Last updated on Jul 12, 2024

Here's how you can enhance your game UI and UX design skills.

In the world of game development, the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) hold significant weight in determining a game's success. A well-designed UI/UX can make a game intuitive and enjoyable, while a poor design can lead to frustration and abandonment. If you're looking to sharpen your UI/UX design skills, understanding the principles behind effective game interfaces and player-centric design is crucial. It's about more than just aesthetics; it's about creating an immersive and accessible environment for players to engage with your game.

1 Learn Basics

Before diving into complex UI/UX design strategies, ensure you have a firm grasp on the basics. Understanding elements like layout, color theory, typography, and iconography is essential. These are the building blocks of any good design and will serve as the foundation for creating a user-friendly game interface. You should be comfortable with various design tools and software, which will enable you to prototype and iterate on your designs effectively.

Add your perspective

ATHARVA CHITRE

Founder @Technospot | Winner of Smart India Hackathon
Report contribution
Improve game UI/UX design by understanding users, learning design basics, and ensuring inclusivity. Study successful games and prototype frequently, Collaborate with designers and maintain uninterrupted gameplay.

Like

Unhelpful
M. Nouman

Founder and Developer @ Arcaner Studios | Student @ FAST NUCES LHR
Report contribution
Material Design 2 has excellent guidelines on their design principles that can provide you with a solid understanding of basic UI/UX principles. Exploring those guidelines can significantly enhance your knowledge and skills.

Like

Unhelpful
M.Umar Amir

Wordpress, Wix, Webflow Dev
Report contribution
Ui should be simple and neat, according to the industry, but it should have something that stands out Ux should be such that gamer's need to interact as less as possible and achieve as much as possible.

Like

Unhelpful

2 Observe Trends

Keeping an eye on current trends in game UI/UX can provide inspiration and insight into what players expect from modern games. However, be cautious not to sacrifice usability for the sake of following a trend. The goal is to identify elements that enhance the gaming experience without overwhelming the player. Analyze successful games to understand how their UI/UX contributes to their popularity and think about how you can apply similar principles to your own designs.

Add your perspective

Dmitrii Filatov

Co-founder and CEO at Narwhal.ax \ Early-Stage Video Games Accelerator
Report contribution
UI/UX specialists whom I can call "cool" always practiced this — they played many games on different platforms. For the games they liked the most, they created their own versions of the interface (prototypes or mockups). I think this practice addresses the main problem well — at work, we usually work on just one project.

Like

Unhelpful

3 Player Feedback

One of the most valuable resources for improving your game UI/UX design skills is player feedback. Engage with your community and listen to their experiences. What do they find intuitive or confusing? Use this information to refine your designs. Remember, you're designing for the player, so their input is invaluable. Implement playtesting sessions early and often, and be prepared to make adjustments based on the feedback you receive.

Add your perspective

4 Iterate Designs

Design is an iterative process. Don't be afraid to make changes to your UI/UX as you receive feedback or come up with new ideas. The first version of your design is rarely the final one. Experiment with different layouts, color schemes, and interaction models. Keep refining your designs until they feel right and provide a seamless experience for the player. This process will not only improve your current project but will also enhance your overall design skills.

Add your perspective

Milan B.

Student @ VUT FIT
Report contribution
When making a design update for game, do not push new UI immediately, rather roll it out slowly, based on feedback. And when you roll out the update, look at the feedback and adjust it in next update.

Like

Unhelpful

5 Accessibility Focus

Accessibility in game design ensures that your game can be enjoyed by a wide range of players, including those with disabilities. Incorporate accessibility options such as colorblind modes, scalable text, and customizable controls. By considering accessibility from the start, you make your game more inclusive and open up your audience. This focus on accessibility can also lead to innovative design solutions that improve the overall UI/UX for all players.

Add your perspective

6 Practice Regularly

Lastly, practice is key to honing any skill, and UI/UX design is no exception. Regularly challenge yourself with new projects and design problems. Try recreating the UI of games you admire or redesigning the UI for games you think could be improved. This hands-on experience is invaluable and will help you develop a keen eye for design details that make a significant impact on player experience.

Add your perspective

Muhammad Khizar

LinkedIn Top Game Development Voice | Game Developer | Unity
Report contribution
Practicing UI/UX design is very fun, and there are many interactive tools such as Figma and Adobe XD where you can create UIs using various elements. Moreover, you can test user feedback based on the UI created in Figma or Adobe XD. Since it is a raw form of the actual interface, it is easier to iterate and come up with the best possible resolution for better player experiences.

Like

Unhelpful
Zain Ul Abideen

Game Developer| Hyper-Casual Games| Casual Games| Creating Addictive & Immersive Experiences
Report contribution
UI/UX plays a crucial part in the gameplay as user perceives and connects with game not through only the inputs and controls but also through UI. Having a clear understanding of player behaviour reagrding UI , following best principles of UX and applying those to actual games really amps your UI/UX skill. Understanding UI creation tools plays a major role in this regard.

Like

Unhelpful

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

Here's how you can enhance your game UI and UX design skills.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Learn Basics

2 Observe Trends

3 Player Feedback

4 Iterate Designs

5 Accessibility Focus

6 Practice Regularly

7 Here’s what else to consider

Game Development

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Game Development

More relevant reading

Here's how you can enhance your game UI and UX design skills.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Learn Basics

2 Observe Trends

3 Player Feedback

4 Iterate Designs

5 Accessibility Focus

6 Practice Regularly

7 Here’s what else to consider

Game Development

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills