• Graphics
  • Systems
  • Research
EA-Sims
  • Game Entry (feature design)
    EA-SIMS The Sims™ 3 ( 2008 )
    This feature enabled users to launch the game and was also used as a hub for importing content into an existing game. New users can start playing quickly, intermediate and expert users are provided access to additional configurations.

    Millions of new players were introduced to the game using the onboarding experience I designed. For many it was the first computer game they’d ever purchased.

    ARCHITECTURE. This diagram describes how characters and property pass through the application framework.

    FLOW. I specified conditions a player must satisfy in order to move things into and out of the game.

    WIREFRAME. I used a method of progressive disclosure to request player input in stages.

    PROTOTYPE. I made prototypes in Flash. They revealed that finding a home is based on perceived value not immediate satisfaction. I had wanted to reduce time spent in Game Entry by providing default choices at each stage of user input. However, during informal testing this mechanism was shown to misdirect users who in fact spent more time exploring possible configurations than expected.

    PRODUCT. The Sims 3 was an immediate success, selling 1.4 million copies in the week for its release for Windows/OS X and 5 million copies overall. New users are able to start playing quickly while intermediate and expert users are free to explore additional configurations.

  • Edit Town (user stories)
    EA-SIMS The Sims™ 3 ( 2008 )
    I categorized 12 critical narratives for the game's neighborhood management feature and described how they would be supported by the user interface. I ranked each of them by the number of steps it would take to complete a task. This functional map provided the basis for wireframing the feature.


  • Edit Town (workflow)
    EA-SIMS The Sims™ 3 ( 2008 )
    These diagrams were used to compare interactions across the critical use cases for the feature. By removing visual detail from the wireframes and leaving only silhouettes I was able to point out relationships between different tasks. The design patterns emerged from conversations with the UI group and were reviewed with the rest of the UI team where they were evaluated and prototyped in Flash.
  • Tooltips
    EA-SIMS The Sims™ 3 ( 2008 )
    Tooltips are small windows into the mechanics of the simulation. The variety of information presented in this game ranges from location to aspirations and family relationships. These high fidelity wireframes guided the visual design by providing a unified way to present data across multiple categories.