On visual language in game interface design

Objective

Game Interface Design (Game Interface), refers to the game users can interact functions of visual elements, planning, design activities. Visual language (Language of Vision), from the scientific modelling theory, in the field of plastic arts, this can convey feelings, ideas and information image and graphics, text, color and other elements of the visual style, is called visual language.

Game interface as a user to participate in the game, experience the entertainment of the channel, directly affect the user's impression of the game, an excellent game interface, should pay attention to the design of visual language, always follow the "people-oriented" design concept, so that users in the game process can fully appreciate the pleasure of human-machine communication and humanized operation brings comfort.

1 basic features of visual language

The visual language in the game interface is a message conveyed by the design idea of the game, which directs the user to experience operation and plot guidance. The following three basic features are required.

1.1 Cognitive

Cognition means that visual language and visual image can cause the visual recognition of users. The visual cognitive process in the interface is: Visual search, Discovery, identification, recognition, confirmation, and memory searching. The reaction time of the first three processes depends on the rationality and the recognition of the game interface design. The design of game interface is concise and vivid visual language, which can attract the attention of users.

Users constantly scan the entire interface process, according to constantly refreshed visual information, and constantly confirm the target location. In this process, visual information from the interface is constantly pounding the visual nerve in the form of a pulse current, and through the stimulation of the visual nerve, the information enters the brain network for more complex neural activity [1]. After constantly screening these impulses, the brain eventually confirms the most correct source of visual stimuli and clicks the visual element in the interface to confirm the experience. The brain stores this process in memory, leaving memory, which is the process of visual cognition.

1.2 Easy Learning Habits

Easy learning refers to the user's first contact with the game interface, not through the Help file, can be clear interface elements of the basic functions of the unfamiliar interface has a clear understanding, can complete the operation of basic tasks.

Easy to learn habits based on the user's human needs, the requirements of visual language accuracy, reasonable expression, visual elements, operating methods, operation commands, such as the interface design style to maintain consistency.

1.3 Ease of memory

Memory refers to the image can be long-term memory in the brain, and can form a certain conditioned reflex. Memory has three different process stages, for sensory memory, short-term memory and long memory. The three are interconnected, sensory memory provides the basis for the operation experience, short time memory storage material only a minute or less, long memory storage information is relatively permanent, is the acquisition and preservation of knowledge. The user can operate the interface skillfully, because the information of the short time memory can cause the intense feeling, automatically turns into the long time memory system to be stored. In the next operation, it is natural to associate with the use, not every time in the brain to desperately recall.

The information that can be remembered in short time memory can not be displayed directly in the game interface, while the information needing long time memory should be emphasized many times and repeated in the hierarchical interface. Taking into account the different memory ability of each person, in the course of the game should pay attention to increase the informational information, the user's operation commands to respond, the operation of information feedback should generally appear in 1s.

2 Visual Language Design

The design of visual language in game interface should be concise and clear, grasp the principle of art design, simplify the user's thinking cost and Operation order, and lighten the user's memory burden.

2.1 Layout

A layout is defined within a limited area, reasonable arrangement of the location of the elements of the interface, the messy pages, mixed content in accordance with the needs of the overall information group induction, organization arrangement, so that the interface elements of primary and secondary clear, focus on highlighting, to help users find the necessary information convenient, to obtain a smooth visual experience.

Game interface design, to grasp the layout of the functional, aesthetic and scientific, functional refers to the interface to include the necessary operation and display functions. Aesthetic, that is, the interface of various visual elements of coordination and unity, balance, and according to the theme of the game and user characteristics of the layout of the design, enhance the visual performance of the interface. Scientific is the interface information, function display, button location to be reasonable, can not affect the function to achieve results, and user-friendly operation.

According to the principle of visual flow, the best visual field of the interface is the upper half and the left half, the upper part and the left part are easy to relax, the lower half and the right half are sedate and depressive, this visual drop, and the eye is accustomed to reading from left to right, the reflection of the result. In the interface layout, is generally left for the role of information, left to chat box, the left for the skills, in the right for props, on the right for small map graphics.

2.2 Colors

As the primary visual aesthetic elements, color profoundly affects the user's visual feelings and psychological emotions. In the interface design, we should pay attention to the following aspects: (1) in order to make the theme of the interface eye-catching, user-friendly access to information, in the same interface color is not too much, generally not more than 7 kinds of appropriate, (2) The human eye on the low saturation and low brightness of the color is not suitable for the text, small area of the area, Suitable as background or large area; (3) from the visual habits of people, look at the dark background than to see the light background time long 3~4 times, so the lightness and purity of the weak color is often used for large areas of background color or inactive operation, while the lightness and purity of high color will stimulate the eye, causing fatigue, Suitable for small area of operation tips and important content information area, to attract attention, enhance the role of visual cues; (4) Grasp the effects of color on the user's psychological effects, such as cold tones can help users in the anxiety of the game state of calm mood, red warning, danger.

2.3 Writings

As the visual element in the game interface, the text has the design effect that other elements can't replace, in the interface not only can the direct message, play the role of prompting and guiding, also can cooperate with the graphic element, play the role of avoiding ambiguity.

The text style in the interface should be based on the game style to determine, design text, should pay attention to several factors to ensure that its readability and recognition. (1) In the same interface, font should not be too much, generally use 3~4 font; (2) font size to be based on the function to determine, in general, the title text using more than 18P, descriptive text with 10p~14p, (3) according to the Eye of the line of sight movement faster than vertical movement, and not easy to fatigue characteristics, Text should be as horizontal as possible, (4) when the amount of text is large, can be paged out, and note that paragraph spacing and line spacing is reasonable; (5) The user produces visual fatigue time for 3~5h, the interface of too much color, will lead to text difficult to read, causing visual fatigue; (6) The color should be contrasted with the background color. (7) The text information should be simple and popular, use the word to be popularized, not uncommon words and professional terminology; avoid using abbreviations in English words; Function action button to use the verbs to describe the operation, as far as possible using affirmative sentences.

2.4 Graphics

Graphics is the most intuitive visual language symbol in the game interface, which has the characteristics of direct and readable, and is a language that utilizes the cognitive experience accumulated by people's long life and learning. Graphics recognition is better than text, in the larger information interface, it can not only increase the interest and beauty of the interface, but also help users to reduce memory burden in the operation, guide users to easily enter the game task and storyline.

In the graphics design of the game interface, note the following: (1) Many function button graphics have been symbolized in the game, such as the left arrow indicating back and back, the arrow to the right indicates progress or