1. By David Rose

2. THE GENERALIST

3. WHY UI ARTISTS ARE IMPORTANT Provide valuable information to the player Help carry the story-line/mood of the game UI can intensify user-experience by keeping the user in the moment UI is the glue that binds our game to it's brand...it's a visual reinforcement

5. THE RULES OF USABILITY & VISUAL DESIGN Keep it simple Keep it handy Keep things organized Try to keep with industry trends Be project/brand consistent Use dynamic menus Focus test EARLY Remember localization Be consistent Be clear Don't forget your what they taught you in school Know your user

6. AVOID COMMON UI ART MISTAKES Make those fonts highly readable Remember the W's and localization Hide items Design for best and worse case Remember action-safe and title safe

7. UI ARTISTIC INSPIRATION Challenge yourself but don't reinvent the wheel Evaluate the competition Pay particular attention to the good stuff Ask yourself what tools may have been used Note user reaction

8. NON-GAME INSPIRATION DVD Menus Web Design Sports/News Graphics Movie Introductions and End Credits Music Video Print Handheld Device Information Signage

10. GO WITH THE FLOW Helps design Points out flaws in usability Outlines the screen types Helps everyone keep track Helps QA develop a test plan Can be a visual guide for stage of completion

12. TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN UI "stew" can be delicious if highly controlled Document! Document! Document! Don't spin your wheels Raise the red flag!

13. THE ART CRITIQUE Get early input and buy in Get people to explain their feedback Organize the feedback Track the feedback Remind everyone of the past

15. DEVELOPMENT TIPS Have a clear visual direction Follow strict procedure Talk with all departments Learn from your mistakes Communicate lessons learned Make time for experimentation and iteration Get in-depth feedback in user-testing Prioritize

16. ITERATION - THE KEY TO GOOD PROCESS Learning is just as important as planning and implementing Paper-prototype Only implement what is absolutely necessary

17. IDEAL PIPELINE 1) 2) 3) APPROVAL

18. STAGE 1 - SKETCHING & DESIGN

19. THE DESIGN Get involved Ask questions Simple is better Pictures can be louder than words Let the artists art-direct Ask who the desired customer is

20. STAGE 1 - SKETCHING Don't waste time Start with lots of ideas Get many people involved Make the sketches clear Help solve problems visually Keep inspiration sources handy Ask about the flow

21. Try lots of ideas quickly.

22. Use post it notes to keep elements fluid. This will come in really handy for early user flow testing.

23. PAPER TESTING

24. STAGE 2 - THE WIREFRAME

25. Don't worry about making it "pretty" Avoid font size surprises Remember title-safe and action-safe Make it interactive if possible

26. Wireframe Example

27. STAGE 3 - BUILD IT APPROVAL

28. DESIRED TOOLS OF THE TRADE Easy ingame previewing Access to basic scripting and navigation functionality Key frame animation and scripting Easy and flexible asset management Effects and blending modes Easy naming and tagging conventions Here's a list of possible desired tool features:

29. Built Art Assets

30. A JOB WELL DONE