Creative Hot Takes: November 2024

"The game is called Metaphor: ReFantazio. Yeah, that’s the name. Just look at it. I mean… it’s a little busy, sure. But the impact. The art. I have never been more inspired while checking my inventory for MP potions or equipping my characters with stat-boosting class-appropriate armor. Ever. At least not since 2016’s Persona 5, from the same studio.

The UX designers at Atlus continue their reign at the top of game UX/UI design. But is the game any good? Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. Not just because it’s on another visual level than most games, because the story is pushing boundaries too - think The Neverending Story x Game of Thrones. So good.

The UX is great because they took something mostly overlooked and under-designed in the industry (the pause menu) and made it into a gorgeous expression of the games’ brand. Not every interface can be like this… but every interface should have just the right amount of magic in it. Time to level up."

"You’re probably thinking, how can trails evaluate usability and user experience? Well consider that time you cut across a muddy field to shave off 13 seconds of your hike because you needed to get to the bathroom, and fast! Then your footprints were followed by many others until that muddy field developed a path. Over time, that path was transformed into a well-used trail.

Now let’s assume that each official trail is designed. From the grade of the slope to the width of the path, every turn and step is carefully planned. The truth is, no matter how well-designed a trail is, it will inherently have room for improvement.

Just like humans and use-cases. Trends and forecasts. Trails change. A boot print shifts a puff of dust. A log is placed to cross a river. And a weary hiker takes a shortcut.

What’s important is that trails continue to exist. And hikers continue to shape them. Making trails that are better, more efficient. Seasons of footfalls might shift the path downslope to an even plateau. The log becomes an anchored bridge. And a shortcut becomes a proper redirect. At first, trails are best guesses. Years later, they are efficient paths honed by thousands of unintentional user interactions.  

Next time you walk down a new path, consider that the steps you take are probably not 100% perfect.  Like most things, they’re best adapted after they have been tested and shaped by the individuals who use them the most."

"Since the beginning of time, people have been driven to create. Over the centuries, the tools that fuel our creativity have transformed radically, constantly bringing new possibilities with each advancement. From paintbrushes and chisels to the cloud and artificial intelligence, these tools allow us to push creative boundaries. Yet at the heart of every meaningful creation lies a powerful idea; without that foundation, even the best tools fall short.

Of course, execution is also essential, a good idea poorly executed rarely reaches its potential. But too often, we let ourselves believe that better tools alone will bring better results. In truth, technology is just another set of tools — one that can either empower or distract. From faster processors and smarter algorithms to the transformative world of AI, with each new advancement emerging technology adds to the range of possibilities for a creative outcome or solution. But what does it do to our ideas?

The faster these advancements occur, the more we need to remember tools are only a medium for telling a story, for fixing a problem, or for creating something new. They exist to help us execute our ideas. But technology on its own is not an idea. By definition, an idea is “a formulated thought or opinion” or “whatever is known about something”. In other words, an idea is the what, and tools are the how. You simply cannot have one without the other.

So when it comes to idea-generation, stop and think — is this an idea, or an execution? Because the true impact lies not in the tools we use to bring something to life, but rather what we choose to create and communicate."