Background
RetroArch is an open source application that serves as a front-end for the Libretro video game emulation API. It has been in development for over 5 years, but like many open source projects, it suffers from a lack of user focused design. The application that is currently available features a UI that hinders feature discoverability and forces an unnecessarily large learning curve on the user. With these issues in mind, I decided to attempt a redesign.
Research
My inspiration for the project was accidentally starting the initial research that warranted the redesign. I was a user of the app having several issues related to features changing and moving and had taken to the internet to troubleshoot. I quickly found scores of threads with similar complaints about confusing menus, key features being buried, and unnecessary style changes depending on context that subtly changed key feature behavior. With this research and my own personal experience in mind, I began sketching what the redesign would be like.
Site Map
I started with a new site map to make sure that functional parity was maintained with the original. I was able to condense the entire application into a very succinct flow chart.
Sketching/Wireframes
I then began to mock up the UI based on this new flow.
My concept was simple: reduce the UI to its bare minimum. The developers of RetroArch greatly pride themselves on the sheer amount of options and settings available as to completely customize the emulation experience. My redesign kept this aspiration at heart while greatly reducing friction for the average user that does not want granular control of every aspect of the emulation process. My design places the content (in this case, games) front and center to greatly simplify the UX for the casual user, while consolidating all of the settings (something previously divided amongst 3 different menus) to a single area.
Takeaways
Working on this project I learned of the joys and pains of open-source software. On one hand, the collaborative community power can be used to create incredible things. On the other hand, when people are doing pro bono work, much of which happens in their spare time, concessions are made. I also learned that even with the unique challenges of open-source software, research and user testing remains just as important as it would be in a for profit B2C project.
High Fidelity/Prototype
This UX overhaul has been submitted to the project and hopefully will enter development soon. Check out the prototype:
If you see nothing below, then Invision is acting up and you can see the prototype here.