyte to enable users to video call a live support agent directly from the kiosk.

Large Touch Target

Generous touch areas fits all hand sizes and motor abilities, positioned at natural eyeline based on eye tracking data.

Reachability

Key actions were moved from awkward high & low positions into a central zone—making the kiosk comfortable for all heights.

Using Motion with Purpose

We used animation as a teaching tool. Clear, contextual motion helps users understand each step of the journey—especially moments that were previously unclear, such as what happens after payment and when to walk to the machine. By visually guiding users through the process, animation reduces confusion while adding small moments of delight to an otherwise routine, everyday experience.

STRIPE READER PAYMENT GUIDE ANIMATION

MACHINE STARTING HELP

CHRISTMAS THEME

Sprint to Your Machine

Impact in Practise

+10%

Revenue increase through optimized pricing

+30%

Higher customer retention via loyalty programs

30-40%

Efficiency gains of
Early Adopters

4900+

Loyalty Members

Joining in just 3 months of starting the loyalty program

Graph shows how discount 'Terrific Tuesday' increased revenue.

Extra Aura Points

Unexpectedly, the kiosk didn’t just improve usability—it transformed the atmosphere of the laundromat itself. The presence of a modern, branded kiosk changed the vibe of the space, making it look more current, intentional, and inviting. This attracted new customers and gave small businesses a stage to own up to their identity, turning an overlooked utility space into a modern retail experience.