FIRE
Replaced a utilitarian menu system with an immersive user experience.
PROBLEM
Vancouver startup Maggie's Farm Studio was developing the first post–playtest version of their video game FIRE.
My challenge was to map out user flows that did not previously exist, transforming key game requirements from bullet-point form into interactive prototypes for developers to test.
SOLUTION
I created a menu interface that guides players through starting a new mission, joining an active mission, and the change poster menu as a repeatable design pattern to create consistency as the game continues to develop. The visual language is largely placeholder, as my focus was developing the skeleton for player abilities.
Design Process
Interviews + User Personas
Developed research questions based on the Quantic Foundry Gamer Motivation Model and conducted nine user interviews from ages 8-60 across gaming abilities to understand their motivations and frustrations when playing online co-op. I also created user personas to clarify a clear target audience.
I mindmapped interview results, then manually and with ChatGPT, sorted findings into insights to guide design decisions.
Close up of two interviews.
Using interviews insights , I established the target audiences for the game.
Research takeaways:
100% of players interviewed heavily valued teamwork, playing with friends and social interaction.
65% desired more tactical decision-making.
Information Architecture
I translated written bullet points into a visual map, showing how game elements connect in a hierarchical order.
The breadth of entire information architecture diagram.
My design work focused on a couple key user flows, with Join Active Mission requiring the most iteration.
Sketching - Join Active Mission User Flow
I began sketching digitally to explore formatting for a type of design unfamiliar to me, thinking it would make my ideas easier for my project partner to understand. Later, I realized the value of initial pen-and-paper brainstorming.
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Iteration 3
Prototyping - Join Active Mission User Flow
These screens map out how players would moved through the process of joining an active mission in the game. The focus of this process was the of placement of user abilities in the screen. This prototype was intended to help developers build it out for testing in Unity.
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Map in player's home base for mission navigation.
Communication and social features appear in the first map view, enabling players to connect together immediately—reflecting one of the top priorities from user interviews.
Global map view. Allows players to join an active mission and navigate to a more narrow location for mission selection.
The legend explains the informational widgets on the map to guide players’ mission decisions, another need revealed through user interviews.
North America map view.
After selecting an active mission, players see an overview of weather conditions affecting the mission, along with a legend indicating the urgency of different mission objectives.
Mission briefing overlay.
Players then select their characters, gear and other supports to prepare for the mission.
Class selection overlay.
Players can see where their crew members are already deployed in the mission.
Mission planning overlay.
I took a list of written requirements for this user flow and translated them into an interactive prototype.
Reflection
This project was both a challenge and a valuable learning opportunity. While I am not an avid video game player, the process pushed me to approach the work with fresh eyes and actively seek insight from peers and friends who play games. It was my first time collaborating with a client on the initial version of a project for development, which strengthened my ability to make iterative edits, realign expectations to the original project scope, and confidently present design decisions in bi-weekly meetings. I’m grateful for the chance to explore a different type of design work and have developed a deep appreciation for the complexity, creativity, and dedication that goes into game design.