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Shower Thoughts
Mostly Design-Related Shower Thoughts
Highly opinion-driven posts or articles I've written along my never-ending design learning journey.
RANDOM UX LEARNING #1069
While new ideas are everything, I care about good system design just as much as visual design. I’ve found that meaningful change starts with understanding why it is before asking “what if we...”
While new ideas are everything, I care about good system design just as much as visual design. I’ve found that meaningful change starts with understanding why it is before asking “what if we...”
While new ideas are everything, I care about good system design just as much as visual design. I’ve found that meaningful change starts with understanding why it is before asking “what if we...”
My experience of game UX vs web UX
My experience of game UX vs web UX
BLOG ENTRY #1 - 29 JUN 2026
BLOG ENTRY #1 - 29 JUN 2026
If you don't know me, I should start by saying that my biggest "guilty pleasure" is spending a lazy rainy afternoon lost in a PS5 game. My latest obsession is this huge fantasy open-world RPG (Role Playing Game) called Crimson Desert. It's got dragons, fighting bad guys, riding horses, and a highly realistic social system where citizens will swear at you for accidentally running into them in the street. (Naturally, this means my reputation is in the toilet, but that's less on the game and much more down to a skilll issue).
Anyway, this game's world is vast and breathtakingly beautiful, but one of the most impressive things about it is how much Pearl Abyss, the developers of the game, have been taking their players' feedback to heart. They're constantly tweaking the game with almost weekly update releases - not just with player-reported bug fixes and patches, but with regular enhancement of core mechanics and quality of life features. What's wild is that these are things that have been directly requested by players across all platforms, from a variety of forums. This level of community engagement and receptiveness is rarely seen with such a large developer, and honestly, I think it's the future of the industry.
As a UX designer, I was keen to reach out to them with my own thoughts after playing around 150 hours total in the game and getting a fair way through its story. (Though in truth, it's one of those games where you never REALLY finish).
Below is my submission of feedback for Pearl Abyss on the game Crimson Desert.
Couple important notes for readers:
The content is lightly edited from its original, for clarity towards a community that may not be as familiar with gaming terms and concepts as the developers are.
The starred bold items [*in square brackets] are further clarifications or definitions for this purpose.
The sign-off at the end is a nerdy reference to one of the characters in the game, and her wonderfully extra parting catch-phrase. Don't judge me.
If you don't know me, I should start by saying that my biggest "guilty pleasure" is spending a lazy rainy afternoon lost in a PS5 game. My latest obsession is this huge fantasy open-world RPG (Role Playing Game) called Crimson Desert. It's got dragons, fighting bad guys, riding horses, and a highly realistic social system where citizens will swear at you for accidentally running into them in the street. (Naturally, this means my reputation is in the toilet, but that's less on the game and much more down to a skilll issue).
Anyway, this game's world is vast and breathtakingly beautiful, but one of the most impressive things about it is how much Pearl Abyss, the developers of the game, have been taking their players' feedback to heart. They're constantly tweaking the game with almost weekly update releases - not just with player-reported bug fixes and patches, but with regular enhancement of core mechanics and quality of life features. What's wild is that these are things that have been directly requested by players across all platforms, from a variety of forums. This level of community engagement and receptiveness is rarely seen with such a large developer, and honestly, I think it's the future of the industry.
As a UX designer, I was keen to reach out to them with my own thoughts after playing around 150 hours total in the game and getting a fair way through its story. (Though in truth, it's one of those games where you never REALLY finish).
Below is my submission of feedback for Pearl Abyss on the game Crimson Desert.
Couple important notes for readers:
The content is lightly edited from its original, for clarity towards a community that may not be as familiar with gaming terms and concepts as the developers are.
The starred bold items [*in square brackets] are further clarifications or definitions for this purpose.
The sign-off at the end is a nerdy reference to one of the characters in the game, and her wonderfully extra parting catch-phrase. Don't judge me.
If you don't know me, I should start by saying that my biggest "guilty pleasure" is spending a lazy rainy afternoon lost in a PS5 game. My latest obsession is this huge fantasy open-world RPG (Role Playing Game) called Crimson Desert. It's got dragons, fighting bad guys, riding horses, and a highly realistic social system where citizens will swear at you for accidentally running into them in the street. (Naturally, this means my reputation is in the toilet, but that's less on the game and much more down to a skill issue).
Anyway, suffice to say that this game's world is vast and breathtakingly beautiful, but one of the most impressive things about it is how much Pearl Abyss, the developers of the game, have been taking their players' feedback to heart. They're constantly tweaking the game with almost weekly update releases - not just with player-reported bug fixes and patches, but with regular enhancement of core mechanics and quality of life features. What's wild is that these are things that have been directly requested by players across all platforms. This level of community engagement and receptiveness is rarely seen with such a large developer, and honestly, I think it's the future of the industry.
As a UX designer, I was keen to reach out to them with my own thoughts after playing around 150 hours total in the game and getting a fair way through its story. (Though in truth, it's one of those games where you never REALLY finish).
Below is my submission of feedback for Pearl Abyss on the game Crimson Desert.
Couple important notes for non-gaming readers:
1. The starred bold items [*in square brackets] are clarifications or definitions for folks who may not regularly game.
The sign-off at the end is a nerdy reference to a quote from one of the characters in the game, and their slightly extra catch-phrase. Don't judge me.
Dear Pearl Abyss Team
Let me start by saying that I LOVE this game. In so many ways, it's a masterpiece. I especially adore the little touches scattered throughout this enormous world, like the inclusion of endemic New Zealand birdlife (I genuinely squealed when I found the kiwi!).
That said, as a UX designer, I wanted to share a few thoughts. These are entirely my own opinions, based on my experiences as both a gamer and a UX designer.
Dear Pearl Abyss Team
Let me start by saying that I LOVE this game. In so many ways, it's a masterpiece. I especially adore the little touches scattered throughout this enormous world, like the inclusion of endemic New Zealand birdlife (I genuinely squealed when I found the kiwi!).
That said, as a UX designer, I wanted to share a few thoughts. These are entirely my own opinions, based on my experiences as both a gamer and a UX designer.
For web and mobile, one of my guiding principles is “Don’t make me think” (Steve Krug). For games, though, it's slightly different: Don’t make me guess.
For web and mobile, one of my guiding principles is “Don’t make me think” (Steve Krug). For games, though, it's slightly different: Don’t make me guess.
To me, great game UX (much like good web UX) tries to protect a user's forward momentum above all else. One thing that doesn't translate across the platforms, though, is the need to encourage experimentation. This is something that makes games wonderful but can make web UX terrible. ('Muddling through' is the exact opposite of the experience we want for Uncle Bob when he's trying to claim for his knee replacement surgery). However, something I've noticed in gaming is that if a game wants to encourage experimentation without alienating players who prefer a little more guidance, it's necessary to make the blindfold optional wherever possible. In other words, there's no downside in gaming to offering users a playstyle refund policy…so why wouldn't you? Arguably, for me this makes decisions feel more meaningful, because I've confirmed them through my own user-testing.
To me, great game UX (much like good web UX) tries to protect a user's forward momentum above all else. One thing that doesn't translate across the platforms, though, is the need to encourage experimentation. This is something that makes games wonderful but can make web UX terrible. ('Muddling through' is the exact opposite of the experience we want for Uncle Bob when he's trying to claim for his knee replacement surgery). However, something I've noticed in gaming is that if a game wants to encourage experimentation without alienating players who prefer a little more guidance, it's necessary to make the blindfold optional wherever possible. In other words, there's no downside in gaming to offering users a playstyle refund policy…so why wouldn't you? Arguably, for me this makes decisions feel more meaningful, because I've confirmed them through my own user-testing.
GAME DESIGN INSIGHT #1
Give me enough information to make an informed decision, then let me experiment without punishing me for changing my mind.
GAME DESIGN INSIGHT #2
To me, protecting forward progression means gameplay that respects my time, respects my intelligence, and respects my playstyle.
Don't get me wrong: Crimson Desert already does these things well in many areas, but there are a few moments where they could be pushed even further. Here are a few specific in-game examples:
Don't get me wrong: Crimson Desert already does these things well in many areas, but there are a few moments where they could be pushed even further. Here are a few specific in-game examples:
Skill respecs [*ability/skill-tree points spending and refunding]
Please let us refund skill points on a per-artifact, per-skill basis instead of forcing a complete reset. With such a deep combat system, I need to actually use a new skill alongside my existing build before I know whether it suits my playstyle. The current system made me reluctant to experiment at all. I ended up using only two Faded Abyss Artifacts [*the single-use, skill-tree reset items] because I had to manually record every single allocation just so I could undo one decision later.
Skill respecs [*ability/skill-tree points spending and refunding]
Please let us refund skill points on a per-artifact, per-skill basis instead of forcing a complete reset. With such a deep combat system, I need to actually use a new skill alongside my existing build before I know whether it suits my playstyle. The current system made me reluctant to experiment at all. I ended up using only two Faded Abyss Artifacts [*the single-use, skill-tree reset items] because I had to manually record every single allocation just so I could undo one decision later.
Skill respecs [*skill tree points spending and refunding]
Please let us refund skill points on a per-artifact, per-skill basis instead of forcing a complete reset. With such a deep combat system, I need to actually use a new skill alongside my existing build before I know whether it suits my playstyle. The current system made me reluctant to experiment at all—I ended up using only two Faded Abyss Artifacts [*the in-game skill tree reset items] because I had to manually record every single allocation just so I could undo one decision later.
Abyss Gear [*enhancement items for armour and weapons]
Likewise, I’d love to be able to socket and unsocket Abyss Gear on the fly. Creating, refining and synthesising gears absolutely belongs in one location with the witch, but swapping builds feels far more cumbersome than it needs to be. Travelling to a witch's hideout, emptying inventory, unsocketing everything, crafting a new build, leaving the location (because weapons can't be used in proximity), testing it, then repeating the whole process if it isn’t quite right…
This workflow tends to discourage experimentation rather than encouraging it.
Abyss Gear [*enhancement items for armour and weapons]
Likewise, I’d love to be able to socket and unsocket Abyss Gear on the fly. Creating, refining and synthesising gears absolutely belongs in one location with the witch, but swapping builds feels far more cumbersome than it needs to be. Travelling to a witch's hideout, emptying inventory, unsocketing everything, crafting a new build, leaving the location (because weapons can't be used in proximity), testing it, then repeating the whole process if it isn’t quite right…
This workflow tends to discourage experimentation rather than encouraging it.
Abyss Gear [*enhancement items for armour and weapons]
Likewise, I’d love to be able to socket and unsocket Abyss Gears on the fly. Creating, refining and synthesising gears absolutely belongs in one location with the witch, but swapping builds feels far more cumbersome than it needs to be. Travelling to a witch's hideout, emptying inventory, unsocketing everything, crafting a new build, leaving the location (because weapons can't be used in proximity), testing it, then repeating the whole process if it isn’t quite right…
This workflow tends to discourage experimentation rather than encouraging it
Puzzle design [*In-game environmental puzzles and riddles]
Some players love spending hours solving puzzles. Others don’t. Both are valid.
Keeping puzzle solutions open-ended is fantastic. What matters is understanding the objective. I don’t need the answer handed to me, but I do need to know what I’m trying to accomplish. “Reach that platform,” “access the object beneath the lake,” or “restore power to this mechanism” gives me direction while still leaving the solution entirely up to me.
The final goal doesn’t have to be immediately obvious, but it should be easily discoverable. Those are very different things.
Puzzle design [*In-game environmental puzzles and riddles]
Some players love spending hours solving puzzles. Others don’t. Both are valid.
Keeping puzzle solutions open-ended is fantastic. What matters is understanding the objective. I don’t need the answer handed to me, but I do need to know what I’m trying to accomplish. “Reach that platform,” “access the object beneath the lake,” or “restore power to this mechanism” gives me direction while still leaving the solution entirely up to me.
The final goal doesn’t have to be immediately obvious, but it should be easily discoverable. Those are very different things.
Item descriptions [*Enhancing accessibility].
Accessibility isn’t only about brightness controls or difficulty settings: it’s also about information.
The Kuku Cooler item is the perfect example. Its description says it prevents food from spoiling, despite there being no food spoilage mechanic. Meanwhile, its most important function (a global food and ingredient retrieval system for cooking and crafting) isn’t mentioned at all.
I carried this thing around for an entire week assuming it would eventually become relevant before finally discovering its purpose buried in a Reddit thread.
In my opinion, if players routinely need community forums just to understand what a core item or mechanic actually does, that’s a sign the game itself could communicate that information more clearly. I feel like community discussions should answer questions like “What’s the best strategy against this boss?” rather than “What does this item actually do?”
Item descriptions [*Enhancing accessibility].
Accessibility isn’t only about brightness controls or difficulty settings: it’s also about information.
The Kuku Cooler item is the perfect example. Its description says it prevents food from spoiling, despite there being no food spoilage mechanic. Meanwhile, its most important function (a global food and ingredient retrieval system for cooking and crafting) isn’t mentioned at all.
I carried this thing around for an entire week assuming it would eventually become relevant before finally discovering its purpose buried in a Reddit thread.
In my opinion, if players routinely need community forums just to understand what a core item or mechanic actually does, that’s a sign the game itself could communicate that information more clearly. I feel like community discussions should answer questions like “What’s the best strategy against this boss?” rather than “What does this item actually do?”
Item descriptions [*Enhancing accessibility].
Accessibility isn’t only about brightness controls or difficulty settings: it’s also about information.
The Kuku Cooler item is the perfect example. Its description says it prevents food from spoiling, despite there being no food spoilage mechanic in the game. Meanwhile, its most important function (a global food and ingredient retrieval system for cooking and crafting) isn’t mentioned at all.
I carried this thing around for an entire week assuming it would eventually become relevant before finally discovering its purpose buried in a Reddit thread.
In my opinion, if players routinely need community forums just to understand what a core item or mechanic actually does, that’s a sign the game itself could communicate that information more clearly. I feel like community discussions should answer questions like “What’s the best strategy against this boss?” rather than “What does this item actually do?”
The remaining points are much smaller.
Traversal sometimes feels like realism is taking priority over responsiveness. Personally, I’d rather clip slightly over a small rock or automatically vault low obstacles than lose all momentum because my character stumbled over something ankle-high. (I find this to be an ironically literal example of protecting forward momentum.)
Similarly, the out-of-combat aiming reticle often doesn’t reflect where an attack will actually land. I’d love the centre dot to consistently represent my point of impact rather than my character swinging past objects while I’m looking directly at them. As a side-note, a quick-turn function during traversal, combat and flight would also feel fantastic.
Finally (and this is probably my biggest, (if oddly specific) request: please let us store key (purple) items and unused gear. I know they don’t consume inventory space, and it's cool that we're blocked from selling or discarding them, but I still want to keep my active inventory and quick-select menu tidy without scrolling past items I’ll never use again. I recently died fumbling through my armour slots for my one upgraded helm, after being attacked by bandits while collecting flowers in my Pororin Petal hat. [*This bright, floral witch's hat looks fabulous and provides an incredible item-gathering buff, but is defensively useless].
These are all suggestions I make because Crimson Desert is already something special. I wouldn’t spend this much time thinking about a game I didn’t absolutely love.
Congratulations to everyone at Pearl Abyss. You’ve built an incredible world, and I’m completely obsessed with exploring it.
—May wisdom guide your path.
The remaining points are much smaller.
Traversal sometimes feels like realism is taking priority over responsiveness. Personally, I’d rather clip slightly over a small rock or automatically vault low obstacles than lose all momentum because my character stumbled over something ankle-high. (I find this to be an ironically literal example of protecting forward momentum.)
Similarly, the out-of-combat aiming reticle often doesn’t reflect where an attack will actually land. I’d love the centre dot to consistently represent my point of impact rather than my character swinging past objects while I’m looking directly at them. As a side-note, a quick-turn function during traversal, combat and flight would also feel fantastic.
Finally (and this is probably my biggest, (if oddly specific) request: please let us store key (purple) items and unused gear. I know they don’t consume inventory space, and it's cool that we're blocked from selling or discarding them, but I still want to keep my active inventory and quick-select menu tidy without scrolling past items I’ll never use again. I recently died fumbling through my armour slots for my one upgraded helm, after being attacked by bandits while collecting flowers in my Pororin Petal hat. [*This bright, floral witch's hat looks fabulous and provides an incredible item-gathering buff, but is defensively useless].
These are all suggestions I make because Crimson Desert is already something special. I wouldn’t spend this much time thinking about a game I didn’t absolutely love.
Congratulations to everyone at Pearl Abyss. You’ve built an incredible world, and I’m completely obsessed with exploring it.
—May wisdom guide your path.
The remaining points are much smaller.
Traversal sometimes feels like realism is taking priority over responsiveness. Personally, I’d rather clip slightly over a small rock or automatically vault low obstacles than lose all momentum because my character stumbled over something ankle-high. (I find this to be an ironically literal example of protecting forward momentum.)
Similarly, the out-of-combat aiming reticle often doesn’t reflect where an attack will actually land. I’d love the centre dot to consistently represent my point of impact rather than my character swinging past objects while I’m looking directly at them. As a side-note, a quick-turn function during traversal, combat and flight would also feel fantastic.
Finally (and this is probably my biggest, if oddly specific request) please let us store key (purple) items and unused gear. I know they don’t consume inventory space, but I still want to keep my active inventory and quick-select menu tidy without scrolling past items I’ll never use again.
These are all suggestions I make because Crimson Desert is already something special. I wouldn’t spend this much time thinking about a game I didn’t absolutely love.
Congratulations to everyone at Pearl Abyss. You’ve built an incredible world, and I’m completely obsessed with exploring it.
—May wisdom guide your path.
The work displayed on this site was created by me while working for the mentioned employer, and is displayed with their permission. Any and all designs, artwork and logos displayed are copyrighted and the IP is wholly owned by the respective company.
© 2026 Ellie Earle
The work displayed on this site was created by me while working for the mentioned employer, and is displayed with their permission. Any and all designs, artwork and logos displayed are copyrighted and the IP is wholly owned by the respective company.
© 2026 Ellie Earle
The work displayed on this site was created by me while working for the mentioned employer, and is displayed with their permission. Any and all designs, artwork and logos displayed are copyrighted and the IP is wholly owned by the respective company.
© 2026 Ellie Earle