I’ve been a fan of the cyberpunk genre for a long time. I enjoyed the stories, the aesthetics, and the eerie parallels to real-life society. So when Cyberpunk 2077 came about, it was a dream come true. Granted, there were issues at first, but the version we have now in 2024 is a FAR CRY from what it was when it launched. Despite that, plenty of design decisions were made that, if done differently, would alter it just enough for a more immersive experience. So that’s what I aim to do with my completely unsolicited redesign.
CLIENT: PERSONAL PROJECT
ROLE: UX, VISUAL, MOTION DESIGNER
TEAM: SOLO CONTRIBUTOR
TIMELINE: 3 WEEKS
Problem Statement
Cyberpunk 2077’s interface has undergone significant changes since its 2018 demo, resulting in several aesthetic and usability issues that impact the overall experience.
Objectives & Goals
- Capitalize more on the world design and overall aesthetics, and incorporate it into various menus
- Improve the functionality of specific menus to increase usability and improve navigation
Design Challenges
- CP77 has a fully fleshed-out experience, and as a novice designer, my proposals may not meet or even exceed user needs
- Debating if the redesigns are about aesthetics or functionality, and not figuring that out could potentially hinder the experience
In the time that Cyberpunk launched back in 2020, it has become a DRASTICALLY different game, improving on many of the issues and even adding to the experience. To determine the scope of my designs, I needed to understand the issues in Cyberpunk that still needed addressing, according to the community, and I required inspiration for some of the proposed changes.
Modding Community
After comparing User interface mods based on the number of downloads versus user endorsement metrics, I gained insight into what many people would have preferred to change about the game. The most endorsed changes to note were:
- Improvement to Loot Markers
- Filter Saves by Lifepath
- Quest Tracking
- Hud Colors
Visual Inspiration
I pulled several images from the 2018 demo to get a sense of its visual aesthetics to compare to that of the game as it currently sits. From there, it was a matter of finding a common ground between both.
Purposed User Flow
I mapped out the experience from the moment a player boots the game to the point where they enter the player menus to access their inventory.
First Ideation Mockups
I took scenic images of Night City and used that as the aesthetic basis for some of the initial menus, and utilized concepts in other games and interactive media to flesh out the redesigned player experience.
Community Feedback
After getting my first mockups finished, I posted them to the official Cyberpunk Subreddit on Reddit to get a bit of community feedback. What came back was a lot of helpful criticism on the art, color choices, and layout choices. The key takeaways were:
THE PLAYER MENUS LOOKED CRAMPED AND MOBILE-GAME-ESQUE.
LACK OF INDICATING ELEMENTS AND ICONS FOR CERTAIN FEATURES
THE COLORS OF THE PLAYER MENUS LOOK OVERSATURATED
THE CONDENSED FONT DOESN’T VISUALLY WORK
Most of my redesigns were largely cosmetic, aimed at better controlling the flow of information across each menu page. I kept the semi-transparent background throughout the whole game, but switched up the colors to be a little more vibrant, while not deviating too much from the original scheme.
GAME BOOT
The redesign of the experience should start the minute you boot the game to the landing screen. The world design of Cyberpunk 2077 should be a major selling point and the think to entice users into delving into this world as soon as possible.
PLAYER MENU
Most of my redesigns were largely cosmetic to control better the flow of how users might follow the information across each menu page. I kept the semi-transparent background in the full game but switched up the colors to be a little more vibrant while not deviating too much from the original scheme. World Lore and Missions were made to be better organized for ease of use.
The biggest takeaway, I think, was the feedback. It forced me to rethink my approaches to certain problems, something I’m not used to doing. In the process, it allowed me to break from my preconceived methods, and I was able to improve upon something and learned a great deal about the importance of a second opinion. Cyberpunk 2077 is an amazing game with an amazing community. Not many games on the market can give you such a rich, dense experience and inspire so much devotion to it through its best and worst times. I’m grateful that both have inspired me to be a better storyteller and a designer. Crafting experiences like that is why I want to do what I do, and someday I hope I have the skill to match that aim.
