At the start of semester 2, I had no prior experience with Unreal Engine 5. To broaden my skillset, I set a goal to learn the fundamentals of the engine and create functional UI elements within the engine, each with a unique design style. I initially planned to create a health bar, speedometer, and item collection counter; however, as I became more confident using Unreal Engine 5, I shifted my focus towards creating more complex UI prototypes tailored to three distinct game concepts, each with unique genres, themes, and gameplay. To achieve this, I dedicated most of semester 2 to learning about Blueprint scripting within Unreal Engine 5 in preparation for creating my 3 UI prototypes in semester 3.

Learning UE5:

Throughout semester 2, I used tutorials and courses to learn the fundamentals of Unreal Engine, and then applied this knowledge by creating a variety of systems within Unreal Engine, such as health bars, door animations, item pickups, and more. Creating a book of common nodes and variables helped me to understand blueprint scripting much more, and the book will be a useful resource for me to use during semester 3 when I create my 3 UI prototypes within Unreal Engine 5.

UI Design Progress:

Alongside learning Unreal Engine, I also started my research and development process for my 3 UI prototypes. The knowledge I gained from my interviews with professional UI and UX designers greatly impacted this process. My interview with Daniel Rhodes highlighted the importance of utilising industry trends to create intuitive experiences, and therefore inspired me to collect examples of similar video games to analyse common characteristics amongst them. My interview with Dan Pratt heavily impacted my design process and inspired me to make my design process more efficient and utilise prototyping and playtesting more frequently. My interview with Kat Craig highlighted the importance of fully understanding player viewpoints to identify common pain points, and this insight inspired me to thoroughly research player opinions and gather player feedback in semester 3.

Over the past 14 weeks, I have gone from having no prior knowledge of Unreal Engine to being able to confidently create Blueprints independently. Participating in courses and tutorials has been instrumental in achieving this, and creating a reference book of common nodes and variables has not only greatly deepened my understanding of Blueprints, but also provides me with a valuable resource to use while creating my 3 UI prototypes in semester 3.

Insights from industry professionals, gathered through interviews for my DE4402 essay, have had a significant impact on my design process. I now recognise the importance of prioritizing player experience through techniques such as playtesting, gathering player opinions, and analysing industry trends. My research and development for my UI prototypes have led to the creation of several valuable resources I can use in the future, such as a design process diagram and a mind map outlining the core elements that define a game concept. I also have a clear direction for my first prototype - an interaction system for a Western-themed, open-world game - and I feel prepared to create UI designs and implement them within Unreal Engine 5 during semester 3.