Join the award-winning team that created God of War
Santa Monica Studio is seeking a Lead UI/UX Designer to partner with the UI and Gameplay teams to design a range of User Interface and User Experience content and functionality!
In this role, you will interpret the needs of the game and its systems to understand what drives the information being presented to the player, and the desired player experience. You will lead a team of designers, artists, and engineers to drive technical implementation and asset creation. You will take ownership of how we communicate information to the player, with an emphasis on player experience and comprehension.
Responsibilities
- Design and champion the UI and UX for the project
- Support and supplement the creative vision of the Game Director, Design Director and Art Director, achieving clarity and visual quality within technical constraints
- Design intuitive UI/UX structure and flow, with a focus on the best user experience possible, utilizing grey-boxing, wire-framing, flowcharts, mockups, and other prototyping techniques
- Own and communicate the high-level vision and creative goals for UI/UX
- Ensure information is conveyed to the player clearly, and in keeping with the visual style and context of the game - in addition to a front-end shell and pause menus, this might also include (but is not limited to) tutorials, health/damage information, leading the player, indicating objectives, weapons, pickups, items, skills, upgrades, and player progression systems
- Be the owner of UI/UX processes. Review, document, share, build knowledge, and iterate processes within the team
- Create and/or integrate assets and test functionality of UI components
- Consistently play through game content and alert other departments about areas where player comprehension may be lacking
- Extract usability insights through self-guided play and validation, playtests, user research, team feedback, and community feedback. Work with production and design leadership to translate feedback into scheduled, practical tasks to improve the player experience
- Play and analyze many games, and understand a wide variety of approaches to UI and UX
Requirements
- 6+ years in game development, with at least 4 years in a lead UI or UX design role
- Be passionate and knowledgeable about UI and UX design, and able to articulate this
- Deep understanding of visual hierarchy, layout design, and usability design
- Ability to generate and convey the vision for the user experience the ability break down that vision into a roadmap for getting content into the game and up on the screen
- Preference for failing fast and iterating through feedback
Preferred Experience
- Recent console title shipped in UI or UX Design role
- Experience leading a cross-functional team and interest in mentoring designers and UI artists
- Experience with accessibility design and implementation in video games
The estimated base pay range for this role is: $133,400 - $200,200 USD
We value talent, self-motivation, and team spirit. In turn, we provide an environment with a large degree of autonomy and opportunities for growth.
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, legally protected physical or mental disability, covered veteran status, status in the U.S. uniformed services, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information or membership in any other legally protected category. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. We genuinely appreciate the time and effort you spent in contacting us and we thank you for your interest in Santa Monica Studio.
