An Overview of UX Trends in BIM and Game Design

CGT 17208, Exercise 1

Section 13238

Team 08
Alexander Bardi, BIM
Alec Ortman, BIM
Diego Albayati, Game Design & Development
Christian Martinez, Game Design & Development
Ming Zhu, Game Design & Development
Introduction
Our team consists of three Game Development and Design majors and two Building Information
Modeling (BIM) majors. The goal of this exercise was to examine how UX is used in our fields
of study. We understand that user experience is important and exists in each of our majors in
different ways, but we were interested in seeing if there is overlap among our fields. Each of us
uses specialized software in our fields, and those softwares all have an element of UX in them.
Being familiar with UX design will undoubtedly be beneficial in our future careers.

Our first task for this exercise was for each member to find a job listing related to their field of
study. Once we had a collection of these job listings, we discussed and compared the skills
necessary for each. We organized the skills into a table and learned about what skills were
similar and dissimilar in our job fields. The next task was to complete background research on
how UX is used in our fields and what issues could be addressed moving forward. We then came
together to discuss commonalities and make conclusions about the state of UX in our fields.
Skill Background
Job Search
Our first task was to learn more about the skills necessary in our job fields. We each found a listing and
took note of the skills listed; these job listings are linked below.

Team Member: Alexander Bardi

Job Title: BIM Modeler
Link: https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/bim-modeler-u-s-cad-JV_KO0,11_KE12,19.htm?
jl=1006833825899&utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium
=organic

Team Member: Alec Ortman

Job Title: Preconstruction Engineer
Link: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?
jk=1a16e5ed1e5b0c70&utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&u
tm_medium=organic

Team Member: Diego Albayati

Job Title: Photogrammetry Artist - Rockstar Games
Link: https://graduateland.com/job/43618132/14/photogrammetry-artist?
utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic

Team Member: Ming Zhu

Job Title: Video Game 3D Modeler
Link: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?from=app-tracker-saved-
appcard&hl=en&jk=3067abc95b45eafd&tk=1gn5ra9j3imah800

Team Member: Christian Martinez

Job Title: 3D Game Artist
Link: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?from=app-tracker-saved-
appcard&hl=en&jk=e9899332962310b6&tk=1gn5re7u9i9hl800

Skill Matching
We then collected the most important skills from each of our job listings and worked on
grouping them together to see what comparisons we could make about our career fields. We used
sticky notes to accomplish this; as shown in the image below, yellow sticky notes are skills and
the orange sticky notes list the categories we identified.
Here is a table which summarizes what similar skills we identified and their categories. This
table is a condensed version of our findings during the sticky note activity, with the most
frequently occurring skills presented in bold.

Design Software Communication Office/Planning Unique to Industry

Photoshop/photography Written, verbal skills Microsoft Office skills Drone flying experience (GD)
 CAD + Revit Presenting skills Multitasking Python coding (GD)

Maya/3D modeling Collaboration Organization/planning 2D concept artistry (GD)

skills

Animation Work with people in Electrical codes knowledge

other disciplines (BIM)

Can work in a team Game development background

atmosphere and knowledge (GD)

Construction principles (BIM)

Through this activity, we identified that though BIM and game design require many of their own
unique software and knowledge skills, there is noticeable overlap in areas. Both fields encourage
working well with people of other disciplines, having a basic understanding of handling 3D
models, and good organization skills.

Secondary Research
UX Trends by Industry
The next goal of our research was to identify and discuss what the state of UX looks like in our
respective fields. To accomplish this, we each individually summarized two articles that
discussed current UX trends in our industries and how it could be used to improve them. We then
came together to analyze the trends across the industries, noting how they compared to each
other and what significance those similarities and differences hold.
Team Member: Alexander Bardi
Article 1: “A User-Centered Approach to the Application of BIM in Smart Working Environments”
Link: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/8/2871
Article 2: “Why Good UX Design Matters in the BIM Software Industry”
Link: https://architosh.com/2022/07/why-good-ux-design-matters-in-the-bim-software-industry/
Summary: BIM is a collection of 3D modeling software that allows designers, engineers, and
construction managers to better understand their projects via a highly accurate and representative
building model. The more accurate representation of the building leads to better informed
decisions regarding the structure, design, maintenance, and cost of a project. The articles I
researched focused on how this BIM software could be made more user-friendly and
approachable to the employees that utilize them in their work, i.e., architects, engineers, project
managers, and so forth. One was a research study conducted with AEC professionals where they
were asked how they interacted with BIM software and where they felt they could see
improvement. The results showed that many felt that the BIM collaborative environment was not
up to speed because many still prefer older technology and are not properly trained on new
technology. The study concluded that ways to manage this would be to develop position-specific
workflows in the software and provide customized BIM training to all workers. The other article
discussed the potential for BIM software to incorporate more modern functions and implements
to enhance the user experience. For example, much of the BIM software is currently desktop-
only, so developing mobile applications would be beneficial for streamlining work at the jobsite.
Ultimately, it is crucial that the current UX design in BIM software improves as BIM becomes
more ubiquitous and mandated in construction projects.

Team Member: Alec Ortman

Article 1: “3D Modeling for UX/UI Design: What You Need to Know”
Link: https://www.selfcad.com/blog/3d-modeling-for-ux-ui-design-what-you-need-to-know
Article 2: “Immersive Construction Detailing Education: Building Information Modeling (BIM)–based
Virtual Reality (VR)”
Link: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2716876784?pq-origsite=primo&accountid=13360
Summary: In my research I found several very interesting applications of UX design in my field
(BIM). CAD is a very well known 3D design software, and their own website talks a lot about
the uses of interesting UI in architecture, interior design, and general construction. For example,
there are many things that are possible to articulate in a 2D space, but are infinitely easier in 3D.
One of these things is room layout. Picture your bedroom in your mind. Now try to explain that
room to someone. Do you describe it in a top-down, 2D way? Or do you explain the layout in a
three-dimensional way? My bet is you would explain it as you see it as you walk in (which is in a
3D space). There’s even an app that IKEA has made that will show you what a piece of furniture
would look like in your room from their online store. It’s really cool, helpful stuff that UX
design could do to make my own work easier and better. The other website I researched was
from Purdue’s own online library. In this bit of research, studies and tests were done to see how
virtual reality could help with construction detailing in a zero-risk environment. Of course,
visiting the worksite itself is a very important part of the construction process. However, if (for
example) the worksite is out of the way or hard to get to, VR could help the construction and
design team work in the most efficient way. Another way VR in construction could see use is in
the classroom. It’s much easier to go to the lab and walk through the worksite on a computer
than it is to organize, transport, and cram a bunch of people into that worksite.

Team Member: Diego Albayati

Article 1: “User Experience on Games Development Trends”
Link: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1341/4/042010
Article 2: “Latest UI, UX Design Trends for Game Designers to Focus On in 2022”
Link: https://www.appstirr.com/blog/latest-ui-ux-design-trends-for-game-designers
Summary: UX design in Game Development is an emerging method of design in the games
industry. As shown in the meta-analysis study, many articles and papers that research games and
trends in the game industry still see User experience as an outcome in the design instead of the
focus of the design. However, the new UX design trend is focused on implementing virtual
reality (VR) into games, and how VR can be used to enhance the user experience for medical,
therapeutic and entertainment needs. The experience is key to the success of VR, so developers
take into account how the user feels when using the new graphics technology. Research in VR
specifically has the goal to make the VR systems as immersive as possible. Certain
measurements are taken when conducting research such as physical space, engagement,
ecological validity, and negative effects of VR. Essentially, UX trends in gaming and VR focus
on the physical space limitations and affordances the technology provides. The engagement from
the user and how immersed they feel within VR is a focus. The reduction of negative effects such
as motion sickness and vertigo is good. Interestingly, the VR controller is a new UX problem,
since VR controllers currently have no standard to follow. VR controllers come in a variety of
shapes to fit in the hands of users, but there is no standard. So, user experience researchers are
currently finding what works the best with each new system.

Team Member: Ming Zhu

Article 1: “Key UI & UX Game Design Trends to Focus in 2021”
Link: https://logicsimplified.com/newgames/key-ui-ux-game-design-trends-to-focus-in-2021/
Article 2: “UX Trends for Game Designers”
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ux-trends-game-designers-thomas-george/
Summary: I have summarized five points in my research: (1) ease of use, (2) efficiency, (3)
memorability, (4) fault tolerance, and (5) satisfaction. When designing work-oriented tools to
meet the needs of users, efficiency will come first, because of the fact that you are paying for
those people's time. In game design, user satisfaction will become extremely important. But it
still has to satisfy ease of use. You enter a new game and don't know how to operate it, then
something is wrong with its ease of use. The guidelines for efficiency will be slightly different.
In a fighting game, the most effective way to attack is to have a game button that clears all
enemies with one click if you press it. This is the most effective and at the same time the most
boring. You certainly don't want the most efficient button to clear with one click. But in the
movement, the view switches these operations must be guaranteed smooth. At the same time, no
one wants to go back to the game after 2 weeks and have to learn the game mechanics all over
again. It is also important to establish a reasonable user mind and feedback.

Team Member: Christian Martinez

Article 1: “Games UX Testing with Artificial Intelligence”
Link: https://uxpamagazine.org/games-ux-testing-with-artificial-intelligence/
Article 2: “The Past, Present, and Future of UX Empirical Research”
Link: https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3188173.3188175
Summary: In my research, I discovered a few different ways in which UX design has been used
in game design to help improve both company and user experience. For instance: a number of
companies have been putting a heavier reliance on AI since the pandemic started to help develop
new work-related software that made it easier for employees to work over long distances and
collaborate together in real-time such as variations of CAD software that can be used by more
than one person at a time remotely. In addition to that, a lot of companies that produce games on
phones have been putting a greater emphasis on consumer feedback and asking users directly and
in more detail about their user experience with the game. In addition to all of this, both game
companies and major corporations such as Facebook have been delving into the possibility of
using augmented reality and virtual reality to help improve user experience not just for games
but for work and learning applications as well.

Research Summary
Based on how our majors were grouped together, our research was naturally divided into UX
trends in BIM and game design, respectively. Following this guideline, we will first summarize
the trends in each field separately and then discuss what commonalities they share.

We found that UX in the BIM field is generally focused on comfortably incorporating new
technology and software into the industry, both for clients and employees. For example, design
and construction firms are working to phase out older modeling software in favor of more
modern software. Because BIM workers come from many different educational backgrounds, the
firms require user-centered training programs for both new and old employees. Position-specific
workflows are also being developed to allow contractors, designers, and project managers to use
BIM software more efficiently. We also found that the use of innovative technology is growing
in the BIM field, specifically the development of mobile applications and AR/VR. Mobile
applications are being used to streamline work from the desk to the jobsite and AR/VR is being
used to create a more immersive modeling experience for clients to understand designs more
thoroughly. Both of these technologies will require attention to user experience to become more
effective and widespread in the BIM industry.

We found that UX is considered in a few different ways across the field of game design. In terms
of game creation, our research found that companies are focusing on balancing the difficulty of a
game with how easily and efficiently a user should be able to play it. Games shouldn’t be so
difficult that it creates a negative user experience and discourages play, but they also shouldn't be
too easy and uninteresting. We also noted the UX aspects of how virtual reality is being
researched and developed in game design. The current efforts in this area are focused on working
towards enhancing the user’s immersion in the game while reducing negative effects and
uncomfortability. Furthermore, as VR becomes more prevalent, there is a need to standardize
controller and user interfaces to make them more user-friendly across different platforms and
consoles.

Through discussion, we found that the common thread among our field research was the
incorporation and development of virtual reality/augmented reality technologies. In BIM,
VR/AR is being used to demonstrate physical space to users through a 3D building model. In
game design, VR is being used to immerse users in the game that they are playing. This field of
technology has shown to be growing in importance and potential uses, so recognizing the need
for UX design in this area is crucial to its success in the future.

Individual Reflections
Team Member: Alexander Bardi
Reflection: I really enjoyed the things we learned about in class this week. While paper
prototypes may not be as common in UX nowadays, I still think it was worthwhile to see how
they were utilized in the past and what their important fundamental concepts are. I found
learning the basics of sketching as a UX designer engaging, and it is something I can see myself
practicing and getting better at in the future. I particularly resonated with the notion that a
designer shouldn't be attached to their sketches, as that is something I struggle with. While
sketches should be interpretable and clean, they don't need to be perfectly presentable because
the main focus should be the communication of design ideas. As for our group work this week, I
researched UX trends in my field of study (building information modeling). I found that BIM
could see improvement in UX regarding how employees are trained/accustomed to new software
and in the development of mobile applications/software. These areas are being worked on to both
improve the collaborative experiences common in BIM and to streamline work from the desk to
the jobsite. I am excited to continue learning ways that UX is being used in my field as the
course moves forward.

Team Member: Alec Ortman

Reflection: UX design is super prevalent in a lot of ways I didn’t imagine before this project.
I’m not a Game Designer, but I learned from my teammates how important a UI is in making
assets for a video game. As a guy that leans more towards construction, this was new to me.
Conversely, UX design is pretty useful for BIM as well. Finding new and more effective ways to
plan, design, and build things is definitely cool. Using VR/AR can open up a whole new way to
design buildings/floor plans. I’m excited to see where UX design goes and what it brings to my
own career and work.

Team Member: Diego Albayati

Reflection: This week in UX, we learned about the uses and functionality of sketching and paper
prototyping in designing a product. Sketching has been around as a form of conveying ideas and
thinking for hundreds of years. I've learned about and practiced sketching briefly in class, and I
can conclude that sketching allows the quick visual formation of ideas/objects and invites the
critique of these ideas. I really love the concept of sketching because it is open to critique by
being the opposite of clean and polished, they are hand drawn, no rulers, rarely colored and
express a lack of attachment from the artist/designer. I do believe that I should practice more, as
it could help me conceptualize new designs for my games and 3D modeling. I never really
considered it as a form of thought process until now, so i think ill make use of it more in my
design process in modeling. I also learned about how my major and field in Game Development
can use UX principles. Currently VR is a gaming craze, and UX Research is figuring out how to
put out the best products in Gaming industry.

Team Member: Ming Zhu

Reflection: People have a natural desire for socialization, learning, proficiency, competition,
achievement, status, self-expression, altruism or closure, or simply their reaction to a game in a
certain situation. Early gamification strategies used rewards for players who completed required
tasks or competed to attract players. Types of rewards included points, achievement badges or
levels, progress bar fillers, or virtual currency for the user. Making rewards for completing tasks
visible to other players or providing leaderboards are ways to encourage players to compete.
Another approach to gamification is to make existing tasks more game-like. Some of the
techniques used in this approach include adding meaningful choices, introductory tutorials,
adding challenges, and adding narrative if we take all gamification content apart. The important
part is threefold: first, to care about the user's feelings, then to increase the user's motivation, and
then to increase the user's involvement.

Team Member: Christian Martinez

Reflection: This week in UX we focused on finishing Exercise 1. The group that I was in was a
mixed bag of game design and BIM students, but what was interesting to see was just how
similar some of the advancements in our fields were. In both game design and BIM companies
were focused on creating new software for better connecting their workers to streamline the
workflow process and widening the use AR/VR for employee and customer usage, yet the
applications that they use them for are wildly different. One uses it for construction and
decoration while the other uses it for entertainment. Finding similarities in innovations between
fields like this always intrigues me because it shows just how intertwined seemingly unrelated
fields can be to each other, and it will be interesting to see what other similarities I will see in
other fields to game design in UX as the year goes on.

References

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