Visual Considerations - leemet16/game-design-toolkit GitHub Wiki

You're likely not going to achieve the visual quality of major AAA games. These games have budgets in the millions of dollars, take years to develop, and have professionals who have been honing their craft for years; but that isn't to say you can't create an educational game that is based on good visual principles. Whether you are creating a 2D or 3D environment there are a number of things you should consider.

Picture of a busy user interface

Image Source: Slaegar

The interface in the above picture is a little difficult to follow isn't it? What's wrong with this interface? What can you learn from it?

There's a lot to consider when it comes to creating a good user interface (UI). Creating a UI starts with considering the user experience (UX), or in other words, how the player should and would want to interact with your game. Watch the video below for an introduction to UX design and how it can inform your UI and other aspects of your game.

Intro to UX Design - User Experience and You - Extra Credits ~8:25

Great, so we know that UX and UI are important, but how do we actually go about creating a good UX and UI? Watch the video series below to learn more.

Introduction - UI/UX Best Practices for Game Developers ~0:40

Part 1 - Calls to Action, Visual/Audio Cues, and Immersion ~2:59

Part 2 - Simplify UIs, Give UI Space, Pump Up The Bass ~1:24

Part 3 - Clear UI, Simple UI, Waves of weak enemies/faster guns ~1:46

Part 4 - Perfect Animations, Satisfying Combat, Squash and Stretch ~1:38

Part 5 - Reward the player, Satisfying Aftermath ~1:30

Part 6 - Permanance, Interpolation, Slow-Mo/Freezeframe, OP-ness ~2:37

ActivityFind Visuals!

In your Game Development Journal, write down at least ten ideas you have when it comes to the visuals of your game. These ideas can relate to UI, UX, or visual assets. You can access some free resources here. Make sure to always consider copyright issues.

References

Black Shell Media. (2017, June 20). UI/UX Best Practices for Game Designers - Presented [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exIw7o2JK2s&index=1&list=PLzOZD569v5GvOJV4TM_5tNwejljkBACaS

Extra Credits. (2017, February 1). Intro to UX Design - User Experience and You - Extra Credits [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPD5dUBFsps