https://h-idris.com/blog.html Practical writing on game UI and UX: what interface work costs, how to hire for it, and the mistakes that quietly cost you players. en Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-typography.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-typography.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Choosing and using type in game interfaces: display versus interface faces, tabular figures, the type scale, weight, contrast over gameplay and text that is not English. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-icon-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-icon-design.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to build a game icon set that reads: silhouette first, one grid and one stroke weight, designing at ship size, icon versus label, states and badges, and export. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-colour.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-colour.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Building an interface palette for a game: roles rather than swatches, one defended accent, state semantics, contrast over moving art, rarity systems and the desaturation test. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-animation.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-animation.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Designing game UI motion: what animation is for, durations and easing as a system, transitions with direction, staggering, the hundredth-time problem and how to spec it. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-wireframing.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-wireframing.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT The stages a game screen goes through: screen list, greybox wireframes, a clickable flow, one screen to final quality, then the kit. What each stage is for and how to review it. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-development-costs.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-development-costs.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT A realistic budget breakdown for a game: cost by scale, the split between disciplines, the expenses nobody plans for, and what the storefront actually leaves you. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-development-timeline.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-development-timeline.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT The real shape of a game development schedule: what each phase means, how long each takes as a share of the whole, why elapsed time runs double, and the dates that cannot move. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-project-milestones.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-project-milestones.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to run game development milestones that hold: what a milestone document contains, writing definitions of done, sign-off windows, tying payment to delivery and handling slippage. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-vertical-slice.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-vertical-slice.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT What a vertical slice actually is, how to choose which slice, what must be final and what can stay grey, how long one takes and the trap of building one you cannot scale. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-scope-control.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-scope-control.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to control game scope: why the second half of a feature costs more than the first, building a cut list before you need it, spotting load-bearing features, and cutting without gutting. https://h-idris.com/blog/steam-store-page-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/steam-store-page-design.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to design a Steam store page that converts: current capsule sizes, designing for the thumbnail, screenshot order, the short description, tags and wishlists. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-launch-checklist.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-launch-checklist.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT What to do in the final eight weeks before a game launches: build lock, certification, store page, localisation, QA passes, the day-one patch and the week after. https://h-idris.com/blog/small-team-game-pipeline.html https://h-idris.com/blog/small-team-game-pipeline.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT The working setup a small game team needs: version control for binary assets, task tracking that survives, build cadence, naming and folder conventions, and asset handoff. https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-ugui-vs-ui-toolkit.html https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-ugui-vs-ui-toolkit.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT A decision guide for Unity's two UI systems: what each is genuinely better at, what Unity's own docs recommend, the hybrid most teams land on, and what changes for the designer. https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-ui-performance.html https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-ui-performance.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT The interface causes of Unity frame drops: canvas rebuilds, raycast targets, layout groups, overdraw, atlas batching and text updates, with how to measure each one. https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-ui-prefab-kit.html https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-ui-prefab-kit.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to structure a Unity UI kit that holds up: base prefabs and variants, nesting depth, naming, theming without duplication, and mapping a Figma library onto it. https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-scroll-lists.html https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-scroll-lists.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Designing and building long lists in Unity: pooling and recycled scroll rects, item prefabs that can be reused, the states nobody lists, and controller focus inside a scroll view. https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-world-space-ui.html https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-world-space-ui.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to build interface that lives in the 3D world in Unity: render modes, canvas scale, why text goes soft, interaction with rays and hands, diegetic screens, and performance. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-onboarding-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-onboarding-design.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to design a first session players finish: what the first ten minutes must do, teaching through level design, when a prompt earns its place, and how to measure the drop-off. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ux-playtesting.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ux-playtesting.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT A practical guide to game playtesting: how many players, who to recruit, the script, what to say and never say, what to record, and how to turn notes into a prioritised fix list. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-navigation-wayfinding.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-navigation-wayfinding.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Two navigation problems and how to solve both: menu structure and naming, the back button contract, wayfinding in the world, objective tracking and maps that work. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-feedback-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-feedback-design.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Designing game feedback: the three questions every action must answer, the timing budget, layering visual, audio and haptic response, telegraphing, and failure feedback. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ux-writing.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ux-writing.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT UX writing for games: naming buttons after outcomes, confirm dialogs that prevent mistakes, tooltips and item text, error messages, empty states and writing for localisation. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-systems-and-screens.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-systems-and-screens.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Why interfaces get crowded: the design decisions that force complexity onto the screen, the comprehension budget, and the systems changes that shrink a UI. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-progression-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-progression-design.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How game progression works and how to show it: the three curves, reward pacing, types of unlock, choosing a tree or a track, and the screen that makes it feel good. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-difficulty-and-failure.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-difficulty-and-failure.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Why players quit after failing, the three costs of failure, designing a fast retry loop, fair difficulty, difficulty options without shame, and the death screen. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-economy-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-economy-design.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Designing a game economy that stays readable: sources and sinks, how many currencies, pricing and anchors, where economies break, and how to show them on screen. https://h-idris.com/blog/core-loop-to-screen-list.html https://h-idris.com/blog/core-loop-to-screen-list.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to derive a screen list from a game design: the four layers, deriving screens from systems, why states are where scope hides, and what to cut first. https://h-idris.com/blog/why-game-ui-looks-amateur.html https://h-idris.com/blog/why-game-ui-looks-amateur.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Eight specific, fixable reasons a game interface reads as amateur, in the order they usually show up, and a one-hour pass that fixes most of them without redrawing anything. https://h-idris.com/blog/how-long-does-game-ui-design-take.html https://h-idris.com/blog/how-long-does-game-ui-design-take.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How long game UI design actually takes, by scope: design days versus elapsed weeks, what each of the five stages needs, a realistic eight-week schedule, and what gets cut when a project is rushed. https://h-idris.com/blog/freelance-studio-or-asset-store.html https://h-idris.com/blog/freelance-studio-or-asset-store.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT A straight comparison of the three ways to get game UI made: asset store kits, a freelance designer, or a studio. Real costs, real risks, when each is the right answer, and the hybrid most teams should actually run. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-main-menu-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-main-menu-design.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT What a game main menu has to contain and why: the required elements, the order to put them in, first-run versus returning-player states, four layouts that work, controller focus, and a checklist to run against your own. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ux-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ux-design.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT What game UX design actually covers, what a UX designer delivers, how to read player complaints as usability problems, how to run a playtest that produces real data, and when your game needs this work. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-logo-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-logo-design.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT What a game logo has to survive, the sizes it must work at, wordmark versus emblem, the typeface licensing trap, what belongs in a logo package, and what game logo design costs. https://h-idris.com/blog/vr-ui-ux-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/vr-ui-ux-design.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How VR interface design differs from flat screens: comfort constraints, where to attach UI, readable distance and text size, ray versus hand versus gaze input, and what VR UI/UX work costs. https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-ui-design-handoff.html https://h-idris.com/blog/unity-ui-design-handoff.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to design game UI that survives Unity: reference resolution and Canvas Scaler, anchors, nine-slice, sprite exports and atlases, TextMeshPro, states, controller navigation, and a handoff checklist. https://h-idris.com/blog/mobile-game-ui-design.html https://h-idris.com/blog/mobile-game-ui-design.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How mobile game UI differs from PC: thumb reach, safe areas and notches, touch target sizes, one-handed layouts, density, portrait versus landscape, and the screens that carry the revenue. https://h-idris.com/blog/controller-ui-navigation.html https://h-idris.com/blog/controller-ui-navigation.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT What changes when a game UI is driven by a gamepad: focus states, explicit navigation maps, button glyphs and platform conventions, ten-foot legibility, Steam Deck, and what certification checks. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-design-brief.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-design-brief.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT The brief decides the quote. A field-by-field checklist of what to send a game UI designer, what to attach, the screen list that prices the job, and the gaps that make estimates go up. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-accessibility.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-accessibility.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT A practical guide to accessible game UI: text size, subtitles, colour that is never the only channel, contrast in motion, remapping, flashing, and what each of them costs at design time. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-monetisation-ui.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-monetisation-ui.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to design shops, bundles, battle passes and offers that convert without costing you trust: card anatomy, currency clarity, the offer moment, dark patterns, and the purchase flow. https://h-idris.com/blog/where-to-find-a-game-ui-ux-designer.html https://h-idris.com/blog/where-to-find-a-game-ui-ux-designer.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Every place to find and hire a game UI/UX designer, compared on quality, speed, cost and risk: freelance marketplaces, portfolio platforms, job boards, communities, referrals and outsourcing studios, with search terms that actually work. https://h-idris.com/blog/how-to-find-a-game-development-team.html https://h-idris.com/blog/how-to-find-a-game-development-team.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to find and hire a game development team: the four models compared, who to hire first and in what order, where to find studios and specialists, how to vet them, and what a team actually costs. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-job-post-template.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-job-post-template.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT Why most game UI job posts attract the wrong people, what a good one contains, a copy-paste template, the phrases that repel experienced designers, and how to screen the replies quickly. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-development-outsourcing-costs.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-development-outsourcing-costs.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT What it costs to outsource game development work by discipline, how outsourced compares to in-house once employer costs are counted, the costs nobody quotes for, and how to manage an outsourced workstream so it delivers. https://h-idris.com/blog/indie-game-ui-on-a-budget.html https://h-idris.com/blog/indie-game-ui-on-a-budget.html Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT A priority order for indie game UI when the budget is small: which four screens are worth paying for, what each one must contain, where a UI kit is genuinely fine, and a free pass you can run on your own game this week. https://h-idris.com/blog/hud-design-mistakes.html https://h-idris.com/blog/hud-design-mistakes.html Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT The seven HUD problems that show up most often in indie games: why each one happens, how to fix it, how to test the fix, plus genre priorities, accessibility, and a ten-minute audit you can run today. https://h-idris.com/blog/how-to-hire-a-game-ui-ux-designer.html https://h-idris.com/blog/how-to-hire-a-game-ui-ux-designer.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to hire a game UI/UX designer: which role you actually need, when to bring them in, how to read a portfolio past the hero shots, the red flags, twelve questions worth asking, and a brief template that gets accurate quotes. https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-ux-design-cost.html https://h-idris.com/blog/game-ui-ux-design-cost.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT Real ranges for game UI and UX work in 2026: single screens, HUDs, full menu systems and design systems, priced by platform and genre, plus how payment works and how to read a quote.