MA Games Design Diary

During week 3, I sketched my initial ideas for non-diegetic UI designs, such as the HUD, crosshair designs and the weapon wheel.  Following on from project 1, I further defined what encompasses a UI design style by creating a mind map that I can use as a reference during project 2 and future UI design projects.  I visited the library and loaned Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug, Designing Interactive Systems by David Benyon, The UX Book 2 by Rex Hartson and Pardha Pyla, and The Computer Game Design Course: Principles Practices and Techniques for the Aspiring Game Designer by Jim Thompson.  On Monday I watched the  Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary  and spontaneously bought Half-Life: Alyx in the 20th anniversary franchise sale. I was inspired by the UI design in Half-Life: Alyx, which replicated the style of digital screens, and I thought a similar style could work well for my UI designs as I intend for the overall style to be inspired by retro interface...

During week 2, I researched a variety of UI and UX designers within the game design industry to understand the thought processes behind their creative decisions, explore design techniques and see how they displayed their designs within their portfolios. I researched the work of Anna Kuźmińska, Carlos Villarreal Kwasek, Marc Sodermanns, Maria Capel, Oliver Janoschek, Piotr Michalczyk, Room 8 Studio and Sprung Studios, and presented my research in the document below.  This week I also further defined my project by creating a project brief  outlining my main objective, game concept, aim for gameplay and design outcomes. 

During week 1, I researched for resources that I could use for project 2, my essay, and future projects. I compiled the resources I discovered into 3 documents which I can continuously update. List of Resources   List of Game Studios + Developers List of UI + UX Designers I also visited the library to get books for project 2 and my essay. I got The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell, Designing with the Mind in Mind by Jeff Johnson, Interface Design by Dave Wood, and Universal Principles of Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden and Jill Butler. 

For module DE4401 Research Methodologies I have been tasked to write a 2500-word contextual and literature review relating to my speciality within game design. The essay must include contextual sources, such as conferences and presentations, and literature sources, such as books and journal articles. Within my essay, I aim to explore how UI and UX design impact player experience in video games.  Areas of Research:  Usability Heuristics  UX design principles  How UI and UX design impacts immersion  GDC Vault talks  The psychology behind game design  Player engagement  Cognitive load Flow state Design principles  UI and UX designers 

Project 1 helped me to discover an interest in game UI and UX design and create a concept for a UI design project. In project 2, I will not only design UI elements for my submarine game concept, but also do in-depth research into UI and UX design within the game design industry to inform my design process and essay.