VIE

My first epic adventure from advertising into gaming was with a budding MMORPG called VIE (Virtual Island of Entertainment). VIE was meant to be a decadent island resort with luxurious homes, high end clothing brands, and exclusive parties and events. What I knew about multiplayer games at this point could have fit into a thimble, and I suspect that’s why I got the job. I threw myself into building a UI aesthetic that conveyed exclusive access: elegant dressing rooms, VIP badges, gold-detailed devices as HUD containers. In true gaming startup fashion, I eagerly wore any hat that came my way. I painted inventory icons, concepted in-world signs and banners, branded virtual stores and lounges in the town center. I even invented a secret vampire alphabet. As the player base and inventory grew, I formed a UI/UX team with two incredibly talented developers to add more sophisticated store and inventory features. Together we brainstormed, whiteboarded, and wireframed, built and pitched prototypes, and iterated sprint by sprint until each feature went live.