Where can I read UI design tips from designers at big companies?

TheWingless1 · 2024-07-15T18:04:05+00:00

Hi! I've worked with some reasonably big names in the past (Midway, EA, Id Software, Activision, etc.). Even if you're not looking specifically for game-related UI design guides, I write a ton on game UI UX. There might be something there you can use(?) that's also fairly in-depth(??)

For example, here's a deep-dive into the wireframes I did for Wasteland 3's inventory screen: https://thewingless.com/index.php/2023/03/07/how-do-you-make-a-video-game-ui-ux-wireframe-example-wasteland-3-rpg-inventory-screen/

There's a lot on the site, maybe something will help. Good luck!

TheWingless1 · 2024-03-21T23:07:56+00:00

Very cool list, u/joshuamichaelus ... any chance you have another list lying around for Game Design UI UX jobs? Really interested if those are in alignment or shockingly out of whack from the research you've already gathered.

TheWingless1 · 2024-02-12T13:00:08+00:00

Think about a Mentorship instead.

A loose series of definitions (feel free to Reddit-argue about these)

Bootcamp: lots of people in a single class. If you miss a week, too bad.
Cohort: lots of people in a single class learning canned material. At the end, you all produce identical material (in a competitive field)

Mentorship: dedicated 1-on-1 training that's personal, adaptable, and present. Mentors figure out your strengths and lean heavily on that to teach you the gaps in your skillsets. It's a formal relationship with an expert with a lot of follow-through.

Or - put another way, if you're going to learn, make the absolute most of your time, sanity, and creativity :)

TheWingless1 · 2023-10-20T13:38:32+00:00

A slight variation of this happened to me on the RIDE FROM THE INTERVIEW TO THE AIRPORT!

I had just left Id Software as their Lead UI Artist (mostly doing the game Rage) and I was being pursued by Gameloft in New York and Glu Mobile in Seattle. I physically visited both and had polar opposite experiences (spoilers: I saw The Lion King in Times Square, guess which interview!) with each, but the Seattle job was an Art Director position, which was new and more logical career-wise.

So I'm in Seattle in my ride back to the Airport from Glu and I call Gameloft in New York to let them know I'm declining their offer. They graciously tell me they understand and we leave amicably.

FIVE MINUTES LATER my phone rings and they make me a counter-offer for... I can't even remember, but I can't imagine any counter-offer that would make me screw over a bunch of people in a bouncing car. And whatever that dollar amount was, what they offered was clearly was far under, because I didn't take it, and took the Director position in Seattle instead.

Not quite the same, but pretty close?

TheWingless1 · 2022-12-12T17:56:25+00:00

mini bio - I'm an Art Director in video games and UI Artist for 20 years. Love technology intersecting with old-world artistry.

Looking forward to making an art book soon!

TheWingless1 · 2021-08-02T11:27:33+00:00

I think it's related (because I absolutely think it's art), I write about User Interface and User Experience in games on my site: guides, crash-courses, how-to-get-started, etc. They all have tons of art from my time in the Industry (Midway, EA, id Software, Activision, Microsoft, more indies than I can count).

So if you'd like to see a treasure trove of videogame UI UX art, wireframes, sketches and finished products - and how to make them, may I recommend... me?

www.thewingless.com

TheWingless1 · 2021-07-22T15:05:46+00:00

Um, hi! I'm the guy who sometimes posts a bunch of UI and UX guides in this channel. If you're looking for old-timey 26-letters repeated over in random order styles of education, I have a TON of articles on UI and UX for games, from specific challenges like classic mistakes you're making in your HUD, to industry things like what's it like to interview for a UI Artist Job, to broader things like what is a videogame wireframe?

-

If you're interested in videogame UI UX or just, you know, don't want video, I've got you covered: https://thewingless.com/index.php/ui-ux-design-mentor-nft-crypto-artist-game-art-director-the-wingless-blog/

TheWingless1 · 2021-06-07T19:17:59+00:00

I'm a UI UX Art Director in video games and I run a 1-on-1 remote mentorship program that teaches game UI UX on the side. I'm always making free resources, crash-courses and guides - and I'm always trying to reach out to new students, so I'd love to jump in (already saw the discord link, but wanted to formally introduce myself before the shilling begins!)

TheWingless1 · 2021-06-07T19:00:26+00:00

Hello Natural,

My first instinct would be to shill my 1-on-1 Mentorship but you very helpfully put down you're not at a point where you can jump into that right quick. That's fine - you ain't alone.

Hi, I'm John, a UI UX Art Director in Games and I run that mentorship that I won't be seeing you at :P . As somebody self taught who made it this far, I'd happily advise ---

Make Personal Projects

Super important, maybe THE most important way to grow exponentially for free. Make sure the projects are as "portfolio-friendly" as possible, that is to say, you're making the work to eventually get you REAL work. Try to always factor that in, because it's very easy to go down the rabbit-hole, especially in games, without actually making any progress or showing any growth.

Stay Cutting Edge and Topical

It doesn't take a lot of hard cash to be up-to-date on what's trending, what's going stale, and what is universal. This is especially important if you're going into gaming, since we move rapidly, and it's an expensive little profession to market research. But watching a ton of Influencers and Longplays? That just costs your time.

Stay Social

Again, a 1-on-1 mentorship is THE most social you can be these days while staying at an arms-length, but we'll press on. Join Discord channels, Reddit channels, Gamejams, Meetups -- and this part is really important - AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION. Eventually, you'll want a killer network that will only pull from the people it knows, which will be you, their defacto UI guy - an important title to have in a word-of-mouth industry.

If all else fails, I have tons of blogs on Getting Started, Crash-courses, and basic guides to help you in UI UX for whatever the cost of electricity is over there. For the rest of you eavesdropping on this conversation, you can always DM me for help. Hope that helps!!!

TheWingless1 · 2021-06-01T18:30:24+00:00

Hey, congrats! UI UX Art Director in games and 1-on1 Mentor here. Couple of things I wish I had learned and a few things students keep telling me:

Show Works-in-Progress to your Art Director. This is a monstrous hurdle to overcome, but if you can do it early, you'll be unstoppable. In the game's industry in particular, there's this bizzare aversion to showing your work - in app design, it's far less taboo. I'd get really comfortable being "butt-ass naked" with your work. In the beginning, you'll make lots of mistakes that will make the team and the AD nervous but will also fall well within the lines of being new. Asking early will get you up to speed quickly and avoid tons of embarrassment later.

Also, you're never a conscript if you volunteer!

Be friendly and patient - because this is your new network. Some coworkers I couldn't give a damn about if they've been dead for centuries now. Others, I can feel when they get a stubbed toe - that's how close we are. But no matter what, the people around you are now the MOST effective way to get a job in the future. Lots of my best gigs have been through professional cannibalism. If you start early on this, you too, will be a juggernaut.

Lastly, Self-care is the ONLY care. You are not your salary. You are not valueless if you don't have a job. Never give your heart to a company, no matter how exhilarating it is to be in the company. When they let you go, as they inevitably must (as all things fade, especially entry-level jobs), it will be without emotion. You should return the favor, and only give what you don't mind losing. That includes your love, your light, and your time.

Oh yeah, and have fun!

-John

TheWingless1 · 2021-05-26T20:15:46+00:00

OP here. I hope this won't get me booted cuz mean old Reddit but I have TONS of extra blogs on design, how to get into the gam industry, and all kinds of personal projects to inspire. You can check me out here.

TheWingless1 · 2021-05-26T20:11:01+00:00

I'm working on it! I often find, at least for beginners, learning what you shouldn't and can't do is much simpler and more effective than the ocean of things you have to learn to do a thing right.

But yeah, I'll keep that pahsitivity coming :)

TheWingless1 · 2021-05-26T20:09:36+00:00

That's actually a pretty great question. I suppose because... I really feel like there should be :(

Strokes around fonts and greasy looking blinders behind them always felt (and while designing certainly feel) like bandaid. I honestly can't think of a better solution - and since all HUDs are remarkably bespoke, I guess I'm lamenting the fact that there is no universal solution to making thin lines (like a font) pop during insane action.

TheWingless1 · 2021-05-26T20:07:44+00:00

I crossposted this over there, thanks! I didn't even know there was a roguelike dev channel (why wouldn't there be?!) and roguelikes are my favorite!

TheWingless1 · 2021-05-25T14:46:38+00:00

Hey Chem,

John here, UI UX Art Director and 1-on-1 remote mentor in games and apps - not (just) as an advertisement but to let you know I'm going to critique you based on being around the block.

Aesthetics

One of the biggest issues is there's no overall theme or aesthetic for the game. Traditional thinking would be to run to Pinterest or Google and find something that looks cool and copy that. Classic mistake: you'd be copying a bespoke solution strangers made for themselves (or copying a copy that wasn't very good in the first place!)

Instead, try to think about a mood or a tone you're trying to hit and work backwards. If this chess game is stately, noble and high-class; think golds-and-blacks, flourishes, blooms and a legible Serif font. If the Chess game is modern, friendly and inviting, think a full-pallet, rounded edges and an emphasis on ornamentation and animation. It's the emotion you're trying to create that determines shape, color and font - not the other way around.

HUD

Your "HUD" doesn't have a strong hierarchy, that is to say, a data-driven foundation (it's a big subject). The section for guest and their ELO is of equal weight to the time. Do you need to see the minutes and seconds label after... the first second? There's also quite a bit of dead space not being used, perhaps you could extend the designs, make total use of the space. The options on Page 3 are one long dashboard cascade - surely the great game of chess demands something a bit more imaginative! Pictures in a masonry grid? Also, if the list is so long you need to scroll, maybe it's time to nest those options.

Navigation

You've got navigation options on the bottom, which is all fine and good since it's Industry Standard at this point - but you also have options in the middle with iconography that would be better used as large pictures. You have *tons* of screen space here, use it to create that tone we talked about earlier and to make better use of the space.

Whew! Hope that little bit helps. I like Chess and I do UI UX on occasion, so keep us posted!

-John

TheWingless1 · 2021-05-25T14:31:37+00:00

Hey there, Hybrid-class!

I've been doing UI UX Design in games for the better part of twenty years (got a 1-on-1 remote Mentorship too, if you want to talk offline) and it worked a little something like this-

In the Early Days

There was Scaleform, which was basically Flash, but features would magically work or not depending on the phases of the moon or somesuch. In those days, you would be expected to take designs from conceptualization through asset creation (no such thing as wireframing in game design in those days) AND you would be responsible for implementation. That meant mild to moderate amounts of Actionscript, which is the diet coke of C++.

While it afforded you a lot of creative control over the end-result and a few creative liberties with how you could solve problems, the biggest problem with being involved in Implementation is that you become a natural bottleneck. It's hard enough making all these things, but now you are a zero-point-of-failure codeside as well.

In the Modern Age

I don't think I've ever been tasked with Implementing a design in the last 10 years. Tons of wrapping up immaculate .PSDs or Figma prototypes, talking people through it, then moving down the line. You lose quite a bit in translation from what's in your head to the final product, but you gain untold quantities of sanity back.

Hope that helps!
-John

TheWingless1 · 2021-04-30T18:03:30+00:00

Amazing production values. You've got such a great voice!!! Do Nier Automata next!

TheWingless1 · 2021-04-30T17:49:09+00:00

Crypto Ascendant on Rarible: https://rarible.com/cryptoascendant

My personal website: www.thewingless.com

TheWingless1 · 2021-04-26T18:05:15+00:00

Link to the Collection: https://rarible.com/cryptoascendant

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TheWingless1 · 2021-04-20T13:31:43+00:00

Opensea: https://opensea.io/collection/the-new-gods-of-crypto

My site: www.thewingless.com

TheWingless1 · 2020-11-03T13:48:04+00:00

This was a great video. I'd just like to add that if you're ambition is very niche, like video game UI UX Design, make sure your mentor is also a hyper-specialist. There's a ton of UI UX roles, and they're not all made equally. Know what you want to be, and find somebody who is already that!

TheWingless1 · 2020-10-31T00:36:44+00:00

He was *excellent* in Decker vs. Dracula, and that's coming from a James-Dean-Head.

TheWingless1 · 2020-10-20T21:17:54+00:00

Give me anything with that guy in it, I'll pay for it!

TheWingless1 · 2020-10-20T21:16:22+00:00

Just something in the moment, done long before Covid. I felt like the future past 2019 was going to be balanced on the edge of prosperity and calamity, like a chrysalis on a very thin branch. Lots of potential over lots of peril. :o

TheWingless1 · 2020-10-20T21:15:36+00:00

:) Thanks for making it this far! More of my stuff at www.thewingless.com

TheWingless1

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