Designing user interfaces (UI) in games is crucial for creating an engaging and user-friendly experience. Here are some best practices to follow when designing UI for games:
1. Prioritize Clarity and Simplicity:
Keep the UI simple and easy to understand. Avoid clutter and excessive information. Players should quickly grasp the purpose of each UI element.
2. Consistent Visual Style:
Maintain a consistent visual style throughout the UI to create a cohesive and polished look. Use a color scheme, typography, and icons that fit the game’s theme.
3. Responsive Design:
Ensure that the UI scales and adapts to different screen sizes and resolutions, including various platforms (e.g., PC, console, mobile). Test UI on multiple devices.
4. Player-Centric Design:
Design the UI with the player’s perspective in mind. Prioritize the most important information and actions based on player needs and preferences.
5. Intuitive Navigation:
Make navigation intuitive. Use clear labels, icons, and button placement to guide players. Group related elements logically.
6. Minimize Disruptions:
Avoid interrupting gameplay with intrusive UI elements, such as pop-ups or ads. Keep critical information accessible without disrupting the player’s flow.
7. Clear Feedback:
Provide immediate and clear feedback when players interact with UI elements. Highlight button presses, changes in state, or errors.
8. Playtesting and Iteration:
Conduct playtesting to gather feedback on the UI’s usability and effectiveness. Iterate on the design based on player input and observations.
9. Mobile Considerations:
If designing for mobile games, consider touch controls and smaller screens. Use larger buttons and interactive elements for touch-friendly UI.
10. Accessibility: – Ensure that the UI is accessible to players with disabilities. Implement features like resizable text, colorblind modes, and keyboard/mouse support where applicable.
11. Contextual Information: – Display context-sensitive information relevant to the player’s current situation. For example, show health and ammo status during combat.
12. Feedback for Progression: – Use UI elements to convey progression, such as experience points, achievements, or level completion. Celebrate player accomplishments.
13. Use Animations Wisely: – Use animations to enhance the UI’s visual appeal and provide feedback but avoid excessive or distracting animations that may hinder usability.
14. Test Across Devices: – Test the UI on various gaming platforms and devices to ensure compatibility and usability. Consider differences in input methods (e.g., controller, mouse, touch).
15. Readability and Font Choice: – Choose legible fonts and text sizes that are easy to read, even at a distance. Ensure good contrast between text and background.
16. Prototyping: – Create UI prototypes or wireframes to visualize the layout and functionality before implementation. Prototyping helps identify potential issues early.
17. Localization: – Design UI with localization in mind, allowing space for longer text in translations and adapting cultural nuances where necessary.
18. Dynamic UI for Dynamic Gameplay: – In dynamic or open-world games, the UI should adapt to changing circumstances. Hide non-essential elements when they’re not needed and display relevant info when necessary.
19. Test on Target Audience: – If possible, test the UI with your game’s target audience to ensure it meets their expectations and needs.
20. Learn from Successful Games: – Study UI design in successful games within your genre or on similar platforms. Analyze what works well and adapt those principles to your own design.
Effective UI design in games enhances the player experience, aids in immersion, and contributes to the overall enjoyment of the game. It’s a balance between functionality, aesthetics, and player engagement, requiring careful consideration and iterative improvement throughout development.
There are some handbooks very related to this subject which I encourage you to read: https://beastoon.com/category/game-development
