leading ux at ncsoft

I had the absolute delight to be one of the first 10 employees at the Bay Area studio where I was able to shape the studio through the hiring process, establish the development pipeline through leadership, and integrating UX at every step of the way.

 
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Starting the Studio

Shaping the flagship mobile studio in the west for a leading gaming company is no easy task. We grew quickly, but intelligently. In the beginning, I had the opportunity to personally interview each designer that could potentially become a part of the NCSOFT family.

We’ve experienced healthy growth in the past three years, with over 100 employees in the studio now. Placing trust in my team and acknowledging they know what they need in their own departments, I am currently only involved in hiring for director positions.

Building a Team

I believe every person plays a major role in creating the best game. A strong team is one that works well together by complimenting each other’s skill sets. To find the right team, not only do the UI and UX designers have to take the design test, but so do the game designers. There are no right answers, but a measure of their care for the player and the curiosity to ask the right questions:

  • What problem are we trying to solve?

  • Have we tested solutions with players?

Hiring the right people for the team is not only about how much they’ve done but also about how they fit into the current team and if they have the capacity to grow. Having a visual-driven designer doesn’t mean they have to be great at UX but having an interest in it is the catalyst for learning!

Leading Development

Establishing the development pipeline early to help vet out designs was my top priority. UX should be involved in every step of the development process. I was the main UX Designer for all major features of the game but I’m proud to say many members of my team are stepping up to the UX bat and knocking designs right out of the park! We work closely with everyone including leadership, designers, engineers, and QA.

I currently play a Feature Owner role where I hold and drive the vision for key features throughout the development process while working with Product Owners and designers to accomplish design goals and make the game fun to interact with for the player.

I will continuously push for a higher quality player experience and never settle for just the “good enough” solutions.