A Good Interface

A Good Interface is a Substack focused on enhancing video game user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, offering practical advice, best practices, and examples. It covers topics like accessibility, navigation, visual feedback, and the importance of elements like color, text fields, buttons, and white space in game design.

UI/UX Design Best Practices Accessibility in Game Design Design Elements & Visual Feedback Menu Navigation & User Interaction Design Consistency Modals & Pagination in Games Password & Text Field Design Interface Customization

The hottest Substack posts of A Good Interface

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2023 annual review of "A Good Interface"!

39 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🪑 Design User Interface Video Games Newsletter Game design
  1. The writer quit their job, sold belongings, and traveled to create a game and explore, turning this journey into newsletter content.
  2. In 2023, the writer focused on sharing insights on UI/UX design for video games, posting consistently on Substack.
  3. For 2024, the writer plans to continue sharing design insights and personal project updates while aiming for reader interaction and feedback.

#9 - Creating an intuitive in-game menu

59 implied HN points • 16 Nov 23
🕹 Technology UI Design User Experience Game Development Gaming
  1. Understanding player expectations is crucial for designing intuitive in-game menus. Players have certain expectations for content and structure, deviating from which can lead to frustration.
  2. Menu navigation and flow are essential in creating a user-friendly experience. Design clear paths, group similar items, and prioritize important actions for quick and easy navigation.
  3. Consistency in iconography, terminology, and design elements, as well as testing with real players, feedback, and iteration, are key to crafting a well-crafted in-game menu that enhances the player experience.

#1 - How to make our game colors accessible to everyone

99 implied HN points • 27 Jul 23
🎨 Art & Illustration User Experience
  1. Consider color blindness when designing games - 8% of boys and 1% of girls are affected by some form of color vision disorder.
  2. Check the contrast between text and background colors to ensure readability and understandability of game content.
  3. Accessibility in game design goes beyond color - include other visual elements and gather user feedback to enhance user experience.

#2 - How to make a good text field

79 implied HN points • 10 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Design User Interface Video Games Accessibility
  1. A good text field is displayed at the right time - only show it when needed, use alternatives like toggle switches or choice lists when possible.
  2. A good text field has clear label - make labels short, precise, and avoid overusing technical language.
  3. A good text field gives visual feedback - ensure visual cues like hover, active, focus states are properly incorporated to guide users.

#6 - What's the right size?

39 implied HN points • 06 Oct 23
🕹 Technology UI Design Video Games User Experience
  1. Size your buttons correctly: Follow guidelines like 10mm x 10mm for mobile games and 44px / 48px for non-touch screens for optimal user interaction.
  2. Text matters too: Ensure text size is at least 16px for readability and paragraphs have 50-75 characters per line. Line spacing should be at least 1.5 times the font size.
  3. Provide user options: Let players customize their experience, like font size, to cater to diverse preferences and enhance accessibility.
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#10 - UI/UX tips about password design in video games

19 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🕹 Technology UI/UX Design Video Games
  1. Give users the ability to view what they type in password fields by including an 'eye' icon.
  2. Inform users if the 'Caps Lock' or 'Num Lock' key is enabled to help prevent errors and save time.
  3. Display the required conditions for creating a password to remind users and consider limiting the number of conditions to make passwords easier to remember.

#8 - Better-designed buttons

19 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Buttons in user interfaces should be well-designed to stand out and serve their purpose effectively.
  2. Button wording plays a crucial role in inviting users to take action; clear and task-specific words work best.
  3. Adding borders, border radius, shadows, and states to buttons not only enhances their appearance but also helps users interact better with them.

#5 - Best practices for modals in video games

19 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
🕹 Technology UI Design Gameplay Video Games
  1. Modal windows are design elements in video games used to highlight important information while keeping the current context for the player.
  2. Modal windows should be displayed sparingly and for specific reasons like conveying essential information, blocking progress until required input, and collecting new settings.
  3. Best practices for modal windows in video games include initiating them through user actions, providing an emergency exit, having a clear title, and including a call to action with appropriate sizing.

#11 - What's behind the interface of Lethal Company

2 HN points • 28 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Gaming UI/UX Design Video Games Art Indie games
  1. The user interface of Lethal Company is successful because it matches the game's genre and atmosphere with carefully chosen colors, shapes, and ornaments.
  2. A key aspect of the UI design is displaying the right amount of information, ensuring the player remains immersed without feeling overwhelmed.
  3. To make the UI easily understandable, leveraging common icons, patterns, and familiar elements is crucial. It helps simplify the learning curve for players.

#3 - The benefits of white space

19 implied HN points • 23 Aug 23
🪑 Design UX Graphic design User Experience
  1. White space is crucial in design, existing between elements to enhance clarity and organization.
  2. White space is not wasted space; it guides users, showcases important information, and brings a sense of calmness to interfaces.
  3. Effective use of white space improves user experience, leads users through logical grouping, focuses attention on key elements, and reflects a game's branding and tone of voice.

#7 - How to keep your interface consistent

0 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
🪑 Design User Experience Game design
  1. Consistent design improves user experience by reducing cognitive load and enhancing accessibility
  2. Reusing design elements like colors, spacing, and typography can save time during design and development
  3. Design consistency is essential for establishing industry standards, reducing learning curves, and improving user engagement