PROJECT GEMINI
As a UI/UX Director on Outriders 2, my focus was to elevate the user experience by addressing the core usability issues from the original game. The goal: make interaction intuitive, feedback meaningful, and systems seamless— empowering players rather than overwhelming them. This was driven by critical analysis of real player pain points and usability breakdowns.
CLIENT
PEOPLE CAN FLY
ROLE
UI/UX
TIMELINE
2021 – 2025
To design an improved sequel, it’s imperative to analyze the issues that impacted the original game:
1
Overcomplicated Inventory & Mod System
Issue:
The inventory UI was visually cluttered, lacking clear hierarchy and item categorization. Modding and gear comparison were unintuitive, often requiring too many clicks and lacking contextual info.
Player Feedback:
“Make the Inventory easier to find things”
“Too much clicking just to compare stats”
“No idea what mods actually do”
Outriders original inventory screen
Expanded Gemini Inventory Screen
1
Direction
In Outriders 2, the inventory system was completely overhauled to address the cluttered, click-heavy experience of the original game. We introduced a multi-screen layout that cleanly separates categories like weapons, armor, and mods, significantly improving readability and reducing cognitive overload.
Gear stats are now presented side-by-side for quick comparison, with clear visual hierarchy and color-coded indicators to highlight upgrades or downgrades. A whole Contextual tooltip system was added to explain complex stats and mod effects without forcing players to leave the screen. A new drag-and-drop interaction model allows for intuitive mod swapping, supported by live previews. These changes make managing gear faster, more transparent, and far less error-prone.
2
Lack of Visual Consistency
Issue:
UI screens varied dramatically in layout and visual style—from loadouts to crafting—creating cognitive dissonance and interrupting the player’s mental model.
Player Feedback:
“Every screen feels like it was made by a different team.”
Single Figma page showing library of components to maintain consistency
2
Direction
To fix the lack of visual and functional consistency across the original Outriders UI, I established a unified design language built on an atomic design system in Figma.
This system allowed us to create and maintain a shared library of components—buttons, layouts, icons, type styles—that could scale seamlessly across all menus, from inventory and crafting to matchmaking and map navigation. By standardizing interaction patterns and visual elements, we eliminated the disjointed feel of separate screens that previously looked and behaved like they came from different builds. The design system also streamlined collaboration between UX, UI, and engineering teams, ensuring that every new screen or feature adhered to a consistent structure, visual hierarchy, and interaction logic. The result is a far more cohesive, intuitive interface that feels deliberate and polished across the entire experience.
3
Poor Accessibility and Clarity
Issue:
Small fonts, weak contrast, inconsistent button prompts, and minimal customization left many players frustrated, especially those with visual impairments or on larger displays.
Player Feedback:
“Text is unreadable on my TV” and “No font scaling or UI resizing.”
“The HUD Is hard to read”
“There’s no customization”
3
Direction
To address the lack of accessibility and visual clarity in the original Outriders, we implemented a fully customizable HUD and a range of player-focused accessibility settings in the sequel. Players can now scale UI elements, adjust font sizes, and choose from multiple colorblind-friendly palettes in a easy to find and use accessibility menu.
Key gameplay indicators, such as health, cooldowns, and objective markers, were redesigned with higher contrast, simplified shapes, and clearer motion to improve legibility during combat. The HUD itself is modular—players can toggle elements on or off, reposition key UI blocks, and save presets for different playstyles. These improvements not only make the game more inclusive but also give players greater control over how they experience and interact with the interface.
Overview
The original Outriders set out with strong intentions but was held back by foundational UX and UI shortcomings that affected usability, clarity, and consistency. In the sequel, we’re rethinking the player experience from the ground up—introducing a cohesive design system, more intuitive interfaces, and deeper customization to ensure clarity and control at every touchpoint. While development is still ongoing, our direction is clear: build a seamless, accessible, and modern user experience that evolves with player needs. The work so far sets a solid foundation, but as with any live product, the final outcome will be shaped by iteration, feedback, and the realities of shipping at scale.