UI/UX for Gaming
Led by Ariel Mallo, Principal UI Artist at Frontier Developments,
who collaborates with top game studios such as Sumo Games, Warner Games, and EA
- Devise flow charts, UI moodboards, wireframes, prototypes, and UI mockups that hook players and create quality visual experiences
- Learn and apply accessibility guidelines & self-evaluation tools to make every player feel included
- Tweak and perfect UI/UX strategies with usability tests
- Implement UI assets to correct bugs and uphold design quality by game developers
- Improve your employment future with personalised interview guidance
- Build a portfolio project for a game that flaunts your UI/UX skills
Inside Our Curriculum
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PortfolioProve to your future employers that you are a UI/UX pro.
Pack your portfolio with a flowchart, paper prototype, UI mockup, moodboard, and wireframe to illustrate your mock game brief. Back up your ideas with usability tests and user stories.
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ToolsWant to jump to an expert level in Figma and Unity?
Ariel will help you break down any roadblocks and provide live demos on two of the top game industry softwares. You’ll learn through observation, guidance and practice.
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CareerGet a headstart on your competition.
You’re not the only one who wants to work for that game studio. Build your career around standing out as you finalise your portfolio, upgrade your LinkedIn, and learn how to ace your next interview.
Instructor
Ariel Mallo is Principal UI Artist at Frontier Developments
Ariel has over 20 years of experience in the gaming industry. Now he wants to help you succeed and stand out.
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Worked on UI experience at Sumo Games, Warner Games and EA
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Has worked on AAA games such as the NHL and UFC franchises
About the course
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THURSDAY 1st February 6 PM GMTGame Conceptualisation: Flowcharts
This class teaches you how to create flowcharts and how to use it to empower your UI/UX solutions in a collaborative context.
- Basic player Personas
- Flowchart creation & software overview
- Using flowcharts to resolve UI/UX problems
- Demo: Developing a mock flowchart in Figma
Assignment #1: Start working on your course project by selecting one of the three game briefs. Use the data provided and the screen’s template to create a flowchart.
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TUESDAY 6th February 6 PM GMTGame Conceptualisation: The Moodboard
Learn how to create different types of moodboard to find the style for your UI.
- The importance of creating a moodboard
- Moodboard types and layouts
- Concepting a moodboard through words
- Creating UI screen mockups with help of a moodboard
Assignment #2: Create a moodboard in Figma. Find your conceptual ideas to set the UI style for your game project.
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THURSDAY 8th February 6 PM GMTUI Fundamentals: Part 1
Learn the fundamentals of UI elements and UI Types to work as a UI artist in video games.
- Case study: Game genres and their interfaces
- Core elements of UI design
- Types of interfaces in video games
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TUESDAY 14th February 6 PM GMTAccessibility
GOAL: Learn how to make games more accessible, and enable more people to enjoy the benefits that come with playing them.
- Accessibility guidelines
- Colour blindness disabilities
- Audio disabilities
- Alternative controls
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THURSDAY 15th February 6 PM GMTBuilding Wireframes
Learn how to create wireframes in order to achieve your UI/UX goals in the earliest stage of the game pipeline.
- Low-fidelity vs. high-fidelity wireframes
- Wireframing for Gaming: basic theory
- Demo: Developing a wireframe in Figma
Assignment #3: Based on the brief you selected, you will be assigned to create a wireframe for a player profile screen of your game project.
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WEEK BREAK
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TUESDAY 27th February 6 PM GMTUI Fundamentals: Part 2
Learn the fundamental UI considerations to develop UI/UX solutions for different types of devices.
- Video game devices: PC, Console and mobile
- Multi-platform game UI design
- Exploring UI Gaming evolution to create better interfaces
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THURSDAY 29th February6 PM GMTUX: Cognitive Science Behind Games: Fireside Chat with a Guest Speaker
GOAL: Discover advanced UX methodology and cognitive principles to get a deeper understanding of player behaviors and evaluate the designs.
- Different UX roles: researcher, writer, designer & analyst.
- Motivation, Emotion, Attention.
- Player Persona: Behavioral and Experiential methods.
- UX Heuristic reviews & expert analysis.
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TUESDAY 5th March6 PM GMTPrototyping and Usability Testing
Move forward in the next step of the video game pipeline and create an interactive prototype to test your created UI and learn how to handle the feedback received from your usability test.
- Demo: Developing a prototype in Figma.
- Usability test criteria & priorities
- Developing a test plan
- Handling the feedback from the usability test
Assignment #4 : Create an interactive prototype for your project game using Figma to add simple animations to your wireframe. (+ template)
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THURSDAY 7th March6 PM GMTUser Onboarding
Learn how to create an engaging onboarding experience for all types of players.
- First-time user experience (FTUE) framework
- Walkthrough vs. Hands-on approach
- The Learning Loop in action
- How to shape tutorials
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TUESDAY 12th March6 PM GMTUI Mockups
Learn how to craft the identity of the UI, without losing all the work that you achieve in the previous steps.
- Mockup creation & software overview
- UI mockups & design consistency
- Working with a Style Guide
- Demo: Developing a mockup with a UI kit (Figma)
Assignment #5 : Create a UI mockup. Transform your wireframe in a video game screen using the UI kit provided by Ariel or create your own UI assets (using Photoshop or other tools).
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THURSDAY 14th March6 PM GMTUI Implementation
Learn why taking ownership of UI implementation will make you a better UI Artist.
- Best practice to asset creation in video games
- Asset implementation & software overview (Unity, Unreal, company frameworks)
- Basic bug resolution
- Demo: Basic UI implementation in Unity
Assignment #6 (optional): Practice implementing the provided UI assets in Unity, using the provided screen template.
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TUESDAY 19th March6 PM GMTThe Role of a Game UI/UX Designer
GOAL: Boost the soft skills you will need as a UI/UX Designer & learn to collaborate at various stages of the game development pipeline.
- Transitioning UI/UX roles in the game production pipeline
- Working with cross-functional teams
- Complementary skills to grow in UI/UX
- Gaming companies: find your fit
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THURSDAY 21st March6 PM GMTKick-start your UI/UX Career
GOAL: Learn how to prepare your portfolio, get ready for an interview and plan your own career growth as a UI/UX designer in game development.
- The importance of resumes & portfolios
- Interview process & common industry questions
- Linkedin profile boosters
- Roadmap to develop your career
- What is a Gaming Jam?
Assignment #8: Bring your game project pieces together into the UI/UX design case study. Integrate it into your current portfolio or build one from scratch using the Figma template provided by Ariel.