inglorious

Luke Mathis posted a great article at his blog Ignore the Code called Realism in UI Design. I recommend giving it a read. He does a good job encouraging designers to strive for the easily accessible middle ground between detail and simplicity.

People are confused by symbols if they have too many or too few details. They will recognize UI elements which are somewhere in the middle.

I like this especially when we narrow our focus on game UI design. Games have a tendency to error in the direction of being too realistic. Look at those muddy icons in MMO hot bars. While Mathis points aren’t exactly ground breaking it’s a good solid reminder for us UI designers everywhere.  Read it, understand it, and apply it.

…also he channels Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics which is a must read for anyone and everyone involved in any level of artistic pursuits.