I think user interface (UI) design is really important. While well-designed menus & gameplay UI can’t save a bad game, they can make a good game feel even more polished. And luckily, I really like doing UI design – the functional part, that is. I’m not an artist and don’t try to make things pretty, but I can handle usability and layout.
I’m done fleshing out the functional mockups for Project Smart Birds’ menus, so I wanted to share them and the rationales for many of the decisions I made.
Process
My process for functional mockups is pretty simple. It’s all pen and paper until I’m done, then I scan it for a digital copy. First I use a lot of “scratch paper” to narrow down what to do. Then once I know what I want, I draw each screen’s mockup into a pre-printed rectangle of the appropriate dimensions. My iOS templates have 8 rectangles per sheet of paper, with each rectangle a little larger than an iPod 4’s screen.
Goals
My high-level goals for the menus are few and straightforward:
- Menu layouts should be appropriate for iOS (mobile & tablet) AND for other platforms like PC and console. I don’t mind making tweaks later, but I want a solid base that won’t need to be completely redesigned.
- While still meeting the above, try to stick with solid iOS standards & conventions. Since iOS is my lead platform, I want the interface to be familiar and friendly to iOS gamers.
- Consolidate info where possible, and try to minimize clutter.