Have you ever wondered what it takes to create an immersive and engaging video game experience? Here are the essential skills you need to become a UX designer.
User experience (UX) design is critical to the success of video games. Players want an immersive and engaging experience, and it is the role of UX designers to create that experience. While there are many skills that UX designers must possess, there are four key skills that are essential for designing a great user experience in video games: player empathy and altruism, self-awareness, adaptability, attention to detail and creativity.
1. Player Empathy and Altruism
To design a great user experience in video games, designers need to understand and empathize with the players. This involves understanding their motivations, preferences, and behaviours. By understanding the players, designers can create experiences that are engaging, rewarding, and immersive. This is critical to the success of any video game.
Super Mario Odyssey is a beloved 3D platformer game developed by Nintendo. In Super Mario Odyssey, player empathy is evident in the game’s diverse gameplay mechanics and challenges, and charming aesthetic. The designers understood that platformer fans enjoy classic gameplay mechanics like jumping, dodging, and collecting power-ups, and included a wide range of platforming challenges in the game. They also understood that exploration fans enjoy discovering secrets and hidden areas, and included a large, open world filled with collectibles and surprises. Casual gamers are also accommodated with simple gameplay mechanics, while completionists are catered to with a wide range of collectibles to find.
By considering what players enjoy about the game, what new features and mechanics would appeal to them, and how to make the game accessible and enjoyable for players of all skill levels, game designers can create games that are loved by a wide range of players.
2. Self Awareness
Self-awareness is important for game UX designers because it helps them understand their own biases, preferences, and limitations. This understanding can help designers make better design decisions, work effectively within a team, and create experiences that meet the needs of a diverse range of players.
Biases can take many forms, from personal beliefs and preferences to unconscious biases that are deeply ingrained. These biases can impact the video game design process in many ways, from creating screens that are not inclusive or accessible to failing to consider the needs of certain player groups.
However, by recognizing their own biases, game UX designers can take steps to mitigate them and create experiences that are more inclusive and engaging for all players. For example, if a designer recognizes that they have a personal bias against certain types of style choices or mechanics, they can take steps to ensure that their bias does not affect their design decisions. This may involve conducting user research to better understand the needs and preferences of all players or working closely with other team members to ensure that different perspectives are represented in the design process.
This can also help game UX designers recognize and address any unconscious biases that they may hold. By understanding the impact of their biases, designers can take steps to challenge them and create experiences that are more inclusive and accessible for all players.
Self-awareness can also help game UX designers be more receptive to feedback from others. By recognizing that they are not perfect and that there is always room for improvement, designers can take constructive criticism and use it to improve their designs. This can help create a better end product and a more effective and cohesive team dynamic.
Self-awareness is critical for game UX designers to create experiences that meet the needs of players and ensure the success of the project. By recognizing their own biases, strengths, and weaknesses, designers can make better design decisions, work effectively within a team, and create more engaging and effective experiences for players.
3. Adaptability
Video games are constantly evolving, with new technologies and design trends emerging all the time. UX designers must be able to adapt to these changes and be willing to learn new skills and techniques to stay up-to-date with the latest developments. This may involve learning new design tools, testing methodologies, or even programming languages.
Adaptability is an important skill for game UX designers because the video game industry is constantly evolving and changing. New technologies, design trends, and player preferences emerge all the time, and designers must be able to adapt to these changes to create engaging and innovative games.
For example, the rise of VR gaming has led to a shift towards a more immersive game design. Game UX designers must be able to adapt to this trend by creating games that are accessible, easy to learn, and won’t cause nausea. They must also be able to design for a variety of platforms and devices, from consoles to mobile phones to virtual reality systems.
Moreover, the game development process can be unpredictable, and designers must be able to adapt to changing requirements and constraints. For instance, a game feature that seemed feasible in the planning phase may turn out to be too complex to implement, requiring designers to rethink their approach. Or, a game may receive unexpected feedback from players that necessitates changes to the game mechanics or level design.
Adaptability also requires designers to be constantly learning and updating their skills. For example, designers must stay up-to-date with the latest design tools, trends, and game engines.
4. Creativity and Attention to Details
Creativity is also important in creating a unique and memorable visual style for a game. For example, games like Cuphead and Ori and the Blind Forest have distinctive and memorable art styles that set them apart from other games in their respective genres. These games’ visual styles add to the overall player experience and contribute to their success.
However, creativity alone is not enough to create a great user experience in a game. Creativity must be balanced with attention to detail. A game UX designer who is both creative and detail-oriented can create games that not only stand out from the competition but are also engaging, accessible, and enjoyable for players.
Attention to detail is equally important because every small detail can impact the player experience, from the way a interface moves to the UI feedback and animation that accompany gameplay. As a game UX designer, you must pay close attention to these details and ensure that they are carefully crafted to contribute to the overall experience. By balancing creativity and attention to detail, you can create games that are both innovative and polished, offering players a more enjoyable and seamless experience.
In summary, game UX designers need to possess a diverse set of skills to create a great user experience in video games. Player empathy is essential for understanding players’ motivations, preferences, and behaviours, and creating an engaging and immersive game experience. Self-awareness helps designers recognize and address their biases, work effectively within a team, and create inclusive and accessible experiences for all players. Adaptability is necessary for keeping up with the constantly evolving game industry and creating games that are accessible and engaging on a variety of platforms. Creativity and attention to detail are essential for creating unique and memorable games that offer players an immersive and enjoyable experience. By balancing all of these skills, game UX designers can create innovative, polished, and engaging games that stand out in a competitive market and leave a lasting impression on players.
So, take some time to reflect on your own self-awareness, communication, listening, adaptability, and altruism.
Identify areas where you can improve, and take steps to develop these important skills. By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to create effective and engaging user experiences that meet the needs of your users and help your business succeed.
