objectiveUXcanonical

Make the interface communicate — readability, hierarchy, and feedback

GDC-L1-UX-0003

Strong4/5

Statement

The interface exists to answer the player's questions at a glance: what's happening, what can I do, what just happened, what matters most? Use visual hierarchy — size, contrast, position, color, motion — to rank importance, and give clear feedback for every action. If players have to squint, hunt, or guess, the UI has failed its job.

Rationale

An interface is a communication channel, and its quality is measured by how quickly and correctly the player reads it, not by how it looks in a screenshot [S-hodent-gamers-brain]. The eye and brain triage by salience — bright, big, high-contrast, moving things get attention first — so a UI that doesn't rank its elements forces the player to search, which costs attention that should be on the game (UX-0002). Feedback closes the loop Norman describes: every action needs a visible, immediate confirmation, or the player can't tell if it worked [S-norman-doet] (the UI expression of FEEL-0004). Good UI makes the important legible instantly and the unimportant recede.

Applies when

All HUD, menu, and interface design, and any moment the game must convey state, availability, or the result of an action.

Does not apply / Exceptions

Deliberate minimalism and diegetic/no-HUD design are valid stylistic choices (immersion, tension, art) — but they don't exempt the game from communicating; they just move the communication into the world (a wounded character's limp instead of a health bar). Some information is intentionally withheld for tension or discovery (transparency⇄mystery). The rule is "communicate what the player needs, clearly," not "put everything on a HUD."

Implementation

Establish a clear hierarchy: the most important information is the most salient; secondary detail is quieter. Never encode critical information in color alone (accessibility, UX-0006). Give immediate, unambiguous feedback for actions and state changes. Test readability with real players at real speed and viewing distance — if they miss it, redesign the presentation, not the player. Reduce clutter; every element competes for attention.

Disagreement

Rich/informative HUD (clarity, low friction) vs. minimal/diegetic UI (immersion, art) is a stylistic split — but both camps agree the game must communicate, differing on where and how much. The debate is presentation, not whether to inform.