UX Game Design
ELVTR
Designing learnable systems under cognitive load.
UX Design Lead
5 Weeks
Journey Mapping, Interaction Design, Usability Testing, Accessibility Review
Designing for cognitive load.
Action RPG systems often introduce combat mechanics, progression logic, and inventory structure simultaneously. Without structured sequencing and stable UI states, complexity becomes friction.
This project focused on staging learning, reinforcing hierarchy, and enabling fast decision-making under pressure.
Progressive Disclosure
Players learned mechanics in sequence instead of decoding the full system at once.
State Clarity
Every screen communicated what was active, available, or locked without requiring exploration.
Feedback Reinforcement
Players understood the result of each action before committing to the next one.
Accessible by Default
Color, contrast, and labeling ensured usability across vision profiles without separate modes.
From loop to interface.
Player journey mapped intent against perception to surface friction points before wireframing.
Paper prototype sequenced screen logic to validate flow before visual investment.
Wireframes established hierarchy and component placement to reduce layout ambiguity.
Accessibility audit identified contrast failures and informed outline and shadow adjustments.
Home
Gameplay
Inventory
Applied a consistent hierarchy and repeatable components so transitions remained predictable under pressure.
What testing changed.
Simplified inventory grouping
Clarified menu labeling
Standardized feedback patterns
Reduced competing calls to action
Usability test results from 5 participants across all screen tasks
Scalable interaction patterns.
Accessibility
Color blindness testing drove contrast and outline decisions that improved legibility for all players.
Pattern Consistency
Repeatable component structures across screens reduced the learning curve for each new state.
State Predictability
Clear locked, equipped, and available indicators allowed players to scan inventory without reading.
Produced a cohesive interaction system built on repeatable UI patterns and stable hierarchy. The resulting screen logic can scale across additional gameplay states without increasing cognitive load.
Complex systems become intuitive when hierarchy is stable and learning is staged.