Technical UI Designer · Games & Products · 3+ Years
JAIKAR POTHULA
I design player- and user-facing interfaces that ship — from game HUDs and diegetic systems in UE5 to product flows in Figma. Same craft: clarity, hierarchy, and production-ready systems.
Shipped · The Dark Arrival on Steam
Open to hire
3+ years shipping UI for games and interactive products. Owned systems on The Dark Arrival (Steam) and Suite 13 — plus product UX on Smart Guardian.
Full-time Technical UI · Game UI · Product Design · Remote or on-site · SF Bay Area
Philosophy
I design UI systems that guide decisions — whether the user is a player in a game or someone using a product.
My craft spans game UI and product design: modular systems in Unreal Engine 5 and Unity, and clear flows and design systems in Figma — always built to ship.
I prioritize clarity, hierarchy, and performance. Interfaces should reduce friction, support real decisions, and stay readable under pressure — in a thriller HUD or a product dashboard.
Flagship shipped work includes The Dark Arrival (Steam) and Suite 13, plus product UX on Smart Guardian — fall detection, health monitoring, and emergency response flows.
In-engine, I build UMG / Blueprint frameworks and diegetic systems like the 3D Investigator Journal. In product work, I map user journeys, prototype interactions, and hand off production-ready UI kits.
Selected Work
UI Systems
Built for Games & Products
Shipped game UI in UE5, casual mobile interfaces, and product UX — modular systems, clear hierarchy, and production-ready handoff from Figma to engine or build.
The Dark Arrival
Designed an interactive 3D Investigator Journal system that impacts gameplay decisions directly through diegetic UI interfaces.
Suite 13
Designed and implemented a system-driven gameplay HUD that relies on audio-visual cues and minimal screen clutter to heighten tension.
Customized Angel
Programmed and designed timeline-based UI systems for tracking complex gameplay events and logical deductions.
Tale of Ronin
Designed core interaction systems and visual layout frameworks matching a delicate, sumi-e painted art style.
Find the Dog
Designed a high-contrast visual hierarchy and modular menu system for a mobile live-service game, ensuring readability on small screens without frustrating the casual player.
Find the Octopus
A cute, vibrant hidden-object puzzle built around a baby-octopus mascot. Designed the full casual live-service UI — level progression, timed power-ups, mission rewards and VIP monetization — keeping every screen readable and friendly on small displays.
Smart Guardian
Product UX for an AI-driven elder safety app — fall detection, health monitoring, and emergency response flows designed for clarity when every second matters.
Approach
Ideas into
Impact
I design UI systems that connect creative vision with scalable execution — for game studios and product teams that need interfaces people can act on.
Clarity under pressure, strong information hierarchy, and systems that are efficient to build, iterate, and ship — whether the context is a shipped Steam title or a product experience.
System Design
Translating complex mechanics and product requirements into clear, structured UI that supports understanding and action.
- > Mechanics & Flows to UI
- > Information Hierarchy
- > Decision-Driven Interfaces
Architecture
Building modular, scalable UI frameworks and design systems that are production-ready and adaptable across teams.
- > UMG · Blueprint · Figma Systems
- > Reusable Components
- > Cross-Team Scalability
Implementation
Shipping interfaces in-engine and in product builds — from prototype to production with real constraints.
- > UE5 · Unity · Product Handoff
- > Diegetic & Screen UI
- > Performance & Responsiveness
Tools teams ship with
Career
Experience
3+ years designing & shipping UI across games and products — UE5, Unity, and Figma.
Current focus
Technical UI Designer with 3+ years building modular systems for games and digital products. Flagship work: The Dark Arrival (Steam), Suite 13, Find the Octopus (Google Play), and product UX on Smart Guardian. Open to full-time Technical UI, Game UI, or Product Design roles — remote or on-site.
Vault Productions Private Limited
Technical UI Designer · Aug 2024 – Present Contract · United States · RemoteOwned UI design and in-engine implementation across The Dark Arrival (Steam), Suite 13, and Find the Octopus (Google Play).
- > Built a 3D Investigator Journal driving narrative and gameplay decisions
- > Architected modular UMG / Blueprint frameworks for menus, HUDs, and diegetic systems
- > Designed casual live-service UI for Find the Octopus — level progression, rewards, and VIP monetization
- > Shipped production UI for The Dark Arrival on Steam (GDC 2026 playable build) — View on Steam ↗
Academy of Art University
Game Development · Sep 2025 – Dec 2025 Part-time · San Francisco, CA · Hybrid- > Collaborated within a cross-functional student team to design and implement core gameplay systems using Unreal Engine and ZBrush
- > Contributed to gameplay mechanics prototyping, asset integration, and iterative system refinement through structured bi-weekly milestone cycles
- > Translated design concepts into functional in-engine implementations, balancing technical constraints with gameplay clarity
- > Documented development workflows, system logic, and production progress; presented iterative builds and technical breakdowns to faculty
- > Participated in structured feedback reviews, incorporating playtest insights into gameplay adjustments and UX improvements
Freelance
UI Designer · Mar 2025 – Aug 2025 Freelance · United States · Remote- > Led end-to-end UI/UX design for Nekurati, defining menu architecture, interaction patterns, and visual identity aligned with the game’s fantasy world-building
- > Designed main menu systems, interactive controls, and navigation flows to improve clarity and reduce user friction during gameplay
- > Developed custom fantasy-themed UI assets (crystal, dragon, ornamental motifs) to reinforce narrative tone while maintaining functional hierarchy
- > Built high-fidelity prototypes in Figma and translated finalized assets into engine-ready UI elements
- > Established typography standards and button interaction states to improve readability, accessibility, and overall UX
Customized Angel – Academic Project
Academy of Art University · Feb 2025 – May 2025 Apprenticeship · San Francisco Bay Area · On-site- > Collaborated with a 5-person international team to design and develop a 2D game prototype
- > Worked as Designer & Programmer, focusing on UI systems and interactive mechanics
- > Created visual branding and UI animations using Adobe Creative Suite and Unity
- > Coordinated weekly team reviews to ensure consistent delivery of creative assets
Skills & Tools
What game studios and product teams look for — engines, design systems, pipeline, and day-to-day production tools.
Engine & Systems
- Unreal Engine 5 (UMG)
- Widget Blueprints
- Common UI / Slate
- Enhanced Input
- Unity (C# · uGUI)
- Modular UI Architecture
UI Implementation
- HUDs & Menus
- UI State Machines
- 3D / Diegetic UI
- Animation & Motion
- Resolution & Safe Area
- Performance Profiling
Design Pipeline
- Figma (components & prototypes)
- Photoshop · Illustrator
- After Effects (UI motion)
- Figma → Engine handoff
- Style guides & UI kits
- Playtest iteration
Production
- Git · Perforce
- Jira · Confluence
- Technical documentation
- Cross-discipline collab
- Milestone delivery
- Remote / hybrid workflow
Documentation
Beyond Design
A deeper look into my work designing and implementing gameplay-driven UI systems across Unreal Engine 5. Focused on in-engine UI, system architecture, and building scalable interfaces that support real-time gameplay.
Output
The in-engine main menu system running live, previewed exactly as it plays in-build.
Live Source Files
Access the raw UI architecture, blueprints, and interactive prototypes directly via Figma.
Visual Showcase
Systems
in motion & in-engine
A curated collection of UI motion, menu prototypes, layout structures, and in-engine implementations across my recent projects.
Writing
Writing &
Insights
Mind & Art Human Touch in Game UI
Exploring how intuition and artistic intent shape immersive UI and player experience.
Designing the Lens UI as Player Experience
A reflection on designing UI as the player’s primary connection to gameplay.
Shift: Last Fare UI & Narrative Design
Examining how UI supports storytelling through diegetic design and immersion.