Cactus Air Touch
UX/UI Case study
Contactless access system for the hospitality industry
Overview
Cactus Air Touch is a mobile solution developed in 2020 by Cactus Signage, created to support hotels facing operational and safety challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the UX/UI Designer, I was responsible for
Concept development
Full product experience (Mobile App + CMS)
User flows, interaction design and visual system
High-fidelity prototypes in Figma
A secure and intuitive solution designed to protect guests and staff
while improving operational efficiency during a critical time for the industry.
Context & Problem
Hotels faced new constraints:
❌ Physical keys and cards created hygiene risks
❌ Long queues at reception for card management
❌ Frequent reprogramming due to errors or loss
❌ Lack of control over guest access in real time
Opportunity: A digital, safe and efficient access management system that works from any device.
Goals
For Guests
Safe, contactless access
Simple, recognizable visual system
Clear information at a glance
Mobile-first accessibility
For Staff & Hotel
Real-time control of permissions
Fast card creation & updates
Fewer incidents with lost cards
CMS - Staff dashboard
A functional and minimal UI focused on operational clarity.
Key features:
✅ Customer registry and check-in synchronization
✅ Door & facility access configuration
✅ Real-time updates synced with hardware
✅ Status alerts and confirmation feedback
Guest View - NFC Mobile Access
Designed mobile-first with a visually clear card system:
✅ Color-coded facility access
✅ Expiration & permissions visible at a glance
✅ One-tap NFC interaction
✅ Friendly and reassuring visual feedback
UI Design & Interactions
✓ Clarity
✓ Security
✓ Recognition
✓ Accessibility
CMS - Staff dashboard
Outcome
▪️ Reduced physical contact
▪️ Faster onboarding & access issue resolution
▪️ Clear UI flows
▪️ Modular design system
Benefit
✅ Improved safety during pandemic
✅ Better guest experience
✅ Higher staff efficiency
✅ Scalable to new hotel services
"Cactus Air Touch proves how UX can transform safety into simplicity
especially when users need it the most.”
Personal takeaways
This project allowed me to design a real-world solution that balanced user needs and business challenges in a post-pandemic context.
It strengthened my ability to simplify complexity and deliver adaptable, resilient products.
Cabildo La Palma
Cactus Signage
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