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UX / UI Design
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**~**6 minute read
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Skyrim’s menu system plays a central role in the player experience, yet its navigation relies almost entirely on linear scrolling and text-based information. This case study examines the usability of the menu navigation and explores alternative interaction and UI solutions aimed at reducing friction and cognitive load, without altering the game’s visual language.
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Disclaimer!
Without access to internal constraints such as production goals, technical limitations, timelines, or available resources, this redesign should be read as an external UX exploration.
The original menu system is the result of deliberate design decisions, and this work simply explores how the same experience could be approached from a different usability perspective.
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The outcome of the project is a conceptual redesign of Skyrim’s menu navigation system, focused on improving usability, while keeping in mind controls constraints and preserving the original visual identity.
Since it is a controller-centric game, i decided to leave aside keyboard controls, keeping the analysis simpler. By testing internally within the game, I got an idea of what the contraints were for the controls and what opportunities I could take advantage of. It turned out that some of the keys had no function in certain areas, while others had functions that deviated from the standards
I analyzed Skyrim’s existing menu system by mapping a common navigation task and observing how users move through the list. The analysis highlighted a strong reliance on sequential scrolling and a lack of navigation shortcuts.
