Heya! I’m María Vargas, an Argentinian UI designer primarily based in Madrid, Spain. Internet UI and digital experiences have been a part of my profession for over 10 years… till PlayStation knocked at my freelancer’s door.
For some, it is perhaps curious to examine an business transition from a fellow net UI designer… so I’m giving my Highlight a twist! I’ll inform this “story” by my designs and key moments associated to this shift. And the way I feel the synergy between sport UI and creativity in my work led me to the place I’m in the present day.
Thanks for being right here! Let’s go:
1_How it Started – Creativity Appreciation
As a toddler, individuals used to consider me as a “artistic woman” as a result of I appreciated drawing. The sincere fact is that woman wasn’t excellent, however I imagine that selecting to check Graphic Design as my main was straight influenced by that love of craft.
It wasn’t till the start of my college interval that one thing clicked, although. Because of my professors and fellow college students at F.A.D.U., I began valuing stepping exterior of my consolation zone, embracing exploration, pondering exterior the field; all associated to the artistic course of. I wished all of that to be a part of my future work.
Earlier than and after commencement, I used to be fortunate sufficient to have labored at two businesses that have been aligned with this imaginative and prescient: inTacto and Media.Monks. Over these 9+ years, I used to be in a position to correctly develop my artistic design abilities, develop professionally, and be taught from the most effective (throughout this era I met a few of the most inspiring individuals I’ve identified).
2_The Bridge – Riot Video games Web sites
Throughout my keep at Media.Monks, Riot Video games approached them with a web site request. As a long-time League participant and informal gamer since childhood, I used to be overly excited and actually wished to be a part of it.
Lengthy story quick… my want got here true we ended up engaged on 5 tasks with Riot: Legends of Runeterra, Valorant, Wild Rift, Arcane + a final one which by no means went dwell. I felt privileged to have been concerned in not only one, however all of them. Each as UI designer and UI design lead.
Every web site was a problem, however the ardour and pleasure that I felt whereas engaged on these tasks was 100% regular.
A private spotlight amongst them is the Valorant web site, since there was no branding or fashion information after we started working on it. In a manner, we helped them establish what labored and what didn’t by our design explorations. Seeing its evolution since then (in my view, one of many coolest brandings in gaming) is mind-blowing.
As designers, we normally have a “favorite business to work in”. Because of Riot, I realized that my private favorite was the Gaming business.
3_ Freelancing + Specializing in Recreation Websites
Once I moved to Madrid and began my freelance “journey”, two issues have been clear:
- I wanted to earn cash;
- I wished my work to concentrate on the sector I loved probably the most.
However first… I wanted to create an acceptable portfolio to make myself seen, and my priorities clear:
- As a versatile designer, I wished to indicate selection (although not an excessive amount of, simply sufficient).
- As I wished to work on sport websites, I wanted to make that assertion.
After the portfolio launch, a few businesses and recruiters reached out. My first challenge on this new period was a marketing campaign web site for Remaining Fantasy XI’s twentieth anniversary, and I couldn’t have been happier. I made it work!
After all, not all of the collabs afterwards have been online game associated, however most of them have been artistic and that’s sufficient gas for me.
4_ The transfer to Recreation-UI: PlayStation & Naughty Canine
In 2023 (one 12 months after I began freelancing), I obtained contacted for a contractor function at SONY PlayStation. They have been searching for a “Artistic UI designer”, so I used to be very excited to work on any first-party sport web site. Or so I believed… because the function was for sport UI.
W o a h – this was a complete new and thrilling expertise, so I trusted their judgement and simply did my finest. I feel they appreciated me as a result of we joined forces a pair extra instances after this.
Quick-forward to 2026: for the previous 12 months, I’ve been engaged on Naught Canine*’s “Intergalactic: the Heretic Prophet” as a UI designer/artist. Huge shout out to my teammates on each the PlayStation and Naughty Canine groups <3
For apparent causes, I can’t present any work, however I can say that the design hole between net UI and sport UI will not be as large as I initially thought (if you happen to like enjoying video games).
Intergalactic goes to be dope. So I hope you take pleasure in our work when it will get launched!
*Creators of my favorite sport ever: The Final of Us.
Remaining ideas + Contact
I don’t assume it is a goodbye to my net UI profession. I’m having fun with sport UI loads and need to make the most effective of it.
It’d sound tacky, however on the finish of the day I’ll observe the Creativity movement wherever it takes me.
Huge due to Codrops for having me and continuously spreading inspiration within the business!
Additionally, thank YOU for studying this far. Be at liberty to get in contact by social media, I’m all the time open to having a chat 🙂
Instagram / LinkedIn / Portfolio
PLUS_ Enjoyable truth
Final 12 months, I performed taiko (Japanese drums) within the LoL EMEA Championship finals occurring in Madrid. League of Legends retains coming to me in astonishing methods. kkkbye!
