Video Game
Lead UX Designer

GIGANTIC is a free-to-play, cross-platform PvP game developed by the independent game studio Motiga and published by Microsoft and Perfect World Entertainment. The game blends the moment-to-moment gameplay of third-person hero shooters with the match mechanics of conventional MOBAs in fast-paced, competitive, team-based combat.

I joined Motiga as a Senior UX Designer within the publishing organization, where I spearheaded the development of the GIGANTIC website and the game’s companion lobby application for Windows. Additionally, I contributed to brand development and visual design for various marketing initiatives.

After successfully launching several products, I advanced to the role of Lead UX Designer on the game development team. I directed the UX and UI design of the game, leading a team of two UI designers and two UI artists.

Back to the Drawing Board:
Reimagining Gigantic’s UX from Scratch

Midway through development, evolving business partnerships at Motiga necessitated one of the most significant challenges I have faced in software development—a complete overhaul of GIGANTIC's front end to accommodate a new audience on a new platform with new input devices.

Initially developed exclusively for Windows PCs, GIGANTIC was meant to operate with two separate executables—one for gameplay and another for in-app purchases, social systems, matchmaking, progression, and game info—navigable only with a keyboard and mouse. However, our direction shifted dramatically when Motiga partnered directly with Microsoft, leading to the game's release as an exclusive title for both Windows and Xbox. This change expanded our goals to include serving the needs, capabilities, and expectations of more casual players, necessitating a complete UX redesign to ensure a seamless, native experience on both platforms.

I collaborated closely with Microsoft’s User Research group during this transformation, effectively refactoring nearly every aspect of GIGANTIC's user experience.

Project Contributions (Game and Website)
Competitive research, user personas, user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, visual design, 2D art assets

Tools
Axure RP, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Unreal

Additional Contributors
Levin Sadsad: game UX, visual design
Nick Wiley: 2D game art, visual design