UX DIRECTION

The role of a UX Director does not formally exist at Hi-Rez Studios; however, SMITE 2 required this level of oversight to ensure the delivery of a high-quality product. With little more than a year to define, and develop our UX goals, pillars, UI visual style, and execution, it was critical to accelerate our initial processes without compromising key foundational steps. To establish a strong framework for the sequel’s UI development, I undertook several essential tasks:

• Leadership and Team Interviews: Engaged with leadership and UI team members to identify their aspirations, priorities, and vision for SMITE 2.

• Community Feedback: Conducted in-depth discussions with trusted community members to gather insights on the current state of SMITE 1 and their overall impressions of the title.

• Competitive Analysis: Performed a detailed analysis of 14 titles, including direct competitors and other live-service games, to benchmark best practices.

• Targeted Surveys: Collaborated with the User Acquisitions department to create and release surveys addressing specific aspects of SMITE 1 for player feedback.

Using the insights gathered, I authored a comprehensive case study evaluating SMITE 1's strengths and weaknesses from a UI/UX perspective. This included an analysis of key psychological factors and recommendations to improve our design approach.

Below is an example of one of the many UI/UX decks I presented to the SMITE 2 leadership team. Here, I outline our key pillars and actionable "Dos and Don’ts" that would act as a guide during the title's development cycle. For this website, I’ve updated the presentation to include detailed notes and removed any sensitive information.