UI Artist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UI Artist

Company: Lighthouse Games

Location: Royal Leamington Spa, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Art & Design / Game Development Operations

Date Posted: 2026-10-02

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 Years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and implement intuitive, visually appealing user interfaces (UI) for AAA game titles, enhancing player engagement and overall gameplay experience.

• Develop comprehensive UI assets, including wireframes, prototypes, mockups, icons, text, and HUD elements, ensuring seamless integration within the game engine.

• Collaborate closely with game designers, artists, and programmers to translate game mechanics and narrative into effective and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces.

• Iterate on UI designs based on feedback from user testing, team reviews, and adherence to established UX design principles and industry best practices.

• Maintain a high standard of visual consistency, quality, and user experience across all game interfaces and platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is listed as "UI Artist," the core responsibilities and required skills indicate a strong leaning towards User Experience (UX) design principles within the game development context. This role is crucial for the operational success of the game's player interaction systems.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and implement user interfaces across various gaming platforms, focusing on usability and visual appeal, directly impacting player retention and satisfaction metrics.

• Create detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups that clearly convey design concepts, user flows, and functional requirements for the development team.

• Collaborate closely with game designers, narrative designers, 3D artists, and programmers to ensure seamless integration of UI design within the game engine, managing dependencies and technical constraints.

• Develop a comprehensive suite of UI assets, including icons, typography, menus, HUD elements, and in-game notifications, that enhance player interaction, provide clear feedback, and support game mechanics.

• Conduct and iterate on UI designs based on feedback from internal stakeholders, user testing sessions, playtesting feedback, and established UX best practices to optimize the player journey.

• Maintain rigorous consistency in style guides, visual quality, and user experience across all interfaces, contributing to a cohesive and professional game presentation.

• Proactively research and stay updated with the latest trends in UI/UX design, game development technologies, and competitor analysis to continually improve the game's interface and player engagement strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for understanding game-specific UI/UX, which goes beyond standard software UI. The emphasis on "game engine integration" and "player interaction" suggests the need for practical knowledge of how UI elements function dynamically within a game environment, not just static design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Digital Art, or a related field is often preferred for roles of this nature in game development. Equivalent practical experience and a strong portfolio will be considered.

Experience: 2-5 years of proven experience as a UI Artist or similar role specifically within the game development industry, with a demonstrated ability to deliver polished UI for commercial titles.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience as a UI Artist in game development, with a portfolio showcasing successful UI implementations in shipped titles.

• Strong proficiency in industry-standard design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), Sketch, or Figma for creating high-fidelity UI assets.

• Solid understanding of user experience (UX) design principles, user-centered design methodologies, and best practices for intuitive interface design.

• Ability to create clear and effective wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes to communicate design intent and functionality.

• Experience in developing diverse UI assets, including icons, typography, menus, and Heads-Up Displays (HUDs), tailored for gaming environments.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (designers, artists, programmers).

• A demonstrable passion for video games and a keen eye for aesthetics, visual storytelling, and user engagement within interactive media. Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with UI animation techniques and tools, such as After Effects or similar, for creating dynamic and engaging interface elements.

• Experience working with game engines, specifically Unreal Engine, including understanding its UI/UX tools and implementation pipelines.

• Understanding of platform-specific UI guidelines and best practices (e.g., console, PC, mobile).

• Basic knowledge of scripting or visual scripting languages relevant to UI implementation in game engines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "2-5 years" experience level suggests a mid-level role where candidates are expected to be largely autonomous in their design tasks but still benefit from guidance and collaboration. The emphasis on a "strong portfolio" is critical for this role and should be heavily weighted in candidate evaluation.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating end-to-end UI design process for at least 2-3 game projects, showcasing a range of UI elements and styles.

• Detailed case studies for key projects, illustrating the problem, your design process (from concept to final asset), challenges encountered, and implemented solutions.

• Examples of wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes that highlight your approach to user experience and information architecture.

• High-fidelity mockups and final UI assets, presented with clear context on their implementation within a game engine or platform.

• Visualizations or playable demos of UI animations and interactive elements, if applicable.

• Documentation of user testing or feedback integration into the design iteration process. Process Documentation:

• Showcase your methodology for translating game design requirements and player feedback into actionable UI design specifications.

• Provide examples of how you collaborate with programmers and artists to ensure efficient and accurate UI implementation within the game engine.

• Demonstrate your approach to maintaining UI consistency, scalability, and performance across different game states and resolutions.

• Illustrate your understanding of asset pipelines and requirements for delivering optimized UI assets to the art and engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UI Artist role in game development, the portfolio is paramount. It serves as the primary tool for evaluating design skills, technical proficiency, and understanding of game-specific UX. The emphasis should be on demonstrating a full design lifecycle and problem-solving capabilities.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the location (Royal Leamington Spa, England), experience level (2-5 years), and industry (AAA Game Development), a competitive salary range for a UI Artist is estimated to be between £35,000 and £50,000 per annum. This estimate is derived from industry salary benchmarks for mid-level art roles in the UK gaming sector, considering cost of living and market demand.

Benefits:

• 25 Days Holiday, plus an additional day for your birthday, offering ample time for rest and personal pursuits.

• Studio Shutdown between Christmas and New Year, providing a dedicated period for extended holiday leave.

• Discretionary Bonus Scheme, allowing for potential additional compensation based on company and individual performance.

• Private Pension Scheme, supporting long-term financial planning and retirement savings.

• Private Healthcare, providing comprehensive medical coverage for employees and their families.

• Health and Well-Being Benefits, including access to resources and programs designed to support overall employee health.

• Dental Care, covering essential dental treatments and preventative care.

• Optical treatments, assisting with vision care needs.

• Mental Health Support, offering resources and services to promote psychological well-being.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected to be approximately 40 hours per week. The "Hybrid" work arrangement suggests a flexible schedule, likely involving a combination of on-site and remote work days, allowing for a balance between collaborative studio time and focused remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is a projection based on typical UK market rates for this role and experience level in the gaming industry. Actual compensation may vary based on specific qualifications, portfolio strength, and negotiation. The benefits package is comprehensive, indicating a commitment to employee well-being and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AAA Game Development. Lighthouse Games operates within the highly competitive and creative video game industry, focused on producing high-quality, immersive gaming experiences. This sector demands innovation, artistic excellence, and a deep understanding of player engagement.

Company Size: The description implies a medium-sized studio, large enough to be developing AAA titles but potentially small enough to foster a close-knit, collaborative environment.