UI Artist | Minecraft Blast, New Games

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UI Artist | Minecraft Blast, New Games

Company: King

Location: Barcelona, Spain; London, United Kingdom; Stockholm, Sweden

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Art & Design / Gaming Operations

Date Posted: 2026-07-30

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

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is instrumental in defining and executing the visual interface (UI) for a new mobile game, focusing on creating production-ready assets that align with a specific, playful, and high-quality visual tone.

• Requires a blend of graphic design, iconography, illustration, and a strong understanding of UI implementation within the Unity game engine, bridging the gap between art direction, game design, and technical execution.

• The UI Artist will be responsible for the end-to-end creation of UI elements, from initial design concepts derived from wireframes and UX flows to final, optimized assets ready for integration.

• Success hinges on maintaining visual consistency, clarity, and polish across all UI components, ensuring a seamless and engaging player experience within the game's ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "UI Artist," the responsibilities and collaboration aspects strongly indicate a role within the Gaming Operations or Game Production Operations domain, specifically focused on the visual and functional aspects of the user interface within a live game environment. The emphasis on "production-ready assets," "Unity implementation," and "collaboration with UX, Design, and Tech" points to a critical operations function that ensures the visual integrity and usability of the game.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and produce high-quality UI assets for mobile gameplay, menus, Heads-Up Displays (HUDs), in-game events, and live features, ensuring visual appeal and functional clarity.

• Create clear, readable, and polished icons, buttons, panels, frames, and other interface elements that adhere to the established cute, quirky, and high-quality visual tone of the game.

• Develop illustrative UI elements that effectively support and enhance the game's overall visual identity and narrative.

• Translate wireframes, UX flows, and art direction guidelines into final, production-ready UI visuals, ensuring a cohesive player journey.

• Maintain strict consistency across all UI screens, systems, and feature updates to provide a unified and professional user experience.

• Prepare assets for Unity implementation, including correct formatting, naming conventions, slicing, and optimization for mobile performance.

• Support the creation and maintenance of UI style guides, templates, and comprehensive documentation to ensure ongoing brand and visual consistency.

• Collaborate closely with UX Designers, Game Designers, and Art Direction to ensure UI is not only beautiful but also functional and seamlessly integrated into the game.

• Review in-game implementation of UI assets, providing feedback and making necessary adjustments to polish the final visual output.

• Proactively contribute ideas and suggestions to improve UI readability, usability, and overall visual quality, driving continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed are highly detailed and specific to game UI art production. The emphasis on "production-ready assets," "Unity implementation," and "collaboration with UX, Design, and Tech" highlights the operational aspect of translating creative vision into functional game elements. This is not just about aesthetics but about operationalizing the visual design for a live product.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational background in Graphic Design, Digital Art, Game Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is highly beneficial. Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in designing and producing UI assets for games or interactive digital products, with a portfolio that showcases this expertise.

• Proven ability to work within established art directions and maintain visual consistency across multiple assets and features. Required Skills:

• Strong Portfolio: A compelling portfolio showcasing high-quality UI art for games or mobile products, with a focus on iconography, illustration, and graphic design.

• Iconography Skills: Excellent ability to create clear, readable, and aesthetically pleasing icons suitable for small screen sizes and rapid recognition.

• Illustration Skills: Strong illustration capabilities, particularly for stylized, playful, or polished game visuals that align with the project's tone.

• Design Foundations: Solid understanding of layout, composition, typography, color theory, visual hierarchy, and overall visual clarity in UI design.

• Software Proficiency: Expertise in industry-standard design tools such as Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator, or equivalent.

• Unity Integration Experience: Hands-on experience creating UI assets specifically for implementation within the Unity game engine.

• 3D Principles Knowledge: Good understanding of 3D principles and how 3D assets can be effectively integrated or support UI presentation.

• Asset Preparation: Ability to prepare clean, optimized, and implementation-ready assets according to technical specifications and project pipelines.

• Mobile UI Constraints: Good understanding of mobile UI constraints, including screen real estate, touch targets, and readability on various devices.

• Art Direction Collaboration: Experience working with art direction and established visual styles, effectively translating creative briefs into visual assets.

• Communication & Feedback: Strong communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and receive/implement feedback constructively.

• Quality Control: A keen eye for polish, consistency, and overall quality control in UI design.

Preferred Skills:

• Casual/Family-Friendly Game Experience: Prior experience working on casual, mobile, or family-friendly games.

• Minecraft Stylization Familiarity: Familiarity with the Minecraft visual language and stylization, or a similar established IP.

• Blender Proficiency: Experience using Blender for 3D asset creation or integration within UI workflows.

• Style Guides & Asset Libraries: Experience creating UI mockups, comprehensive style guides, and scalable asset libraries.

• UI Animation/Motion Design: Knowledge of UI animation principles or motion design, and how it can enhance user experience.

• 2D/3D Pipeline Comfort: Comfort and experience working with both 2D and 3D asset pipelines.

• Live Game Support: Experience supporting live game features, events, or seasonal content updates with new UI assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements are detailed and specific to a UI Artist role within game development. The "Required Skills" are crucial for operationalizing the visual design into a functional game, emphasizing practical application and technical understanding alongside artistic talent. The "Preferred Qualifications" suggest areas where candidates can differentiate themselves by demonstrating specialized knowledge relevant to the project's specific needs and existing IP.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• UI Asset Showcase: A dedicated section of the portfolio must clearly display a range of high-quality UI assets designed for games or mobile applications, demonstrating proficiency in different UI components (buttons, icons, panels, HUD elements).

• Process Workflow Examples: Include case studies or examples that illustrate the candidate’s process from concept to final asset, showing how wireframes, art direction, and technical requirements were translated into production-ready UI.

• Unity Implementation Context: Clearly indicate which assets were created for Unity and, if possible, provide context on how they were implemented (e.g., sliced, optimized, specific Unity UI system used).

• Visual Consistency Demonstration: Showcase examples that highlight the ability to maintain a consistent visual style across multiple UI screens or features, proving an understanding of brand cohesion and user experience flow.

Process Documentation:

• Asset Optimization & Preparation: Examples of how assets were prepared for implementation, detailing optimization techniques, file formats, naming conventions, and slicing strategies for efficient integration into game engines like Unity.

• Style Guide Contributions: If available, include examples of contributions to UI style guides, templates, or asset libraries, demonstrating an understanding of systematic design and documentation for ongoing development.

• Collaboration Artifacts: Showcase any work that involved close collaboration with UX designers, game designers, or developers, such as annotated mockups or iterative design concepts that reflect feedback integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UI Artist role, the portfolio is not just a gallery of work but a demonstration of operational capability. It needs to show not only artistic talent but also the ability to produce assets that are technically sound, optimized, and ready for integration into a complex development pipeline like Unity. This section emphasizes the practical, process-driven aspects of UI art production.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on the locations (Barcelona, London, Stockholm), the mid-level experience requirement (2-5 years), and the specialized nature of UI Art within the gaming industry, a typical salary range would be:
  • Barcelona, Spain: €35,000 - €55,000 per year
  • London, United Kingdom: £40,000 - £60,000 per year
  • Stockholm, Sweden: 400,000 SEK - 600,000 SEK per year

Benefits:

• Opportunity to Shape Global IP: Work on a major global intellectual property (Minecraft) on a mobile platform, offering significant creative impact and visibility.

• Collaborative Art Team: Be part of a focused art team dedicated to craft, clarity, and polish, fostering a supportive and skilled work environment.

• Playful Game Experience Contribution: Contribute to a playful and highly visible game experience that reaches a large audience, offering job satisfaction.

• Healthy Work Culture: Enjoy a work culture that values trust, ownership, and teamwork, promoting a positive and productive atmosphere.

• Competitive Salary & Benefits Package: (Standard for King/Microsoft) Likely includes health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and potential for bonuses or stock options.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for learning and growth within the gaming industry and at a leading company.

Working Hours:

• The stated working hours are 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time role. While the role is on-site, there may be some flexibility in daily start/end times, depending on team needs and local office policies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges are estimated based on industry benchmarks for mid-level UI Artists in the specified European cities, considering the gaming sector and cost of living. Benefits are derived from the "What We Offer" section and general knowledge of large tech/gaming companies like King (now part of Microsoft). The working hours are standard, but the "on-site" requirement implies a structured daily presence.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Interactive Entertainment / Mobile Gaming. King is a prominent player in the global mobile gaming market, known for its highly successful casual games.

Company Size: King is a large organization, part of Microsoft. This implies a structured corporate environment with established processes, extensive resources, and a global reach. The "Kingsters" are spread across multiple international locations.

Founded: King has over 20 years of history in mobile gaming, with its founding dating back to 2003. This long tenure signifies stability, deep industry experience, and a proven track record of developing and maintaining successful games.

Team Structure:

• Art Team Focus: The role is part of a collaborative art team specifically focused on the UI and visual craft of the game. This team likely comprises specialists in 2D art, 3D art, VFX, and animation, all working towards a unified visual goal.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The UI Artist will work closely with multiple disciplines, including Game Design, UX Design, Art Direction, and Unity Development. This indicates a highly integrated development process where UI is a critical component throughout the project lifecycle.

• Reporting Structure: The UI Artist will likely report to an Art Lead or Art Director, with direct collaboration and feedback loops involving Game Designers and Technical Leads.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Iteration: While not explicitly stated for this role, King's success with games like Candy Crush suggests a strong reliance on data analytics to inform game design, feature development, and UI/UX improvements. UI assets are likely tested and iterated upon based on player behavior and feedback.

• Agile Development: Mobile game development typically employs agile methodologies, involving iterative development cycles, regular check-ins, and close collaboration between teams. UI asset production will be integrated into these sprints.

• Quality & Polish Focus: The emphasis on "craft, clarity, and polish" indicates a commitment to high production values and attention to detail in all aspects of game development, especially UI.

Company Website: King.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context is derived from the provided description and general knowledge of King as a Microsoft-owned entity. The focus is on how this corporate structure and industry position influence the operations and culture for a creative role like UI Artist. The "Methodology" section infers common practices in successful mobile game development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level UI Artist (2-5 years of experience). It requires a solid foundation of skills and a proven track record, but also offers opportunities for growth into senior or lead artist positions.

Reporting Structure: The UI Artist will report to an Art Lead or Art Director, working closely with Game Designers, UX Designers, and Unity Developers. This structure emphasizes cross-functional teamwork and direct contribution to the game's development pipeline.

Operations Impact: The UI Artist's work directly impacts the player's experience and the game's overall success. Clear, intuitive, and visually appealing UI is crucial for player engagement, retention, and monetization in mobile games. The ability to support live features and events means the role has ongoing operational impact.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like advanced Unity UI implementation, UI animation, motion graphics, or specific 3D asset integration for UI.

• IP Mastery: Become a subject matter expert on the visual language of a major IP (Minecraft) and its application within a mobile gaming context.

• Leadership Potential: Progress to a Senior UI Artist role, mentoring junior artists, contributing more significantly to art direction, and leading UI efforts for new features or projects.

• Cross-Discipline Exposure: Gain deeper understanding of Game Design, UX, and technical constraints, potentially leading to broader roles in game production or art direction.

• Contribution to Live Ops: Develop experience in supporting live game features, events, and seasonal content, which is a critical operational aspect of modern mobile games.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis frames the UI Artist role within a broader career trajectory, highlighting how the specific responsibilities and skills contribute to both immediate project success and long-term professional development within the gaming industry's operational framework. The emphasis on "live features" and "operational impact" connects the artistic role to ongoing game management.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site, indicating a traditional office-based work environment within King's studios located in Barcelona, London, or Stockholm. This fosters direct collaboration, team cohesion, and access to company resources.

Office Location(s):

• Barcelona, Spain: A vibrant city known for its creative industries.

• London, United Kingdom: A global hub for technology and entertainment.

• Stockholm, Sweden: A leading center for gaming development.

These locations offer diverse cultural experiences and access to professional networks.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office space is likely designed to facilitate teamwork, with open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and communal spaces to encourage interaction between different departments.

• Tools & Technology: Employees will have access to industry-standard hardware and software, including high-performance workstations, design software (Figma, Adobe Suite), and the Unity game engine.

• Team Interaction: Regular face-to-face interaction with the art team, game designers, UX specialists, and developers is expected, allowing for real-time feedback and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is typical for on-site roles. While flexibility may exist, the expectation is consistent presence and availability during core working hours to support the team's collaborative workflow and production timelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description of the work environment focuses on the practical aspects of an on-site role in a creative studio, emphasizing collaboration, access to technology, and the implications for daily work and team dynamics. The location details are contextualized for the candidate.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess foundational skills and experience against the job requirements.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A deeper dive into your portfolio, focusing on specific projects, your design process, and your technical proficiency with UI art tools and Unity. This may involve discussing your approach to iconography, illustration, and asset preparation.

• Practical Test/Challenge: A potential assignment to create a specific UI asset or solve a UI-related problem within a given timeframe. This assesses your ability to apply your skills to a realistic scenario.

• Team & Cultural Fit Interview: A discussion with potential team members (Art Director, Game Designers, other Artists) to evaluate your collaboration style, communication skills, and how well you align with King's culture and values.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and finalize any offer details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Showcase only your strongest, most relevant UI art work. Prioritize pieces that demonstrate the skills listed in the job description (iconography, illustration, Unity readiness, stylistic consistency).

• Tell a Story: For each project, provide context: the problem you were solving, your process (sketches, wireframes, iterations), your specific contributions, and the outcome. Use visuals to walk through your workflow.

• Highlight Technical Aspects: Clearly demonstrate your understanding of asset preparation for Unity. Show examples of sliced assets, correct naming conventions, and optimization techniques.

• Showcase Versatility: If possible, include examples that show your ability to adapt to different styles, especially if you can demonstrate familiarity with the Minecraft aesthetic or similar playful, stylized visuals.

• Be Ready to Discuss: Be prepared to articulate your design choices, explain your technical process, and discuss how your work contributed to the overall game experience.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: Carefully read and understand any assignment requirements. Clarify any ambiguities before starting.

• Focus on Requirements: Ensure your solution directly addresses the prompt, focusing on the requested skills (e.g., icon design, asset optimization, stylistic consistency).

• Demonstrate Process: Even in a short challenge, try to show your thought process. This could be through quick sketches, annotations, or a brief explanation of your approach.

• Polish and Presentation: Ensure your final submission is clean, well-organized, and presented professionally, as this reflects your attention to detail.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice for preparing for interviews and portfolio reviews specific to a UI Artist role in the gaming industry. It emphasizes showcasing practical skills, demonstrating a clear process, and aligning with the company's focus on quality and collaboration.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration, especially in modern game development workflows.

• Adobe Photoshop: Crucial for raster image editing, texture creation, detailed illustration, and asset manipulation.

• Adobe Illustrator: Key for vector-based UI elements, icons, and scalable graphics, ensuring crispness at any size.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly used by the UI Artist for data analysis, understanding how UI elements are tracked and analyzed in live games (e.g., conversion rates for buttons, engagement with menus) is beneficial. The UI Artist's work indirectly supports these metrics by ensuring usability and engagement. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the UI Artist role itself, but the game's backend systems (which might involve CRM-like functionalities for player management and live ops) rely on the UI to present information and allow player interaction. Game Engine & Integration:

• Unity: The primary game engine where UI assets will be implemented. Proficiency in preparing assets for Unity's UI system (e.g., UI Toolkit, UGUI) is critical.

• Blender (Preferred): Useful for creating or preparing 3D elements that might be incorporated into the UI, such as decorative elements, icons, or even animated 3D components.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section focuses on the core software and engines critical for a UI Artist. The emphasis on Unity and asset preparation highlights the operational aspect of translating art into a functional game component. The mention of Blender as preferred suggests a potential for more sophisticated 3D integrations into the UI.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craft & Polish: A deep commitment to producing high-quality, aesthetically refined work. This means meticulous attention to detail in every pixel.

• Clarity & Usability: UI elements must be easily understood and navigable by players, ensuring a smooth and intuitive user experience.

• Playfulness: Embracing a lighthearted, engaging, and fun approach to design, aligning with King's mission to "Make the World Playful."

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Working effectively with diverse teams, valuing input, and contributing to a supportive and productive environment.

• Ownership: Taking responsibility for one’s work, from concept to implementation, and proactively seeking solutions and improvements.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Cross-Disciplinary: Expect close collaboration with Game Designers, UX Designers, Art Directors, and Unity Developers, involving frequent communication, feedback loops, and iterative design adjustments.

• Feedback-Driven Iteration: A culture where constructive feedback is actively sought, given, and used to refine designs and improve the final product.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, tips, and learnings within the art team and across disciplines to elevate the overall quality of work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values and collaboration style are inferred from the "What We Offer" section and general industry best practices for creative teams in successful game development studios. The focus is on how these values translate into daily work and team interactions for a UI Artist.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Aesthetics and Functionality: The primary challenge is to create visually stunning UI that is also highly functional, readable, and performant on mobile devices, especially within the constraints of a specific IP like Minecraft.

• Maintaining Consistency Across Live Features: As the game evolves with new features and events, ensuring that all new UI assets perfectly match the established style and integrate seamlessly into the existing game can be demanding.

• Technical Integration Hurdles: Navigating the specifics of Unity implementation and collaborating effectively with developers to ensure assets are integrated correctly and perform optimally.

• Adapting to Feedback: Effectively incorporating feedback from multiple stakeholders (Art Direction, Game Design, UX, potentially QA) while maintaining the integrity of the design vision.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Unity UI Techniques: Opportunities to learn and master more advanced aspects of Unity's UI systems, animation, and integration workflows.

• Motion Graphics & UI Animation: Developing skills in UI animation and motion design to create more dynamic and engaging interfaces.

• IP Mastery & Evolution: Deepening understanding of how to apply and evolve a well-established IP's visual language to new game mechanics and features.

• Cross-Discipline Mentorship: Learning from UX designers, game designers, and technical artists about their respective domains, broadening one's understanding of the game development process.

• Contribution to Major Titles: Gaining experience on projects with global reach and significant player bases, which is invaluable for career progression in the gaming industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section outlines potential challenges and growth paths specific to a UI Artist role in game development. It highlights how overcoming these challenges can lead to significant skill development and career advancement within the operational framework of live game production.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Portfolio Walkthrough: Be prepared to present your portfolio, detailing your process for 2-3 key UI projects. Focus on your problem-solving approach, design decisions, and how you ensured assets were production-ready for Unity.

• UI Design Principles: Expect questions about your understanding of visual hierarchy, color theory, typography, layout, and accessibility in UI design, particularly for mobile contexts.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Be ready to discuss how you collaborate with different teams (e.g., "How would you handle a situation where a Game Designer wants a UI element to be more prominent, but it breaks the established visual style?").

• Technical Implementation: Discuss your experience preparing assets for Unity. What are common optimization challenges, and how do you address them? What file formats and naming conventions do you typically use?

Company & Culture Questions:

• Motivation for King/Minecraft: Research King's mission ("Making the World Playful"), their games, and the Minecraft IP. Be ready to articulate why you are excited about this specific opportunity and company.

• Teamwork & Feedback: How do you approach receiving and giving constructive criticism? Describe a time you worked effectively in a team to achieve a design goal.

• Adaptability: How do you handle changes in project direction or feedback that requires significant revisions to your work?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio logically. Start with your strongest, most relevant UI work. For each project, provide a brief overview, your role, the challenges, your process (sketches, iterations), final assets, and any implementation details.

• Visual Storytelling: Use clear visuals to walk through your workflow. Show the evolution from initial concepts to final polished assets. Highlight specific UI elements like icons, buttons, and panels.

• Highlight Unity Readiness: Verbally and visually demonstrate how your assets are prepared for Unity. Show examples of sliced assets, correct naming, and mention optimization considerations.

• Connect to the Role: Explicitly connect your portfolio pieces to the requirements of the UI Artist role at King. If you have experience with stylized or family-friendly games, or familiarity with Minecraft's aesthetic, make sure to highlight it.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides specific, actionable advice for preparing for interviews and presenting a portfolio for a UI Artist role in game development. It emphasizes demonstrating practical skills, understanding the company's context, and highlighting relevant experience.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UI Artist position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the King careers website.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your online portfolio or PDF submission to highlight UI art projects most relevant to mobile gaming, with a strong emphasis on iconography, illustration, and asset preparation for Unity.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly lists your experience with UI design software (Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator), Unity, and any 3D tools (like Blender). Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "Created UI assets for X number of features on a live mobile game").

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, explaining your technical asset preparation methods, and preparing specific examples of how you've collaborated with game designers or developers.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with King's games, their mission ("Making the World Playful"), and the unique visual style of Minecraft. Understand how your role contributes to these aspects.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details, especially regarding compensation and specific interview processes, should be verified directly with King's recruitment team.