Games From UX Design Perspective - #1: How We Should Look at UX

Overview

Hello, fellow Designers (and enthusiasts)!

UXD (User Experience Design) is a term that we see and encounter every day. From kitchen knives to complex apps and websites, everything has an experience in terms of use. Games can be included in this category too.

Understanding player experiences is an important aspect of game development. Game Designers must be able to see through the same lens as both UX Designers and players to create engaging and immersive games. By adopting a user experience (UX) perspective, game designers can gain valuable insights into how to enhance gameplay, improve user interaction, and ultimately create more successful games.

Exploring the domain of UX design can equip Game Designers with the knowledge to;

• enhance the general user experience,

• pinpoint areas of difficulty,

• integrate user-centred design principles into their games.

This series is designed to help you integrate UX principles into game design and offer useful advice on how to achieve this goal successfully.

What Game UX Design Isn't & Is

"It isn't Interface Design - It Covers Before and After"

Game UXD isn't just interface design. While the design of the interface is a part of it, UX covers the overall experience of the game and all the elements of it.

For instance, UX in games involves more than just determining the buttons a player will press during an attack or deciding on the panel that will show up on the screen when the player gathers rewards. It encompasses the design of the necessary actions from start to finish.

UX Design and Interface Design Comparison in Games

"It isn't a Step in a Process - It's the Whole Process"

It is the whole process itself. It starts from the Pre-production Stage until the game is updated for the last time. Similar to all the design processes, it is also an iterative process where the human interaction rules, stakeholders' requests, studio/team's goals constraints, and user demands are combined from occasion to occasion. The Designer must consider all of the input that comes from both sides and eliminate or refine them according to the Design Pillars of the game.

"It Isn't Just About Usability - It Includes Humans too"

Everything that we use in the real world provokes some sort of emotional response. The gaming industry is founded on this provocation. Think about playing Assasin's Creed Valhalla. The main character is a strong person and you make that person stronger by progressing through the game. Even finding a cool axe from a fallen enemy will make the player feel stronger.

In the picture below, you will see a "Finisher" move from Assasin's Creed Valhalla. While designing the sequence, the emotional state of the player is also considered. In this example, the emotion of the player is a "Sense of Power" and "Tension." To give this emotion successfully,

• The camera is focused on the characters (Design -> Development)

• The facial expressions of the characters are visible and easily readable (Design -> Character Art -> Rigging -> Animators -> Development)

• The sounds are composed and arranged according to the action (Design -> Sound Design -> Development)

  
  

Finisher Move in Assasins Creed Valhalla

UX in Games should cover everything about humans and human interaction. It is better to think about the emotional and cognitive load of the elements in the game while in the Pre-production stage. We will cover this part deeply in the future, but we can think about the questions as a starting point.

• How are we wired?

• What reactions do we give in various situations?

• How do we feel?

• How do we use anything?

• How can we learn?

"It Isn't Just for Players - Don't Forget the Studio"

The UX should also consider the creator of the product, which is the team/studio that you are working with. To be able to produce high quality games and make them feasible, the business goals should be met. These goals can differ for each case, but if we want to give an example of global business goals, we can give the list below:

• Attracting new players

• Retaining players

• Keeping the players in the game

• Saving Money

• Making Money

However, sometimes business goals and user demands can clash and create a difficult situation for the designers.

To solve that, the designer must find a sweet spot between the user needs and business goals and ensure that the design is on brand.

The UX Design Process Considerations Chart

Conclusion

To conclude, the UX is not an element in the game known as "making screens" or "placing buttons". It includes designing every aspect of the game while considering what a human can do and want, and how to find the balance between the user demands and the business goals to make this game possible and enjoyable.

In the next post, we will cover what Game Designers/Game UX Designers can do to create the optimum design.

"Thank you for taking the time to read this!"

Doruk Biçgi Game & Level Designer