Nintendo

Unifying a suite of tools for game developers

What is NTD?
I worked for Nintendo Technology Development (NTD), the hardware-focused R&D arm of Nintendo. NTD's primary product is a suite of tools for game developers. The tools are used by all kinds of game developers, from single-developer indies to large triple-A studios and Nintendo itself.

To protect confidentiality agreements, this is a brief look at my work. To hear about my time at Nintendo in more detail, reach out to me.
Design system
In order to unify our tools, NTD decided to create a design system, which was one of my main projects. I helped choose color palettes, define typographic styles, and craft a large library of elements. Because NTD is developer-facing, our design system had to be distinct from Nintendo's consumer-facing brand identity, so we had to craft our look and feel from scratch.

I especially focused on defining icon styles, creating various types of icons, designing a dark theme, and making many UI elements. I also prototyped micro-interactions for some elements. The image on the right depicts a small part of what we created in our design system but is not real NTD work.
Game developer tools
In addition to the design system, I provided deliverables for various tools, from wireframes to high-fidelity mockups and an interactive prototype. In designing these products, I applied our design system and worked closely with engineers to ensure smooth implementation. I assisted with research, including interviews, surveys, observational studies, and usability testing.
UX guidelines
We created a set of guidelines for internal use that allows people to determine whether their tool meets UX best practices.

I contributed visual design to this project like icons and illustrations. I created the artwork at the top of this page for the landing page of our guidelines. With guidance from our UX writer, I wrote a section on illustrations in interfaces.
Reflection
Working at NTD was an incredible learning experience, both professionally and personally. Firstly, I gained experience as a member of small UX team that works within a large engineering division. This meant frequently meeting with developers to hash out the feasibility of potential features and handoff of design work.

We also worked with our Japan-based teams, and our tools have to work in both English and Japanese. As a result, I became familiar with differences in Japanese interfaces and cultural preferences. I learned how to design for text that looks vastly different once localized. Navigating our parent company's time zone, opinions, and language was a unique experience and another important takeaway.

For a million other lessons, for supporting me along the way, and for this amazing opportunity, I am incredibly grateful to my team. Thank you.

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