UX/UI Game Design

Make a Mark
or Make a Living?

Make a Mark
or Make a Living?

A digital game that explores the common career dilemmas faced by creatives, especially students and emerging professionals.

Project
Context


Graduation Project

Project
Timeline

Sept 2024 - May 2025

Project
Role

Research, UI, UX, User Testing

Wire Framing, Prototyping,

Visual Design,IA, Game Design

Tools

Figma, Photoshop,

Illustrator, React

Figma, Photoshop,

Illustrator, React

Project Context

Graduation Project

Project Timeline

Research, UI, UX, User Testing

Wire Framing, Prototyping,

Visual Design, IA, Game Design

Project Role
Tools

Sept 2024 - May 2025

Project Context

Graduation Project

Project Timeline

Sept 2024 - May 2025

Project Role

Research, UI, UX, User Testing

Wire Framing, Prototyping,

Visual Design, Branding, IA,

Game Design

Tools

Figma, Photoshop,

Illustrator, React

Overview

Dreams & Dollars

“Most people don’t have a perfect career plan—they just figure it out as they go.”
Creative individuals—like art students, artists, and designers—often face the dilemma of pursuing their dreams or prioritizing financially rewarding projects. 'Dreams & Dollars' is a narrative-driven game that explores the tension between creative passion and financial stability, offering players a sense of recognition and validation through compelling storytelling.

Overview

Dreams & Dollars

“Most people don’t have a perfect career plan—they just figure it out as they go.”
Creative individuals—like art students, artists, and designers—often face the dilemma of pursuing their dreams or prioritizing financially rewarding projects. 'Dreams & Dollars' is a narrative-driven game that explores the tension between creative passion and financial stability, offering players a sense of recognition and validation through compelling storytelling.

Design Challenge

Design Challenge

'Dreams & Dollars' explores the dilemma many creatives face: balancing personal fulfillment with financial stability when job hunting. After graduation, artists often must choose between well-paying roles that limit creativity and passion projects or freelance work with less security.

The game uses storytelling and humor to reflect these struggles, inviting players to explore different career paths without judging their choices. It encourages self-reflection and helps players discover their own balance between passion and profit.

Research

Understanding the Users

Understanding the Users

Understanding the users was the most important part of this project. The core purpose of the game is to create something relatable—something that resonates with players and makes them feel seen. That’s why I took the initiative to reach out to both art students and seasoned professionals in the creative industry, gathering their stories and weaving their real-life experiences into the game.

Research

Primary Research

Surveys, Interviews, Co-Design

Secondary Research

Comparative Analysis

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Interviews and Surveys


The main goal of these findings were to help with the narratives of the storyline of the game and understand the problem first hand.


TARGET USERS: The primary target audience for the surveys was students from Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECUAD). Focusing on art students made the most sense, as they are the ones who best understand the challenges and nuances of the problem space explored in the game.

Result of Survey

01

First- and second-year students tended to prioritize
passion when considering their career choices.

02

Students approaching graduation or currently job searching indicated that financial stability became a major concern as they neared the end of their studies.

In conclusion, the survey revealed a shift in priorities
among students at different stages of their studies. This contrast highlights how career priorities can evolve over time, with practical concerns like financial security becoming more prominent as students transition from academic life to professional aspirations.

In conclusion, the survey revealed a shift in priorities among students at different stages of their studies.

This contrast highlights how career priorities can evolve over time, with practical concerns like financial security becoming more prominent as students transition from academic life to professional aspirations.

Interviews

After conducting surveys with students at ECUAD, I reached out to several professionals who have been working in the creative industry for a few years to learn about their personal experiences and the dilemmas they've faced. Their insights were then incorporated into the game’s narrative, adding depth and authenticity to the story.

I interviewed 4 different participants:

  • Videographer & Photographer

  • Civil Engineer & Musician

  • UX Designer

  • Senior Associate @CJ Food

After conducting surveys with students at ECUAD, I reached out to several professionals who have been working in the creative industry for a few years to learn about their personal experiences and the dilemmas they've faced. Their insights were then incorporated into the game’s narrative, adding depth and authenticity to the story.

I interviewed 4 different participants:

  • Videographer & Photographer

  • Civil Engineer & Musician

  • UX Designer

  • Senior Associate @CJ Food

Interview Goals

As these participants have reached a stable point in their careers, their answers varied widely from one another when compared to the answers from the surveys taken by students at ECUAD.

As these participants have reached a stable point in their careers, their answers varied widely from one another when compared to the answers from the surveys taken by students at ECUAD.

As these participants have reached a stable point in their careers, their answers varied widely from one another when compared to the answers from the surveys taken by students at ECUAD.

SECONDARY RESEARCH

Comparative Analysis


Existing narrative-based games were explored to examine their storylines, art styles, and other key elements. This research revealed techniques and approaches that can enhance the game’s design.

Sheepy: A Short Adventure

  • Narrative Structure

  • Art Style

  • Immersive World Building

Night in the Woods

  • Narrative Structure

  • Decision Making

Papers, Please

  • Decision Making

  • Moral Dilemmas

  • Game Play

A comparative analysis of narrative-driven games gave me valuable insights into storytelling techniques and the role of visual design. I learned how games balance emotional depth with player choice and how art and design enhance the overall narrative experience.

A comparative analysis of narrative-driven games gave me valuable insights into storytelling techniques and the role of visual design. I learned how games balance emotional depth with player choice and how art and design enhance the overall narrative experience.

RESEARCH

Design Ideas

The primary inspiration for Dreams and Dollars comes from Good Pizza, Great Pizza, known for its engaging simulation gameplay and first-person perspective that lets players interact with diverse characters. Similarly, Dreams and Dollars progresses through conversations and branching choices reflecting players’ values and aspirations.

The gameplay mechanics of Good Pizza, Great Pizza serve as an ideal model: a simple yet immersive interface that focuses on story and emotional decisions, rich and humorous character interactions, and a fast pace with evolving scenarios that maintain player engagement—elements mirrored in Dreams and Dollars as players navigate career paths and life choices.

PROCESS

Story Board

User Journey Map

A storyboard was created to better understand the user's perspective during the game development process. It provided an opportunity to reflect on the user's emotional experience and consider their point of view more deeply.

User Journey Map

PROCESS

Early Idea Sketches

PROCESS

User Flow Diagram

Once the entire game scenario was written out, a user flow diagram was created to visualize the steps users would take and to get an overview of the game's structure.

PROCESS

Game Scenarios

In order to move onto desiging the viosuals for the game, the differnet scenarios needed to be created. Through the different surveys and interviews that were conducted, and after getting consent, their stories were taken into consideration to structure some of the narratives in the game.

📠 Scenario Script

PROCESS

Lo-Fi Wireframe Sketches

DESIGN

Icons/Character Design

I aimed to maintain the game’s light and playful tone. Inspired by the illustrative style of Good Pizza, Great Pizza, I recreated the characters, background, and icons to preserve its cheerful, fun, and warm atmosphere.

Highlighting dilemmas through humour & storytelling.
Meet Dreams & Dollars: a game designed to explore the common career dilemmas faced by creatives, especially students and emerging professionals through interactive storytelling.
Highlighting dilemmas through humour & storytelling. Meet Dreams & Dollars: a game designed to explore the common career dilemmas faced by creatives, especially students and emerging professionals through interactive storytelling.
Dreams & Dollars

Dreams and Dollars is an interactive storytelling game where players shape their own endings by making career-related choices many face in life. It offers no clear answers but encourages exploring different paths. Through humor, narrative, and relatable characters, the game reassures players they’re not alone in these decisions.

Intro Animation

The intro animation helps immerse players in the world of a recent graduate, offering context for the story ahead. Light humor adds a relatable and playful touch to draw players in.

Scenarios

The core gameplay revolves around navigating different scenarios by choosing between 'yes' or 'no' responses. Along the way, players meet various characters who react to their choices, guiding the story to the next scene. A scale in the top left corner tracks 'Happiness' and 'Money,' shifting based on each decision made. The scenes are filled with humorous situations that keep the experience light and fun, while still prompting players to reflect on deeper questions.

Summary

Once the player has completed all their choices, they are presented with a summary view that reflects their overall journey. This allows them to look back and reflect on the decisions they made throughout the game.

Outcome

After the summary page is displayed, the game automatically leads players to one of four possible outcomes based on the choices they made. These endings aren't meant to provide solutions, but rather offer a playful way to reflect on real-life challenges. Players can then choose to replay the game to explore different paths or exit the experience.

Outcome

Design Rationale

Design Rationale

  • Why binary choices?


    - To keep the experience focused and emotionally impactful. Career decisions often feel like all-or-nothing in real life.


  • Why multiple endings?


    - To show that different choices lead to different results — but none are “right” or “wrong.”


  • Why visual storytelling?


    - It makes heavy topics more digestible, and illustration adds personality and relatability.


  • Why this topic?


    - Research from school surveys, online polls, and interviews showed that many creatives face confusion, burnout, and existential doubt — this game brings those conversations to the surface. This is something that we’ve all been through and is going through.

Next Steps

Next Steps

Given the limited time I had, I’m very happy with both the concept and the final outcome. However, with more time, there would have been greater potential to explore additional possibilities. Through multiple rounds of user testing and feedback, I identified several improvements I would have liked to implement to further enhance the project.


Future improvements:

- Add a functional Resource Hub for post-game reflection
- Implement path tracking so players can see how their choices built their ending
- Expand decision branches for deeper interactivity

Given the limited time I had, I’m very happy with both the concept and the final outcome. However, with more time, there would have been greater potential to explore additional possibilities. Through multiple rounds of user testing and feedback, I identified several improvements I would have liked to implement to further enhance the project.


Future improvements:

- Add a functional Resource Hub for post-game reflection
- Implement path tracking so players can see how their choices built their ending
- Expand decision branches for deeper interactivity

Reflection

Reflection

How far could a small, personal idea go? I wanted to explore how Dreams and Dollars could evolve—reaching beyond just a student audience to connect with anyone navigating the uncertainties of creative careers.

From building a relatable, polished game to connecting with others through their stories, this project taught me the power of empathy-driven design. While there’s more I’d love to develop, I’m proud of what I’ve created—and excited for what comes next. Like the game itself, careers rarely follow a straight path. But with curiosity, care, and creativity, every choice can lead somewhere meaningful.

How far could a small, personal idea go? I wanted to explore how Dreams and Dollars could evolve—reaching beyond just a student audience to connect with anyone navigating the uncertainties of creative careers.

From building a relatable, polished game to connecting with others through their stories, this project taught me the power of empathy-driven design. While there’s more I’d love to develop, I’m proud of what I’ve created—and excited for what comes next. Like the game itself, careers rarely follow a straight path. But with curiosity, care, and creativity, every choice can lead somewhere meaningful.

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