UI Artist | New Games

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UI Artist | New Games

Company: King

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

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Art & Design / Game Development

Date Posted: 2026-09-23

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

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and produce high-quality UI assets for mobile gameplay, menus, HUDs, and interface elements, ensuring visual consistency and adherence to the project's artistic vision.

• Collaborate closely with Art Direction, Game Design, UX Design, and Unity developers to translate wireframes and flows into polished, production-ready UI visuals.

• Create clear, readable, and illustrative UI elements, including icons, buttons, panels, and frames, with a strong emphasis on iconography and graphic design principles.

• Prepare and optimize UI assets for seamless integration into the Unity engine, adhering to correct formats, naming conventions, and slicing standards.

• Contribute to the development of UI style guides, templates, and documentation to maintain consistency and support efficient workflows across the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is listed as "UI Artist," the responsibilities clearly indicate a focus on visual asset creation for game interfaces, aligning with a specialized role within game art and design. The explicit mention of Unity implementation suggests a need for practical, production-oriented skills beyond pure graphic design. The target audience for this enhancement is therefore focused on game artists with strong UI/UX sensibilities and technical implementation understanding.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and produce high-quality UI assets for mobile gameplay, menus, HUDs, events, and live features, ensuring visual appeal and functional clarity.

• Craft clear, readable, and polished icons, buttons, panels, badges, frames, and other interface elements that align with the game's aesthetic.

• Develop illustrative UI elements that enhance the game’s unique visual identity and contribute to an engaging player experience.

• Translate wireframes, UX flows, and art direction guidelines into final UI visuals that are both beautiful and functional.

• Maintain visual consistency across all UI screens, systems, and feature updates, ensuring a cohesive user experience.

• Prepare assets for Unity implementation with meticulous attention to correct formats, naming conventions, slicing, and optimization for performance.

• Support the creation and maintenance of UI style guides, templates, and comprehensive documentation to facilitate team alignment and efficient asset management.

• Collaborate effectively with UX, Design, Tech, and Art Direction to ensure UI is aesthetically pleasing, highly functional, and production-ready.

• Proactively contribute ideas for improving UI readability, usability, and overall visual quality, fostering a culture of continuous enhancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities have been expanded to detail the specific types of UI assets and the stages of their lifecycle, from initial design to implementation and documentation. This provides a clearer picture of the day-to-day tasks and the level of detail expected from a UI Artist in a game development context.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in graphic design, digital art, or a related field is implied by the nature of the work. Candidates with formal education in these areas will likely possess the foundational skills.

Experience: 2-5 years of dedicated experience in UI Art, with a significant portion focused on game development or mobile product interfaces. This level of experience indicates a candidate who can work independently and contribute meaningfully to a project's visual direction and implementation.

Required Skills:

• Strong portfolio showcasing high-quality UI art for games or mobile products, demonstrating a keen eye for detail and aesthetic appeal.

• Excellent iconography skills with a proven ability to create clear, readable icons effective even at small sizes.

• Proficient illustration skills, particularly for stylized, playful, or polished game visuals that align with diverse art directions.

• Solid understanding of fundamental design principles: layout, composition, typography, color theory, visual hierarchy, and overall visual clarity.

• Expertise with core design tools: Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or equivalent industry-standard software.

• Practical experience creating and preparing UI assets specifically for the Unity game engine.

• Ability to deliver clean, optimized, and implementation-ready assets with proper file management and asset preparation techniques.

• Good understanding of mobile UI constraints, including screen sizes, performance considerations, and user readability challenges.

• Proven ability to work effectively with art direction and adhere to established visual styles and brand guidelines.

• Strong communication skills, with the capacity to articulate design decisions and receive feedback constructively from cross-functional teams.

• A keen sense of polish, consistency, and quality control essential for delivering high-caliber game interfaces. Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience working on casual, mobile, or family-friendly game titles, understanding their unique UI/UX requirements.

• Experience with AI-driven design tools or workflows that can enhance efficiency or creative output.

• Demonstrated experience creating detailed UI mockups, comprehensive style guides, and robust asset libraries for scalable projects.

• Knowledge of UI animation principles or practical experience with motion design to bring interfaces to life.

• Comfort and experience working within both 2D and 3D art pipelines, understanding how UI elements interact with 3D environments.

• Experience supporting live game features, in-game events, or seasonal content updates, requiring adaptability and rapid asset creation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level has been inferred from the typical requirements for a UI Artist role that involves asset production and implementation, bridging the gap between junior and senior positions. The "Skills to create thrills" section has been reframed as "Required Skills" and "Preferred Qualifications" for clarity, with added context about the significance of each skill in a game development setting.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A dedicated section showcasing at least 2-3 detailed case studies of UI art for games or mobile applications.

• Each case study should clearly articulate the project's goals, the candidate's specific role, the design challenges faced, and the final visual solutions.

• Demonstrations of icon design, menu layouts, HUD elements, and in-game interface components with clear visual examples.

• Evidence of asset preparation for Unity implementation, potentially including screenshots of the Unity interface showing asset integration or a brief explanation of the workflow.

• Visuals that highlight an understanding of typography, color hierarchy, and layout principles within a game context. Process Documentation:

• While not a direct requirement for the portfolio submission, candidates should be prepared to discuss their process for:

• Translating wireframes and UX flows into polished UI assets.

• Collaborating with art directors and game designers to achieve a consistent visual style.

• Iterating on designs based on feedback from cross-functional teams.

• Optimizing assets for performance and integration into the Unity engine.

• Developing and maintaining UI style guides or documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: For roles involving creative asset production and technical integration, a portfolio is paramount. This section outlines specific expectations for a UI Artist's portfolio, focusing on game-specific deliverables and the ability to demonstrate process and collaboration, which are critical for success in a game development environment.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Mid-Level UI Artist (2-5 years experience) in London, Barcelona, or Stockholm, a competitive salary range can be estimated.

• London, UK: £45,000 - £65,000 per annum. This reflects the higher cost of living and established game development market in London.

• Barcelona, Spain: €38,000 - €55,000 per annum. This range accounts for the Spanish market and cost of living, which is generally lower than London.

• Stockholm, Sweden: 450,000 SEK - 650,000 SEK per annum. This range is benchmarked against the strong tech and gaming sector in Sweden, with a cost of living comparable to or slightly higher than Barcelona, but often lower than London for comparable roles.

Benefits:

• A collaborative and craft-focused art team environment.

• The opportunity to work on a playful and highly visible mobile game experience, contributing to a significant IP.

• A healthy work culture that actively values trust, ownership, and teamwork, fostering a positive and productive atmosphere.

• Professional development opportunities, including potential for learning UI animation, working with 3D pipelines, and supporting live game features.

• Competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience and location.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility often available depending on project needs and team agreements. The role is specified as on-site, implying a consistent presence in one of the specified office locations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges have been estimated based on industry benchmarks for mid-level UI Artists in the specified European cities, considering cost of living and market rates for the gaming industry. Benefits have been extracted from the "What We Offer" section and elaborated upon with context relevant to creative professionals in game development.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Interactive Entertainment / Mobile Gaming. King is a leader in the mobile gaming space, known for its highly successful and engaging casual games like the Candy Crush franchise. This industry context implies a fast-paced, data-driven, and player-centric environment.

Company Size: King is a large, established company, part of Microsoft, with a global presence. This means access to significant resources, established processes, and a wide network of talent, but also a structured corporate environment.

Founded: King was founded in 2003, giving it over two decades of experience and a deep understanding of the mobile gaming market. This long history suggests stability, proven success, and a mature approach to game development and live operations.

Team Structure:

• The UI Artist will be part of a dedicated art team focused on craft, clarity, and polish, working on a "new original IP mobile game."

• This team likely operates within a larger game development studio structure, collaborating closely with Game Design, UX Design, and Engineering departments.

• Reporting structure will likely be to an Art Lead or Art Director, with dotted line reporting or close collaboration with the Lead Designer and Technical Director for the specific project. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Development: King, like most major mobile game developers, heavily relies on player data and analytics to inform design decisions, optimize gameplay, and drive engagement. UI artists are expected to contribute to this by creating elements that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also facilitate player progression and monetization.

• Iterative Design: Game development, especially for mobile, is highly iterative. UI artists will be involved in rapid prototyping, testing, and refinement of interface elements based on internal feedback and potential player testing.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes working closely with multiple disciplines (Art, Design, UX, Tech), indicating a collaborative workflow where clear communication and understanding of each team's needs are paramount.

Company Website: https://careers.king.com/us/en

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context has been fleshed out to emphasize King's position in the mobile gaming industry and its operational approach, highlighting how these factors influence the work of a UI Artist. The team structure and methodology sections infer typical game development practices.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level UI Artist. It requires a solid foundation of skills and a portfolio demonstrating independent contribution, but also offers opportunities for growth into senior or lead UI artist roles. The focus is on executing the vision and contributing to the refinement of UI elements.

Reporting Structure: The UI Artist will report into an Art Lead or Art Director, with direct collaboration and feedback loops involving Game Designers, UX Designers, and Unity Developers. This structure facilitates direct input on design and technical implementation.

Operations Impact: The UI Artist's impact is directly tied to the player experience. Well-designed UI enhances game readability, usability, and overall enjoyment, which are critical factors for player retention and monetization in mobile games. Clear, intuitive, and visually appealing interfaces contribute significantly to the perceived quality and success of the game.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like iconography, illustration for UI, UI animation, or optimizing assets for various mobile devices and performance targets.

• Project Leadership: Potential to grow into a Senior UI Artist role, taking on more complex features, mentoring junior artists, and having a greater influence on UI art direction for future projects.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Exposure to UX design principles, game design mechanics, and Unity development workflows can broaden an artist's understanding of the entire game development pipeline.

• Contribution to New IPs: Working on a new game offers the chance to be part of defining its visual identity from the ground up, a significant career development opportunity.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section interprets the "UI Artist" role within a broader career development framework, highlighting how a mid-level position can serve as a stepping stone for further growth within the game development industry, particularly at a company like King.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is specified as "On-site," indicating a traditional office-based work environment within King's established studios in London, Barcelona, or Stockholm. This setup fosters in-person collaboration, spontaneous idea sharing, and a clear separation between work and personal life.

Office Location(s):

• London, United Kingdom: A vibrant hub for the tech and gaming industry, offering excellent connectivity and amenities.

• Barcelona, Spain: A dynamic European city with a growing tech scene, known for its creative culture and attractive lifestyle.

• Stockholm, Sweden: A leading European center for gaming and technology, recognized for its innovation and high quality of life.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on a "collaborative art team" and cross-functional work suggests an open and interactive workspace designed to facilitate communication and teamwork.

• Tools and Technology: Artists will have access to industry-standard design software (Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator) and the Unity engine, supported by the company's IT infrastructure.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with peers, leads, and other departments, encouraging knowledge sharing, problem-solving, and social connection within the studio.

Work Schedule: A typical full-time schedule (approx. 40 hours/week) is expected for on-site roles. While core hours will likely exist for team collaboration, there may be some flexibility available to accommodate project deadlines and personal needs, subject to team and management approval.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" designation has been leveraged to describe the office environment, locations, and the nature of collaborative work typical in a game development studio.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess foundational skills, experience, and overall aesthetic alignment with King's style.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A deep dive into the candidate's portfolio with a UI Lead or Art Director. This will involve discussing design choices, problem-solving approaches, and technical proficiency with relevant tools (Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Unity). Expect questions about specific projects, challenges faced, and how assets were prepared for implementation.

• Practical Exercise/Test: Candidates may be asked to complete a small UI art task or a creative challenge, either as a take-home assignment or within a timed session, to evaluate their practical skills, problem-solving abilities, and speed.

• Team/Cultural Fit Interview: Meeting with potential team members (Designers, Developers) to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural alignment with King's values (trust, ownership, teamwork).

• Final Interview: Potentially with a hiring manager or studio head to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and confirm offer details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Showcase only your best and most relevant UI art for games or mobile products. Quality over quantity.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your role, your process, and the solution. Use visuals to support your narrative.

• Highlight Unity Integration: If possible, include examples or explanations of how your assets were implemented in Unity. This is a key requirement.

• Demonstrate Versatility: Show a range of UI elements (icons, menus, HUDs) and styles if applicable, but maintain a consistent level of polish.

• Professional Presentation: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. A dedicated website or a well-structured PDF is ideal.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Game UI Principles: Familiarize yourself with common mobile game UI patterns, best practices for readability, and user flow optimization.

• Practice with Tools: Be proficient in Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator for rapid asset creation and iteration.

• Unity Asset Prep: Review the process of exporting and organizing assets for Unity, including slicing, naming conventions, and optimization techniques.

• Art Direction Alignment: Be prepared to discuss how you would adapt your style to match a given art direction or brand guide.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides a detailed breakdown of a typical interview process for a UI Artist role in game development, with specific advice tailored to portfolio presentation and practical exercises, which are crucial for creative roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: For wireframing, prototyping, and collaborative UI design. Essential for quick iteration and team alignment.

• Adobe Photoshop: For detailed asset creation, image manipulation, texture work, and polishing UI elements.

• Adobe Illustrator: For creating vector-based assets like icons, logos, and scalable interface components.

• Unity Engine: The primary game development platform. Understanding its UI system (UGUI) and how to prepare and import assets is critical.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly used by the UI Artist, understanding that UI elements contribute to analytics (e.g., button clicks, feature usage) is important. Familiarity with how UI impacts player engagement metrics is beneficial. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to this role. The focus is on creative tools and game development platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack has been detailed based on the "Skills to create thrills" section, highlighting the specific software and game engine proficiency required for a UI Artist role in game development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Playfulness: A core value of King, reflected in the games they create and the work environment. UI should contribute to a fun and engaging experience.

• Craft: A strong emphasis on high-quality artistic execution, attention to detail, and technical proficiency.

• Clarity: UI must be clear, intuitive, and easy for players to understand, regardless of their gaming experience.

• Polish: A commitment to delivering a highly refined and professional visual experience.

• Trust, Ownership, Teamwork: These are explicitly stated values, indicating a culture where individuals are empowered, accountable, and work collaboratively towards shared goals.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: UI Artists are expected to be active collaborators, working seamlessly with Art Direction, Game Design, UX Design, and Unity Development teams.

• Feedback-Driven: A culture that encourages constructive feedback exchange, with artists expected to both give and receive input to improve the final product.

• Knowledge Sharing: Opportunities to share best practices, techniques, and insights within the art team and across disciplines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "What We Offer" and general company description sections have been analyzed to infer the core values and collaboration style expected within King's creative teams, framing them specifically for a UI Artist role.

⚡ 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 under various constraints.

• Maintaining Consistency: Ensuring visual consistency across a wide range of UI elements, features, and ongoing updates for a live game can be demanding.

• Adapting to New IPs: Working on a new game means defining and adhering to a fresh visual style, which requires creativity and strong interpretation skills.

• Technical Implementation: Effectively preparing assets for Unity integration, understanding engine limitations, and troubleshooting integration issues.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• UI Animation & Motion Design: Pursuing opportunities to learn or expand skills in UI animation and motion graphics to bring interfaces to life.

• 3D Pipeline Integration: Gaining experience with how UI elements interact with 3D environments and potentially contributing to 3D UI elements.

• Live Ops Support: Developing expertise in creating assets for live events, seasonal content, and ongoing game updates, which is crucial for mobile game success.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from senior artists and art directors, and potentially mentor junior artists as experience grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth opportunities have been extrapolated from the role's responsibilities and the general context of mobile game development, framing them as areas for professional development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance a strong artistic vision with strict technical constraints for a UI element. How did you resolve it?" (Focus on problem-solving, compromise, and technical understanding).

• "How do you approach creating icons that are clear and readable at very small sizes? Can you walk us through an example from your portfolio?" (Assesses iconography skills and process).

• "Imagine we need a new set of UI elements for a special in-game event. What would be your process from receiving the brief to delivering final assets for Unity?" (Tests workflow, collaboration, and asset preparation). Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in working at King, and specifically on a new mobile game IP?" (Assesses motivation and alignment with King's mission).

• "How do you approach receiving and implementing feedback from designers, developers, or art directors?" (Evaluates communication and adaptability).

• "What does 'playfulness' mean to you in the context of UI design for mobile games?" (Probes understanding of King's core values and target audience). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with Impact: Begin with your strongest UI game/mobile projects.

• Explain Your Role & Process: Clearly articulate your contributions, design decisions, and the steps you took. Use visual aids effectively.

• Highlight Technical Skills: Specifically address your experience with Unity asset preparation, optimization, and any relevant tool workflows.

• Showcase Versatility & Polish: Demonstrate your range while maintaining a consistent high level of quality.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, challenges, and how you'd approach new tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation has been tailored to reflect the specific demands of a UI Artist role in game development, focusing on creative problem-solving, technical implementation, and cultural fit within a company like King.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UI Artist position:

• Submit your application through the King Careers portal link provided.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio specifically highlights your best UI art for games or mobile products, with clear examples of icons, menus, and HUD elements. Prioritize quality and relevance.

• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize your experience with UI design tools (Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator) and game development environments, especially Unity. Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "contributed to the UI for X games," "created Y number of UI assets").

• Prepare for Technical Discussion: Be ready to discuss your design process, how you approach asset optimization for Unity, and your understanding of mobile UI constraints. Practice walking through your portfolio projects.

• Research King: Familiarize yourself with King's games, their visual styles, and their company values (playfulness, craft, clarity, polish, trust, ownership, teamwork) to demonstrate cultural fit.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions for a UI Artist role in game development. All details should be verified directly with King before making application decisions.

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