Ninyn

• Use cognitive research & Gestalt Theory to assist designs and create more appealing/vivid designs.

• Maximum of 7 unique items on screen.
• Menus can be a maximum of 3 levels deep.
• Affordances and feedback need to clearly communicate their goals.
• Distribute colour according to periphery, creating a focus area.
• State Changes should be clearly communicated.
• Create a page flow according to elements (E.g. Destiny's Path of Least Resistance)
• Allow for help / hints. Consistency.

Examples:

Maximum of 7 Unique Items on screen

Menus are maximum 3 levels deep

Create a focus area

Communicate state changes clearly

Create a page flow between elements on screen

Offer help and hints in a consistent manner

Cheat Sheets!

Allow yourself to use them!

2. The Process

Using grid types.

Using grid types in combination with aspect ratios.

Keep a safe frame of 90% (screen bleeding, varying screen resolutions, etc.)

Alignment and Anchoring

• Aligning/grouping your UI elements
• Anchoring in screen space

Examples:

• Player kills in top right
• Match time/team progress top centre
• Reticle centre
• Ammo/Weapons/hotkeys bottom right
• Minimap bottom left
• Objectives centre left

Look at the Bigger Picture

• Legibility/Readability
• Branding / Style & Tone
• Limit font variations (TWO MAXIMUM)
• Trends/Timelessness
• Localisation
• Pricing/Budget

• 60-120 characters maximum per line.
• Allow for 40% overflow (localisation)

THE 6FT RULE

When designing for big screen audience, elements need to be readable/legible from 6ft away from the screen.

Buy font families!

Font Weights

Colour Theory

• Maximum of 5 unique colours in pallette
• Avoid fully saturated colours (screen bleeding)
• Colour luminance range - do not match your colours with the games' environment
• Do NOT rely on colour! Always rely on shapes first.

• Create and maintain a schedule that understands the rigor of game development.
• Create a story with a clearly articulated goal.
• Have a process that ensures quality, while being open to feedback.

• The workload of narrative design is NOT JUST WRITNG.

• Target content locks first.
• Major characters need one piece of significant content early, to ensure that casting sticks.
• When doing voice acting auditions for example.
• Onboard translators early.
• Get them involved and to understand the core fundamentals of the story.
• Onboarding translators early will ensure that the 'why' of the game and its' personality are not lost in translation.
• Engineer a data framework for states of text assets (e.g. clear/recorded/translated.)
• Gives a clear idea where you're at in your content/scheduling.
• Helps avoid (expensive) re-recording.

• Divide your content into CRITICAL and IMPORTANT.

• Condense and present.
• Story presentation.
• Quick high level presentation.
• Focus the team on spectacular, evocative and emblematic moments.
• High emotions tend to stick.

• What thread binds it all together?
• What moments stand out?

• Why do they care?
• With whom do they agree?
• Make these quickly accessible for your team.

• Rapid way to convey the feeling, theme, inspiration.
• A 'vision touchstone'.

6.3 Quality and Feedback

• Feedback to improve, not just you, but for your players.
• You do not have to be all-knowing.
• Admit that you have to learn.
• Make efforts to earn trust from your team.

• Lower the cognitive burden to help your user focus.
• Use negative space to guide the eye.
• Rule of Thirds and the Golden Ratio. Apply where possible. Not always relevant.

• Offer achievable long-term goals with extrinsic and intrinsic rewards.
• Create warnings that work together.
• Ensure that everyone can find meaning, regardless of skill level.
• Context is key.
• Focus on user centred design; should always serve the player directly.

5. 'Character Development in Non-Linear Spaces: Uncharted the Lost Legacy.' - Josch Scherr, Naughty Dog

• Determine key goal(s) early.
• Align character development with key goal(s).
• Start off with neutral writing.
• Supplement neutral writing for character building.
• Use temporary level dialogue early.
• Adapt to player choice.

5.1 Create a To-Do List.

• Which info? Which info where?
• Create main story beats.
• Define what fits open world and what doesn't.

• When do players achieve the goal(s)?

• Getting in subtlety for your characters.
• Gradually build up relationships between characters.

• Bioshock - a game that wants to keep the player engaged while having a focus on narrative
• The first shot from enemies always misses.
• Allows the player to orient themselves and plan their next course of action.
• If the player has more cash, the game would decrease the amount of items dropped, motivating the player to go to the shop.

• Gears of War
• New players trying multiplayer for the first time would receive a damage bonus to give them the perception that they were doing better than what they actually did.
• 95% of players who tried multiplayer for the first time and did not get any kills ended up not returning to multiplayer.

2. 'Immersing a Creative World into Useable UI' - Steph Chow

Research

• Readability
• How is the info displayed and how are we treating info styling?
• Are we risking style over design?
• Personality
• Can I see the worlds' keywords?
• Am I using the keywords too abstract?
• Implication
• How is the balance between interactive vs. non-interactive?
• Interactions do not have to be literal to references.
• Scale
• Can I scale without breaking memory load?

3. 'Leadership at the Heart of the Team' - Nick Chilano

• Leadership can come from anyone.
• The importance of soft skills.
• How do I talk/work with people?
• Foster your culture.
• Pillars & philosophies.
• Create a formula that can be applied to a variety of projects/teams.

Philosophies

1. Camera
• Read from the games' camera position.
• Get a quick glimpse from how the player will see it.
• Understand the 'box' you are in.
2. Gameplay
• Animation drives what the player can do.
• It should be responsive and intuitive.
• What is best for the game?
3. Believability
• The animation should be believable for the world we have created.
• Do we have low gravity? Do characters have freakishly long spaghetti arms?
4. Theme
• Movement is distinct to the characters, they bring life to them.
• Call them out quickly from silhouettes.

Application

1. Trust
• Don't micromanage.
• Give ownership.
• Make it safe to fail.
2. Asset Feedback
• Focused.
• Non-lateral.
3. Hiring
• Consider your pillars&philosophies.
• Create questions based on your team culture.
• There are no wrong answers - these questions are intended to bring out someones thought process.
4. Alignment
• Actionable career feedback. Feedback that has practical value for personal and professional growth.
• Listen and Wait. How do I approach a situation?
• Transparency. Be honest about your intentions.
5. Leadership
• Set intentions as a leader. Example:
• Stay a small team.
• Have a large output.
• Be able to tackle any project.

Closing

• Lead by example.
• Believe in what you do.
• Succession planning.
• Lay a foundation for those who take over.
• Include your team in the process.
• What does your team want to do?
• What culture do we want to foster?
• Involve your team in decision-making.