📍 Job Overview
Job Title: UI Artist
Company: Wolcen Studio
Location: Remote (or Onsite, France - Nice)
Job Type: Contract
Category: Game UI Art
Date Posted: 2025-06-12T00:00:00
Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)
Remote Status: Remote OK
🎨 Role Summary
- Create high-quality, visually engaging user interfaces for immersive MMO experiences.
- Collaborate closely with design and art teams to conceptualize and iterate on UI solutions.
- Design and prepare UI assets including icons, pictograms, and interface elements for in-game implementation.
- Maintain and evolve the project's UI visual style guide to ensure consistency.
🖼️ Primary Responsibilities
- Conceptualize, design, and iterate on user interface solutions for various gameplay elements and in-game screens.
- Prepare, optimize, and export UI assets and atlases, ensuring readiness for efficient in-game integration.
- Design detailed in-game art elements such as icons, pictograms, buttons, and other interface components.
- Develop, maintain, and update the comprehensive UI visual style guide to ensure artistic and functional consistency across the entire project.
- Proactively identify areas for UI improvement based on player feedback, usability testing, and internal review, and propose creative solutions.
- Stay current with best practices, trends, and innovations in UI/UX design across various game genres to inform design decisions.
- Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including other artists, UX designers, game designers, and engineers, providing constructive feedback and contributing ideas to achieve optimal design outcomes.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: While a formal degree in Graphic Design, Digital Art, or a related field is often preferred, proven professional experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant skills are typically the primary qualifications for this role in the game industry.
Experience: Proven experience designing user interfaces specifically for games is required. A strong portfolio showcasing examples of game UI art, including conceptual work, final assets, and potentially process documentation, is essential.
Required Skills:
- Proven experience designing visually appealing and functional UI for video games.
- Strong portfolio showcasing high-quality game UI art and design work.
- Excellent graphic design skills, including a strong understanding of layout principles, typography, and color theory.
- Proficiency with Figma for UI design and prototyping.
- Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator) for 2D asset creation and manipulation.
- Advanced English language skills for effective communication within a distributed team.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with diverse teams.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience working with Unreal Engine, particularly in implementing UI assets and understanding engine-specific UI workflows (e.g., UMG).
- Understanding of UI implementation pipelines and technical constraints in game development.
- Familiarity with UX design principles and how they inform UI art decisions.
🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Include examples of finished game UI screens, demonstrating layout, hierarchy, and visual style.
- Showcase a range of UI elements such as icons, buttons, menus, and information displays.
- Present case studies detailing the design process for specific UI features or screens, including initial concepts and iterations.
- Demonstrate proficiency in creating assets with attention to detail, visual polish, and technical considerations for game integration.
Process Documentation:
- Document the research and discovery phase, showing how player needs and game requirements influenced design decisions.
- Illustrate ideation and iteration methods, including sketches, wireframes, mockups, and feedback incorporation.
- Explain validation and testing approaches, if applicable, and how feedback informed refinements.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: As this is a contract role and the location is either remote or Nice, France, the salary range can vary significantly based on the contractor's location, experience level, and negotiation. For a mid-level UI Artist in the European game development market, a potential range might be between €40,000 and €60,000 annually (or equivalent hourly/daily rate for contract). This is an estimate based on general industry data for similar roles and locations, and does not account for specific company compensation philosophies or individual contractor rates. Research included reviewing salary data for game artists and UI/UX roles in major European game development hubs and remote positions. Cost of living in Nice, France, was also considered as a potential on-site location factor.
Benefits: As a contract position, traditional employee benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans may not be provided directly by Wolcen Studio. Benefits would typically be the responsibility of the contractor, potentially factored into the negotiated rate. Specific contract terms regarding holidays or sick days should be clarified during the negotiation process.
Working Hours: The role is likely full-time, estimated around 40 hours per week, typical for a dedicated contract position. As a creative role, some flexibility might be possible depending on project deadlines and team coordination, especially for remote work.
🎯Team & Company Context
🏢 Company & Design Culture
Industry: Computer Games - Wolcen Studio specializes in developing action RPGs and online gaming experiences. The industry is dynamic, requiring adaptability, strong visual design skills, and an understanding of player engagement.
Company Size: 51-200 employees. This size suggests a structured but potentially still agile environment. Design professionals may have significant impact and ownership over their work, with opportunities for close collaboration across teams.
Founded: 2015. Founded relatively recently in the game industry, suggesting a focus on modern development practices and potentially a less hierarchical structure than older studios.
Team Structure:
- The design team likely includes UI/UX designers, UI artists, and potentially graphic designers, working in close collaboration.
- Reporting structure may involve reporting to a Lead UI Artist, Art Director, or Design Lead.
- Cross-functional collaboration is crucial, working closely with game designers, engineers, and other art disciplines (e.g., environment artists, character artists) to integrate UI seamlessly into the game.
Methodology:
- Likely employs an iterative design process, common in game development, involving conceptualization, prototyping, testing, and refinement.
- May incorporate elements of Agile development methodologies to manage tasks and sprints.
- Requires a strong focus on user-centered design principles to create intuitive and engaging interfaces for players.
Company Website: https://www.wolcen-studio.com/
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Design Career Level: Mid-Level UI Artist. This level typically involves taking ownership of significant UI features, contributing to the visual style, and collaborating with minimal supervision while still receiving guidance on complex challenges. The role focuses on executing high-quality visual design within established parameters.
Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Lead UI Artist or Art Director, providing mentorship and guidance on artistic direction and quality standards. Collaboration will be key with UX Designers and Game Designers.
Design Impact: The UI Artist has a direct and significant impact on the player experience by shaping how players interact with the game world, access information, and navigate menus. High-quality UI art is crucial for player immersion and usability in an MMO.
Growth Opportunities:
- Advancement to a Senior UI Artist role, taking on more complex features, mentoring junior artists, and potentially contributing more significantly to the overall UI/UX strategy.
- Specialization in specific areas of game UI, such as animation, technical UI implementation, or 3D UI elements.
- Opportunities to contribute to the evolution of the UI style guide and design system.
🌐 Work Environment
Studio Type: The role is advertised as Remote-based with an option for Onsite in Nice, France. This suggests a hybrid or remote-first approach, requiring strong self-discipline and remote collaboration skills.
Office Location(s): The primary physical location mentioned is Nice, France. If working onsite, the office environment would be a traditional studio setting. For remote employees, the "studio" is their home office.
Design Workspace Context:
- For remote workers, the workspace is the candidate's own setup, requiring a reliable internet connection and appropriate hardware/software for design work.
- Onsite in Nice would likely involve a typical game studio environment with workstations, potentially collaborative spaces, and access to studio-specific resources.
- Effective remote collaboration tools and practices will be essential for working with team members who may be in different locations.
Work Schedule: Likely a standard full-time schedule (approx. 40 hours/week). As a remote role, there might be some flexibility in daily scheduling, but core hours for team collaboration and meetings will likely be required to align with the team's time zone(s).
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Design Interview Process:
- Initial screening call (Recruiter or Hiring Manager) to discuss experience and fit. Prepare to discuss your portfolio and relevant game UI experience.
- Portfolio review with the Art Team or Hiring Manager. Be prepared to walk through key projects, explaining your process, design decisions, and contributions.
- Technical interview or design exercise/challenge. This may involve a timed test or a take-home assignment to assess your design skills, tool proficiency, and problem-solving approach.
- Interviews with cross-functional team members (e.g., UX Designer, Game Designer, Engineer) to assess collaboration skills and fit within the team dynamic.
- Final interview with leadership (e.g., Art Director, Studio Head).
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Curate your portfolio to showcase your strongest game UI art examples, focusing on quality over quantity.
- For each project, provide context: the game genre, the specific UI problem you were solving, your role, and the tools used.
- Structure case studies clearly, outlining your process from concept to final asset. Include sketches, wireframes, and iterations if possible.
- Pay attention to visual presentation – ensure your portfolio itself is well-designed, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly.
- Highlight your technical understanding if you have experience with game engines or implementation workflows.
Challenge Preparation:
- If given a design challenge, clarify the scope, deliverables, and time constraints upfront.
- Approach the challenge by demonstrating your typical design process, not just the final outcome.
- Be prepared to explain your design rationale and choices during the review.
ATS Keywords: UI Artist, Game UI, User Interface Design, Game Art, Graphic Design, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Typography, Color Theory, Layout Design, Icon Design, Pictograms, UI Assets, Style Guide, Game Development, MMO, Unreal Engine (Preferred), UI Implementation, Collaboration, Communication, Portfolio, Case Study, Visual Design, Interaction Design, Game Industry.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Design Tools:
- Figma: Essential for UI design, wireframing, and potentially prototyping. Proficiency in creating components, using auto layout, and collaborating within Figma is key.
- Adobe Software (Photoshop, Illustrator): Crucial for creating, editing, and optimizing 2D UI assets, icons, textures, and other graphic elements.
Collaboration & Handoff:
- Likely uses collaboration platforms like Slack, Discord, or Microsoft Teams for team communication.
- May use project management tools such as Jira or Trello to track tasks and progress.
- Handoff to engineers may involve exporting assets in specific formats and potentially using tools or processes integrated with the game engine.
Research & Testing:
- May involve reviewing player feedback from forums, social media, or in-game surveys.
- Could potentially participate in usability testing sessions to observe player interaction with the UI.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Design Values:
- Dedication and Creativity: As stated on their LinkedIn, Wolcen Studio values these traits, suggesting a culture that encourages artistic expression and commitment to quality.
- Pushing Boundaries: The studio aims to "shape the future of gaming," implying a value for innovation and a willingness to experiment with new ideas in UI design.
- Passion: Hiring "passionate people" indicates a culture where enthusiasm for games and game development is highly valued.
- Collaboration: The emphasis on working "closely with other artists and designers" and collaborating "efficiently" points to a collaborative team environment.
Collaboration Style:
- Likely involves regular team meetings, design reviews, and feedback sessions.
- Requires open communication and the ability to give and receive constructive criticism effectively.
- Cross-functional collaboration with engineers, designers, and other artists is essential for successful UI integration.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Design Challenges:
- Designing complex UI systems for an MMO environment, which often involves numerous screens, information displays, and interactive elements. Requires strong organizational and structural design skills.
- Maintaining visual consistency and quality across a wide range of UI elements while adhering to the established style guide.
- Balancing aesthetic goals with technical constraints and performance considerations within the game engine.
- Adapting to player feedback and iterating on designs to improve usability and visual appeal.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Deepen expertise in game UI art and design principles specific to the MMO genre.
- Enhance skills in UI implementation within game engines like Unreal Engine (if not already proficient).
- Opportunity to contribute to and shape the visual identity of a live game.
💡 Interview Preparation
Design Process Questions:
- Be prepared to walk through your typical UI design process from understanding the requirements to delivering final assets. Use examples from your portfolio.
- Discuss how you approach designing for usability and player experience in games.
- Explain your approach to creating and maintaining UI style guides and design systems.
Company Culture Questions:
- Research Wolcen Studio's games and art style. Be ready to discuss what you admire about their UI or art direction and how your skills align.
- Prepare questions about the design team structure, collaboration workflows, and how design decisions are made.
- Discuss your experience working remotely and how you ensure effective communication and collaboration in a distributed team.
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Select 2-3 of your strongest and most relevant game UI projects to present in detail.
- For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, and the final outcome. Highlight key design decisions and the rationale behind them.
- Be ready to discuss technical considerations, such as asset optimization or implementation challenges, if you have relevant experience.
- Practice presenting your portfolio aloud beforehand to ensure a smooth and concise delivery.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this design position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Carefully review your portfolio to ensure it showcases your strongest game UI art and design work, tailored to the requirements of this role. Highlight relevant projects and skills.
- Update your resume to include relevant experience, skills (especially Figma, Adobe Suite, and game UI), and keywords mentioned in the job description and this enhancement.
- Prepare for the interview process by reviewing your portfolio case studies, practicing explaining your design process, and researching Wolcen Studio's games and design approach.
- If applying for the remote option, be ready to discuss your experience with remote work and how you maintain productivity and collaboration in a distributed environment.