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AAA Title: Unreleased

• NDA •

Work can only be presented during an interview.

 

​Overview: 

While the project details remain under NDA, this work focused on supporting a defined core gameplay loop by addressing UX gaps and building out missing UI elements during the proof-of-concept (PoC) phase. This involved designing user flows, wireframes, and prototypes for key systems that had not yet been fully visualized to help the team validate functionality, and build the player experience. This work was performed in close collaboration with design and progression teams, often under tight timelines and with limited feature definition.

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​Role:

UX/UI Design Lead 

During the PoC phase, I collaborated with progression, gameplay, and the game design director to explore early feature design, visualize the core gameplay loop, and support team alignment through UX deliverables. I created wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes to express design intent and clarify player experience goals across early systems.

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​Responsibilities:

I contributed to a range of features tied directly to the core gameplay loop, including multiple in-game menus and the End of Match (EOM) screen. My responsibilities included:

• Defining user flows and supporting key use cases

• Creating wireframes, flowcharts, and interactive prototypes

• Ensuring design consistency across features

• Visualizing the core gameplay experience for cross-team alignment

• Delivering UX documentation outlining functionality and interaction expectations 

 

Approach: 

Process

While the UX pipeline I helped formalize in previous work was used as a foundation, I adapted it into a leaner version suited to the pace and ambiguity of PoC work. The UX approach included:

• Competitive research and analysis of similar games

• Lo-fi design exploration and wireframe development

• Interactive prototyping to validate flows and player expectations

• Lightweight documentation for functionality and intent

• Iterative feedback loops with engineering and UI art when necessary

Contributions​

• Led UX design for core gameplay features central to game play loop experience

• Collaborated closely with gameplay, and progression

• Supported the game design director in visualizing the core gameplay loop

• Facilitated stakeholder alignment and informed early design direction

 

Challenges​​​​

• Working with limited feature information in the early stages of development

• Working under compressed timelines in an exploratory phase

• Designing with limited and unknown dependencies

• Balancing usability with evolving gameplay design

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Lessons Learned​​​​

• Clear alignment on expectations is essential, especially when working in a PoC or MVP phase. While I approached a core feature with a lean, iterative mindset, a key stakeholder expected near-final design execution to reduce future rework. This misalignment created friction and required me to push back, clarify the project phase, and reset expectations. The experience reinforced the importance of early conversations to align on scope, fidelity, and long-term goals.

 

Impact: 

Despite the challenges of early development, the UX work helped bring clarity, alignment, and direction to core systems. Results included:

• Reduced complexity by simplifying a progression system

• Streamlined the EOM screen by simplifying the flow for improved efficiency

• Visualized the player experience for the core gameplay loop, creating a shared understanding across design, production, and leadership teams

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