Sputnik
UI/UX Designer - 3D UI Demo
Solo Project - 3 months
Solo Project - 3 months
Sometimes one's favorite ideas can come from the most random of places. Truly, when I started brainstorming concepts for this UI project, I didn't expect my impulse decision to take up Russian two months earlier would be of consequence, but once I'd made the connection I couldn't let it go. As I turned it over in my head - the gamification of learning, the value of immersion in learning a language, adjusting to foreign cultures and concepts - an idea took form, an idea that would become Sputnik. I sought to outline an experience which would serve a practical purpose, teaching Russian to English speakers, while backing it up with narrative and mechanical engagement. Taking the concept of alienation and unfamiliarity to the extreme, the player takes on the role of a literal alien explorer learning about a new culture from scratch and having to make connections if they want to survive, an experience rooted in the value of adaptability, communication, and community. The concept established, the process of UI design became clearer and began presenting some very interesting challenges. The UI would need to provide support for language learning without interrupting immersion, as well as facilitating exploration and cohesive "world feel". To bring it together, I emphasized diegesis, making the interfaces themselves part of the world, while taking visual and sound design inspiration from classic sci-fi and industrial technology to create alien tech which would feel solid and functional without futuristic bells and whistles. Throughout the project, I worked on:
- Researching, developing, and proposing the project concept and design
- Wireframing UI layouts and planning interactive elements and effects
- Creating a distinct audio-visual style for UI elements and interaction
- Implementing design and functionality in a playable demo
- Playtesting 4 times and iterating upon layout, effects, and interactions to achieve intended feel
All in all, the project was quite successful - testers praised the look and feel of the demo, how they conveyed both a sense of the world and the hypothetical mechanics, and the final version was assessed well. Since the completion of the original demo, I have spent some time polishing various elements (e.g. the UI translation function, volume dials), as well as drafting the setting and characters of the game. I have become quite fond of this project, and hope I can someday bring this UI demo into its own as a full game - I do believe that, while perhaps somewhat niche, an immersive simulator could be quite effective as a language learning tool. Until then, I will keep developing my designs, keep practicing my Russian, and keep looking for new ways to make learning engaging.
Contact me for a playable copy
Cover Image: Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons