Why I Love Game UI/UX Design or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Game Interface
Jasmine Christmas, COO + Co-Founder
3 min read
Ever since my early gaming days, I've been deeply in love with UI/UX design. Not everyone may notice the details in menus, inventory screens or how quest information pops up but I’ve always found them on equal footing with the characters or the environments in terms of supporting my immersion.
Good UI/UX design is the unseen hand guiding us through game worlds with ease and, for me, it’s also a kind of survival tool. See, I have rather poor eyesight, which means accessibility in games is more than a nice feature; it's a necessity. Being able to resize text, add contrast or simplify navigation makes my gaming experience infinitely better.
My additional love for accessibility stems from countless moments squinting at tiny menus or struggling to manage overly complex controls. I don’t want you to get the tiny violin out but I’ve had many comments over the years about how close I need to sit next to a screen to be able to join in the fun. My eyes still aren’t square (thank you 16:9!) but I’ve always needed accessible options to help me maintain a more healthy distance between myself and the TV.
My background in writing also comes into play when I talk about my love for UI/UX. I studied it for years and it taught me to see the world through a narrative lens, even (or perhaps especially) in game design. The way we navigate games, the subtle clues and quest markers, the way a button highlights when it’s ready to be pressed, these aren’t just functional choices, they’re narrative tools. In Skyrim, for example, each piece of UI brings you deeper into the world. The scrolls and books you find, the weathered look of your inventory items, even the rough edges around the text all echo the harsh, ancient beauty of Tamriel. (Please come back for a separate article on the other reasons I love Skyrim because there are many).
I realised early on that UI/UX is a powerful storytelling device. It can guide, immerse and even protect players. This blend of functionality and narrative impact is one of the many reasons I was inspired to launch Dead Nice Studio; a place dedicated to creating UI/UX designs that make sense, tell stories and invite everyone to join in (no matter their level of vision).
At Dead Nice, we obsess over details so players can get lost in games without getting lost in menus. Whether it’s working on VR interfaces that feel intuitive or making sure a game’s menu won’t give someone a headache after an hour, we strive to create spaces that support and enhance the gaming experience. My team and I are passionate about making game interfaces accessible, immersive, and, above all, user-friendly.
Gaming is meant to be enjoyed, not deciphered. When accessibility, aesthetics and ease of use come together, it elevates the experience for everyone. And for me, it means I can finally stop looking like a little goblin squinting at the screen from an inch away!
