01 – Engagement System
Problem
Research
Solution
Impact
Reflection
02 – Competitive UI
Problem
Research
Solution
Impact
Reflection
03 – Marketing Videos

Pandvil Network

ROLE

ROLE

Design Lead

Design Lead

TIMELINE

October 2024 - Present

October 2024 - Present

TOOLS

Figma · Adobe Creative Suite · Blender · Unreal Engine for Fortnite

Figma · Adobe Creative Suite · Blender · Unreal Engine for Fortnite

ABOUT PANDVIL

Pandvil Network is one of the largest Fortnite Creative platforms, building game experiences played by over a million unique players daily. Think of it as a game studio inside a game platform.

I joined on contract doing thumbnails. Kept shipping, kept taking on more, and within 6 months I was put on full-time, leading all design: game UI, thumbnails, 3D models, marketing videos, and web.

Pandvil Network is one of the largest Fortnite Creative platforms, building game experiences played by over a million unique players daily. Think of it as a game studio inside a game platform.

I joined on contract doing thumbnails. Kept shipping, kept taking on more, and within 6 months I was put on full-time, leading all design: game UI, thumbnails, 3D models, marketing videos, and web.

0.0M

Followers

0.0B

Minutes Played

0M

Favorites

01 ENGAGEMENT SYSTEM

01 ENGAGEMENT SYSTEM

Built a system that increased followers 10× across 20+ live experiences

1

1

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

2

2

RESEARCH

RESEARCH

3

3

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

4

4

SHIP

SHIP

5

5

IMPACT

IMPACT

PROBLEM

Pandvil's games were getting millions of plays, but likes, favorites, and follows weren't keeping pace.

That gap matters. Fortnite's discovery algorithm weighs engagement signals heavily. Low likes and favorites meant less algorithmic reach, weaker social proof, and slower growth, even when the games themselves were performing well.

Pandvil's games were getting millions of plays, but likes, favorites, and follows weren't keeping pace.

That gap matters. Fortnite's discovery algorithm weighs engagement signals heavily. Low likes and favorites meant less algorithmic reach, weaker social proof, and slower growth, even when the games themselves were performing well.

The question was how do we turn plays into lasting engagement?

The question was how do we turn plays into lasting engagement?

RESEARCH

I started by looking at who we're designing for and what other platforms were already doing. Two things stood out:

I started by looking at who we're designing for and what other platforms were already doing. Two things stood out:

Fortnite's player base is mostly kids

They're not going to seek out a follow button or think to favorite a map on their own. If you don't ask, they won't do it.

The YouTube principle

Same reason every YouTuber says "like and subscribe". It works because people need the reminder.

Most creators were already doing this, but badly.

Most creators were already doing this, but badly.

OTHER CREATORS

Popups take up ¼ of the screen

Loud, impossible to ignore

Actively hurts gameplay experience

Map code shows name, not actual code

Breaks TOS

OUR APPROACH

Subtle, non-disruptive prompts

Appears every 10-15s, easy to dismiss

Respects the gameplay experience

Shows actual map code for discovery

Doesn't break TOS

SOLUTION

Ask players to engage without ruining their experience. Two systems working together:

Ask players to engage without ruining their experience. Two systems working together:

The Popup

A prompt displaying the map code and encouraging likes and favorites every 10 seconds. It also doubles as a discovery tool when clips go viral.

Physical Alert

In-game element reinforcing the message. Matches the game's visual quality, not an afterthought.

ITERATIONS

Competitive Style

Clean, minimal. Zero distraction.

Variety

Cartoony, kid-friendly approachable style

IMPACT

0X

Follower Growth

0K

→

0.0M

Followers

Rolled out across 20+ live Pandvil experiences, each with its own tailored version. The prompt cadence and visual treatment were iterated on to find the balance between visibility and subtlety.

Rolled out across 20+ live Pandvil experiences, each with its own tailored version. The prompt cadence and visual treatment were iterated on to find the balance between visibility and subtlety.

1.6M notified per release

Higher launch day players

Compounding growth

The real value of 1.6M followers:

Every new release gets pushed to 1.6M players → higher launch traffic → Discovery page → millions of new players.

The real value of 1.6M followers:

Every new release gets pushed to 1.6M players → higher launch traffic → Discovery page → millions of new players.

Engagement

→

Better visibility

→

More players

→

Repeat

The UI alone isn't the only factor: content quality, streaming presence, and consistency all play a role. But this was the missing mechanism that converted passive plays into retained followers at scale. Before this, Pandvil was generating plays without capturing engagement.

The UI alone isn't the only factor: content quality, streaming presence, and consistency all play a role. But this was the missing mechanism that converted passive plays into retained followers at scale. Before this, Pandvil was generating plays without capturing engagement.

REFLECTION

This project changed how I think about design impact. I didn't expect such a small UI to move the needle more than any thumbnail, trailer, or visual redesign I'd done. The highest-leverage work isn't always the most visible.

This project changed how I think about design impact. I didn't expect such a small UI to move the needle more than any thumbnail, trailer, or visual redesign I'd done. The highest-leverage work isn't always the most visible.

02 COMPETITIVE DESIGN SYSTEM

02 COMPETITIVE DESIGN SYSTEM

Standardized high-skill UI across Pandvil’s competitive ecosystem

Standardized high-skill UI across Pandvil’s competitive ecosystem

1

1

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

2

2

RESEARCH

RESEARCH

3

3

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

4

4

SHIP

SHIP

5

5

IMPACT

IMPACT

PROBLEM

Pandvil's competitive maps get millions of plays, but the UI wasn't built for the speed competitive play demands.

Pandvil's competitive maps get millions of plays, but the UI wasn't built for the speed competitive play demands.

01 — Selection UI

Too many steps.

"Your Selection" panel, confirmation flow, ambiguous Skip vs Close: all friction for a moment that should take two seconds.

02 — Rank UI

The rank displaydidn't feel built in. Didn't align with Fortnite's native health and shield system visually or spatially.

03 — Transition UI

Branding between rounds felt forced with zero performance feedback. No kills, no damage, no results, just a logo interrupting momentum.

04 — Timer UI

Functional but visually inert. In a competitive map, the countdown should feel urgent. It didn't.

RESEARCH

I looked at how other creators handled competitive UI and studied games outside the platform that nail the competitive feel. This is what I noticed:

I looked at how other creators handled competitive UI and studied games outside the platform that nail the competitive feel. This is what I noticed:

Competitive pacing

In high-performing maps, transitions are nearly instant. Players jump back in before momentum breaks.

Reducing Cognitive Load

Our UI flows felt heavier than they needed to:

— Selection required extra steps

— Transitions prioritized branding over stats

— Key elements lacked visual hierarchy

COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

“Remove the red screen — it ruins momentum.”
— @Edgelaw

“It shouldn’t be on the screen when we’ve already loaded in.”
— @stixx

“It shouldn’t be on the screen when we’ve already
loaded in.”
— @stixx

“It messes me up getting walls before the other team.”
— @skye

“It messes me up getting walls before the other
team.”
— @skye

"Plz remove this screen between rounds."
— @Juqnpi

KEY INSIGHTS

Competitive players value momentum and measurable performance.

UI should reinforce speed and clarity not interrupt the loop.

Competitive players value momentum and measurable performance.

UI should reinforce speed and clarity not interrupt the loop.

SOLUTION

Instead of redesigning screens per map, I rebuilt the UI as a cohesive system focused on clarity, hierarchy, and performance feedback.

Instead of redesigning screens per map, I rebuilt the UI as a cohesive system focused on clarity, hierarchy, and performance feedback.

01 — Simplified Team Selection

Combined selection and confirmation into one step. Replaced "Skip" with "Close", cutting friction in half.

02 — Rank and Health Integration

Redesigned rank and health as one cohesive system. Aligned spacing, consistent contrast, same visual language across all competitive maps.

03 — Performance-Based Round Transition

Replaced the branded splash with a performance scoreboard. Players see kills, damage, and results in the same window.

04 — Elevated Countdown Hierarchy

Increased timer contrast and visual weight.

CONSTRAINTS

The system had to feel stronger — without feeling heavier.

The system had to feel stronger — without feeling heavier.

UEFN Limitations

UEFN doesn't let you fully override native elements.

Performance

High intensity on lower-end consoles.

Screen Real Estate

Gameplay clarity always takes priority

IMPACT

The competitive UI system became the default template for all future competitive maps.

The competitive UI system became the default template for all future competitive maps.

Standardized framework

Faster map launches

Positive feedback

Not a one-off design, but a reusable foundation that scales with every new competitive release.

Not a one-off design, but a reusable foundation that scales with every new competitive release.

REFLECTION

This project taught me systematic design thinking compounds over time. Building a reusable framework instead of one-off screens means every future release starts stronger.

The hardest part wasn't the visual design. It was working within UEFN's constraints like finding creative workarounds when the platform doesn't give you the tools you expect. That problem-solving is what I carry forward!

This project taught me systematic design thinking compounds over time. Building a reusable framework instead of one-off screens means every future release starts stronger.

The hardest part wasn't the visual design. It was working within UEFN's constraints like finding creative workarounds when the platform doesn't give you the tools you expect. That problem-solving is what I carry forward!

03 MARKETING VIDEOS

03 MARKETING VIDEOS

Concepted, modeled, animated, and edited from scratch

Concepted, modeled, animated, and edited from scratch

Desert Zonewars had a massive player base years ago but was losing attention. I made a 3D car drifting edit that hit the nostalgia and it blew up. A wave of old players coming back to a game they thought they forgot about.

Desert Zonewars had a massive player base years ago but was losing attention. I made a 3D car drifting edit that hit the nostalgia and it blew up. A wave of old players coming back to a game they thought they forgot about.

0M+

Views

0M+

Comments

Blender

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911 Drifting

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Desert Zonewars

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timothy tran

lets connect!