Electronic Arts - Frostbite Engine (4 years)
Intro
Some of the hardest design problems are not consumer apps or simple flows but deeply expert users, extraordinarily complex systems and the fact that if you simplify the wrong thing, you break everything. I spent four years embedded in Frostbite, EA’s proprietary engine behind some of the world’s most ambitious game titles. My work was on the developer-facing tools that engineers, technical artists and designers in multiple global studios used every day; they needed power and precision, not hand-holding.
The Challenge
Since Frostbite was a robust game engine capable of almost anything, that power came with a cost. Workflows had grown organically over years, each module evolving independently, leaving new developers facing steep learning curves and experienced ones tolerating friction they'd simply learned to live with. The inconsistency wasn't just a usability issue; it had a real business cost. Onboarding new developers was slow. Context-switching between modules was disruptive. And because the users were engineers, poor UX was often quietly absorbed rather than reported.
The design challenge was clear but really hard: reduce friction, increase consistency across a sprawling system of tools, but don’t dumb down the capabilities that expert users relied on.
Approach
I worked on 3 different domains, with 3 different users, 3 different workflows and 3 different mental models: cinematics, AI and physics tooling. In each of them the problem space had to be explored before any design solutions were attempted:
The research involved direct sessions with developers at several studios – not just what they did, but how they thought, what they tolerated, and where they were really stuck. Then I worked on designing and validating new interaction patterns that would feel native to the environment, iterating prototypes with real users rather than top-down solutions.
At the same time, I pitched in on Frostbite’s internal design system, a critical piece of infrastructure for a toolset of hundreds of individual tools and thousands of daily users. To get to that level of design consistency, you have to think in systems, not screens.
Outcome
This work dramatically decreased the onboarding friction for new developers and increased the efficiency of critical workflows. But it wasn’t just about features; it helped establish UX as a true strategic partner in the development pipeline of Frostbite. Moving design from a finishing step to an integral part of how tools get built.
First and foremost, this experience proved once again that the hardest design challenges are rarely about screens. They are about understanding complex systems, building trust with technical stakeholders, and finding clarity that makes powerful tools accessible without draining the power.
Tools Used: Figma • Dovetail • Prototyping • Journey Mapping • Heuristic Evaluation • Agile Collaboration • Design Systems • Miro