Terminal

─ Case study · UX Research UX Research · Game UI · Brand Identity · Web Design · Print · Digital · AI

Redesigning >_Terminal — a new way of recuiting

My role
XU/UI Designer
 
Client
Citadel Securities 

Platform

Web (game + site)

Team
PM & Engineers

Jump To: Visit Terminal Website – Case Study – Branding & Visuals

1. About & Challenge

What is >_Terminal?
 

>_Terminal is an AI programming game played by engineers and data scientists. Players code algorithms that compete head-to-head, tower defense-style, with winners earning global recognition, job opportunities, and cash prizes.

The challenge; Talent in tech is hard to recruit and very time consuming. Terminal was created to help that stress by getting a high level of talent pool before they are in the market for jobs.

2. The Design problem

A game players loved, but couldn’t see.

 

The game itself was compelling. The website holding it together was not. The main problem was retention — the site was outdated, and the game was hard to play. A user survey we ran surfaced the #1 pain point directly: players couldn’t see the UI and had readability issues on the gameboard. For a competitive game where every decision counts, that’s not a cosmetic problem. That’s a product failure.

"New UIs and colors — keeping accessibility in mind."

3. The process

Research, redesign, and a system built to refresh.

Discovery
User survey + pain point mapping

Ran a user survey to understand where players were dropping off. The data was clear: visibility and readability on the gameboard were the core issues. Players knew something felt wrong — they just couldn’t name it. That’s a contrast problem.

Concept
Sketches, wireframes, and a new layout direction
Explored multiple approaches to the gameboard layout. The key design question: how do you surface round, phase, two players’ full stats, unit info, and a clear action — without cluttering the board? The answer was a dedicated sidebar that owns all game state, leaving the grid clean for gameplay.

 

Design
Game UI, website, and brand overhaul
Designed the redesigned gameboard UI and new game elements in collaboration with the Game Designer. Simultaneously rebuilt the Terminal website — architecture, visual identity, and all page templates — to match the quality of the game itself.
 
Refresh
Seasonal collateral refresh, every cycle

Terminal runs two new seasons every year. For each one, I produce print and digital collateral — working with the PM on specs and executing from there. The brand system I built makes this fast: consistent bones, fresh surface.

 

3. The gameboard — before & after

The redesign, side by side.

Bfore: Original gameboard
  • Units blended into dark dot grid — no visual distinction
  • No player color coding — impossible to distinguish sides
  • Game state info scattered, labels nearly invisible
  • No dedicated sidebar — stats had no home
  • Accessibility failures — contrast well below WCAG AA
Bfore: Original gameboard
  • Player 1 = teal, Player 2 = orange — never breaks
  • Sidebar consolidates round, phase, stats, units, actions
  • Distinct icon per unit type — readable at board scale
  • Health bars color-coded and labeled with numeric values
  • SUBMIT TURN — unmissable, prominent primary action
Drag
5. Outcomes

What improved.

50% 

increase in user retention compared to previously.
 

9.5/10 

ease-of-use rating, up from 5.3/10 after the redesign (survery from 280 students).
 

6+ 

New game UI elements designed with the Game Designer
 

2x 

Seasons per year launched with new collateral and brand assets
 
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