Creating a better beginner’s
interface for
World of Warcraft
Stephen Cano
Goals
► Create
an interface that provides more
flexibility and information than the default
UI, but not overwhelm the beginner with
details
► Fun, easy to use, and still aesthetically
pleasing
► Find out what it is people are interested in
and how to apply this to other games
Modifed Properties
► Action
Bars
 Damage Averages
 Improved Cooldown counter
► Inventory
Menu
► Informational Bar
► Screen Cleanup!
Old Interface
Improved Beginner’s Interface
Results
Study Averages
10
9
8
7
Value
6
Study UI
5
Blizzard UI
4
3
2
1
0
Ease of Use
Action Bars
Information
Inventory
Overall
Categories
-0.34922
1.690309
2.963189
T-Values
4.427189
3.369263
Conclusion
► Players
prefer “seeing” the game over fancy
borders and design
► Players enjoy extra information if it doesn’t
add to the clutter
► Players prefer usability over realism