Role: UX/UI Designer (First Game Project)
Timeline: October 2024 – July 2025
Platform: Web-based (SUI Blockchain, Walrus)
Team: Cross-functional (Design, Development, Product, Marketing)
Status: Live & Growing (vendettagame.xyz)

Project Overview

Vendetta is the first fully on-chain, text-based multiplayer strategy game built on the SUI blockchain. As my first experience designing for games, I embraced the challenge of mastering complex game mechanics, blockchain technology fundamentals, and community-driven gameplay dynamics. Collaborating closely in a passionate cross-functional team, I helped design an engaging, accessible interface that supports strategic gameplay and a growing player community.

My Role & Contributions

• Rapidly learned the game's mechanics and blockchain concepts, initially supporting an existing designer

• Took full ownership of the UX/UI design, collaborating tightly with developers and iterating quickly

• Designed key user journeys, community features, and engagement mechanics tailored for blockchain gaming

• Applied a “fail faster” approach, enabling rapid iteration and reducing development time by 40%

• Actively integrated player feedback and inspirations from other games to continuously refine design

Design Process

1. Explore & Gather

   • Studied game mechanics, blockchain constraints, and community expectations

   • Researched other games and player engagement models for inspiration

   • Reviewed technical documentation to ensure design feasibility

2. Ideate & Map

   • Brainstormed multiple design approaches for flows, interactions, and features

   • Mapped initial user journeys and key interactions

   • Collaborated with product and development teams to validate concepts against technical constraints

3. Prototype & Validate

   • Created low-fidelity flows and wireframes to visualize user experience

   • Conducted walkthroughs and collected team feedback to spot gaps or edge cases

   • Iterated quickly before moving to polished design screens

4. Iterate & Polish

   • Embraced “fail faster” testing and feedback cycles for continuous design refinement

   • Focused on clarity, accessibility, and maximizing player engagement and community interaction

5. Collaborate & Handoff

   • Worked closely with developers to streamline design implementation

   • Provided clear documentation, assets, and specifications

   • Continued iterative improvements post-launch based on player and team feedback

Achievements & Impact

Challenges & Learnings

• First-time Game UX/UI Design: Quickly adapted to new domain and blockchain-specific considerations

• Rapidly Evolving Product: Managed frequent changes in game mechanics requiring agile iteration

• Technical Constraints: Designed within blockchain scalability and on-chain data limits

• Community-Driven Gameplay: Balanced accessibility, fairness, and engagement within an active player base

• Collaboration: Frequent close coordination with developers to ensure feasibility and speed

Reflection

This project significantly strengthened my ability to create user-centric, scalable, and engaging interfaces in novel and technical domains. It deepened my skills in rapid iteration, cross-functional collaboration, and applying design thinking under constraints delivering an experience that resonated strongly with thousands of blockchain gamers. The first-time game design challenge stretched my adaptability and solidified my confidence in tackling complex, emerging product spaces.

Tools & Methods

Figma, low-fidelity wireframes, user interviews, rapid prototyping, usability testing, iterative design