AAA Title: Gamepad support
• NDA •
Overview:
While the project details remain under NDA, I was tasked with solving how to adapt a highly complex, PC-focused game for gamepad use. This involved rethinking user interactions across gameplay, HUD, and in-game menus to create an intuitive experience that met the expectations of console-style players without straying too far from the original design.
Working closely with the UI Designer, I coordinated efforts to establish consistency across all systems. The small team size enabled full-team brainstorming sessions, where design ideas were iterated in real-time with feedback from engineering, art, and other stakeholders. These collaborative reviews helped ensure feasibility, alignment with the legacy game, and a strong player-centered experience.
Role:
Senior UX Designer
I approached each menu and feature holistically by considering the entirety of the UI to ensure design consistency, usability, and alignment with both player expectations and stakeholder goals. I also partnered with the client for alignment and usability testing support.
Responsibilities:
I led the UX design for a range of systems, each presenting unique design and technical challenges. My contributions included:
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Designing user flows and supporting use cases from concept to implementation
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Applying research insights to inform design direction
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Establishing design and interaction standards for consistency
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Creating wireframes, interactive prototypes, and supporting documentation
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Collaborating with the UI Designer to ensure consistent visual and behavioral patterns
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Encouraging real-time feedback loops with engineering to validate UX expectations and mechanical feel
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Iterating based on playtesting, usability studies, and stakeholder feedback
Approach:
Process
To move quickly and thoughtfully within the PoC and implementation phases, I adapted a lean UX process that included:
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Competitive research of similar games and tools applications, and for features.
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Lo-fi design exploration and wireframes
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Interactive prototyping for mechanics and flow validation
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Documentation outlining functionality, interaction behavior, and intent
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Iterative collaboration with UI art and engineering
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Iterated based on usability testing and team feedback
Contributions
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Led UX design for multiple key features tied to the core gameplay loop
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Created intuitive solutions for gamepad navigation in complex menu systems
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Shared UX knowledge within the team, helping improve shared understanding and alignment across disciplines
Challenges
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Redesigning menus and systems originally built for mouse/keyboard
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Balancing usability with legacy design constraints
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Strict limitations on how much visual or structural deviation was allowed
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Full redesign of key features for seamless gamepad interaction
Lessons Learned
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One of the most valuable takeaways from this project was the importance of truly listening to client feedback, beyond our initial assumptions. While a couple of our early design solutions were well thought out, they didn’t always align with the client’s vision. By actively engaging with their feedback and staying open to critique, we were able to iterate and improve the design. That collaboration ultimately led to a stronger, more aligned experience.
Impact:
Through rapid iteration, hands-on collaboration, and focused problem-solving, we delivered a polished and intuitive experience that bridged the complexity of a PC game with the simplicity of gamepad input.
Key Results:
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Improved overall “gamepad feel” through tailored UX design
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Enhanced consistency across HUD, menus, and in-game systems
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Increased development velocity and reduced tech debt through early and frequent cross-team collaboration
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Delivered a control experience that, in some areas, felt more intuitive on gamepad than with keyboard and mouse
Feature: Radial Menu
The Task
Translate a complex PC navigation system into a smooth, intuitive, and easy-to-use gamepad experience by aligning with player mental models and usability expectations.
The Problem
The in-game navigation system for the PC game was highly complex, with multiple layers of requirements that needed to be supported.
At the top level, the system featured numerous category (tabs) some of which contained extensive options and content. Within these sections, players needed to navigate settings and make additional selections, adding further depth to the interaction design.
The New Direction
After reviewing the requirements and evaluating multiple design directions, we chose to explore a radial menu solution. While radial menus can be effective for quick access, they also introduce unique usability challenges. To address this, I conducted research into common friction points, studied implementations in other games, and identified best practices and scalability strategies.
The goal was to design a comprehensive radial menu that offered intuitive, low-friction access to all key actions with minimal clicks, ensuring it felt fast, responsive, and satisfying to use.
The Accomplishments
After multiple design explorations, iterations, and team collaboration, we arrived at a radial menu solution ready for implementation. It tested well and, with some final tweaks, proved to be both intuitive and effective. By addressing known friction points and applying best practices, the final design was more fluid and user-friendly than the team initially expected.
Lessons Learned
One of the key takeaways from this project was the power of true collaboration. The entire team was highly engaged during design brainstorms, contributing insights from their respective disciplines and offering valuable perspectives grounded in experience. Their willingness to rapidly implement ideas and test functionality in real-time was critical to validating the design’s feel and usability. This collective effort played a major role in the success of the feature.
Disclaimer:
All content presented on this page has been fictionalized and does not reflect the actual project, product, or proprietary information. It is intended solely to demonstrate design thinking, process, and UX approach.
Radial Menu Key Points
Key Considerations in the Radial Menu Design:
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Muscle memory & pattern recognition: Faster recall through spatial layout compared to linear lists
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Cardinal directions: Leveraged for intuitive navigation and faster input targeting
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Radial item limit: Capped at 8 options per page to prevent overload
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Pagination support: Included within each tab for scalable organization
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Localization-ready: Containers designed to expand/wrap across two lines when needed
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R-stick visual cues: Indicators added to reflect input direction for improved player feedback
Radial Menu Interaction Design
The radial menu was operated using the right stick (R-stick), with the most frequently used actions placed at the cardinal points (North, South, East, and West) for quicker access and easier muscle memory. Additional context-specific actions, such as paging and editing, were placed in the center circle as button prompts. Visual feedback was provided to indicate the direction and option the player was targeting in real time.
For quick-select interactions, the design allowed players to simply point the stick toward an option and release, automatically triggering the action and closing the menu.
Sub-menu Navigation
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For multi-step interactions, players pointed to an option, released the R-stick, and used it again to navigate a secondary menu.
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Upon entering a sub-menu, the primary radial displayed in a disabled state to visually signal the shift in context.
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A “Back” option, accessed via the Circle button, was consistently available to return to the main radial—supporting smooth and intuitive navigation.
Some sub-menus required additional functionality to ensure a smooth and responsive user experience.
The R-stick was used for direct input, allowing players to:
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Slide left or right to adjust values (e.g., sliders)
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Rotate around a circular interface to modify settings such as volume or intensity
Empty State Page
Hiding options from players was not ideal, so all tabs and content containers were displayed—even if currently unavailable. When a tab was disabled, a clear message explained why it was inactive and what actions the player needed to take to unlock or enable it. This approach maintained transparency, reduced confusion, and supported a more guided player experience.