Gaming UI

UI or user interface is used to display information in video games. This information can be very diverse form health & weapons to character info & chat options. This can be done threw four types of UI witch are Diegetic, Non-diegetic, Spatial and Meta.

Diegetic UI exist within the game world so the player and character can interact with them. Well executed diegetic UI elements enhance the narrative experience for the player, providing a more immersive and integrated experience. A good example of this is the HUD and health system in Dead Space witch is displayed on the players back and with holograms.

Non-diegetic is completely opposite to diegetic UI because it is not in the game world. It is there as an overlay to inform the player on the mechanics of the game or as a visual representation on what he must do. This UI type is used by some MMO’s like World of Warcraft dew to the sheer amount of info that is needed to be displayed on screen.

Spatial UI elements are used when there's a need to break the narrative in order to provide more information to the player than the character should be aware of. They still sit within the geometry of the game's environment to help immerse the player and prevent them from having to break the experience by jumping to menu screens. Another good example is racing games like Forza or Drive witch need to show the speedometer in the third person camera so the player knows how fast there going.

Sometimes UI elements don't fit within the geometry of the game world. They can still maintain the game's narrative but sit on the 2D hub plane. These are called Meta elements and a common example of a Meta UI element is blood the splatters on the screen as a form of health bar, as in Call of Duty Modern Warfare.

This is an example of my UI in a mock up game I made. The UI is defiantly Non-diegetic because it’s just visual information on the screen to inform the player and it does not exist in the game space. I chose this UI for its simplicity and customisability for the designer.