#MeetIronGalaxy – James Reid

Every element of game development has its own impact on the player’s experience. One critical part of a game’s functionality, that you can’t move forward without, is user interface. Developers from all departments lend their talents to perfecting the UI of a game, so players understand where they are and what they can do next. For today’s issue of #MeetIronGalaxy, we’re speaking with James Reid, a UI Engineer who brings together the pieces that communicate to you that your health is low while giving you menus that are enjoyable to peruse. Enjoy the interview.

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Iron Galaxy: What’s up James? What would you say you do here at Iron Galaxy?

James Reid: Hello! I’m James Reid, and I’m an Engineer at Iron Galaxy with a focus on UI. I bridge the gap between UI artists, UX designers, and other Engineers. I act as a liaison of sorts. I typically explore existing tools or design and implement new ones to help UI/UX teams achieve their goals, while also managing expectations around what’s achievable within deadlines. I work closely with core engineering teams as well, ensuring that systems are designed with UI in mind. More on this in a later answer!

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IG: Detailed breakdown of where you lend yourself most. What’s the one skill you learned growing up that you use the most in your role?

JR: One of the most valuable skills I developed growing up was the ability to truly listen to people. My father owned a bar, so I spent much of my youth in that environment and eventually started working there. Once I was old enough, I became a bartender. As the stereotype goes, bartenders are often the people customers turn to when they need someone to talk to, especially in a smaller town where I saw many regulars. I quickly realized that most of the time, people simply want to be heard.

Serving a wide range of customers taught me how to listen without judgment and helped me understand how different people think and operate. This experience allowed me to hone my ability to help others. Sometimes that meant offering advice, but often I was able to help just by being there to listen. I found this skill incredibly useful during group projects in college and have continued to rely on it throughout my career. I sometimes joke that I should have studied psychology, because I'm curious about why people think the way they do.

In my current role as lead engineer on a project, listening has become especially important. I regularly facilitate "rubber duck" sessions with my individual contributors (ICs), where team members talk through their problems out loud. For those unfamiliar, rubber ducking is the practice of explaining a problem to an inanimate object (traditionally a rubber duck) in order to gain clarity. Most of the time, I don’t even need to respond. Being there to listen is enough for my team members going through their challenges.

Because my team trusts me enough to bring me their problems, whether they’re work-related or not, I’m able to gauge their needs and structure my responses accordingly. This trust and openness are rooted in the listening skills I developed early on, and they continue to be at the heart of how I lead and support my team.

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IG: Those skills will serve you for a lifetime. Let us tag in and be listeners for you today. What has been your proudest moment as a member of the Iron Galaxy team?

JR: My proudest moment at Iron Galaxy was definitely helping Riot ship VALORANT on console. As a UI Engineer, I know UI usually only gets attention when something goes wrong, so seeing fans actually call out the UI during launch was honestly really cool. VALORANT was also the first project where I truly got to put my UI Tech Art skills to work, which felt like a big step forward for me.

My time on VALORANT led to me receiving the 2024 Iron Galaxy Capabilities Value Award, which was a huge honor. It meant a lot to have my efforts recognized, especially since working in UI often means balancing the needs of artists, designers, and engineers, while also sharing what I learn to help the broader team grow stronger. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute, learn, and grow here at Iron Galaxy.

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IG: Your capabilities are seen, inside and out of IG. How is your specific job unique when compared to other roles in our company?

JR: A UI Engineer plays a unique role by connecting with almost every aspect of game development. While some studios might see UI as a lesser priority, assuming it’s simple and leaving it for later, the truth is that UI work is much more complex. It goes beyond making attractive menus; effective UI is vital for clear and efficient communication to players throughout their journey.

Because of this, involving UI Engineering from the very start of development is crucial. I work closely with teams responsible for core gameplay, UI Art, and UX Design to ensure all systems consider UI requirements from the beginning. Here’s how I approach each area:

Core Gameplay Systems:

Take an options screen as an example. The UI needs to access and present detailed data for every option, such as localized names and descriptions, current values, value validation, default values, value ranges (if applicable), option types (toggle, number, list, etc.), enabled or disabled states, dependencies on other options, logic for conditionally displaying related settings, and the various ways players can apply and view their choices (checkboxes, toggles, combo boxes, lists, spinners, sliders, input fields). That’s not even taking into account what each option actually does in relation to the game.

With these elements in mind, I offer guidance on settings system design and, when needed, contribute substantial implementation work myself. And that’s just one relatively small system in a game. Other areas are just as complex, such as inventory systems, character information, tooltips, matchmaking systems, and more.

UI Art:

When working with UI Artists, I help turn design concepts into practical, usable components. By understanding the visual vision, I build flexible frameworks that allow non‑technical designers to easily tweak and iterate on elements. This can involve programming button behaviors, building shader tools for UI, and more.

UX Design:

I also participate in UX discussions to ensure technical solutions support user experience goals. Often, I act as a bridge between UX and engineering teams, helping coordinate efforts so design objectives are realized smoothly and effectively.

Joining a project late often means working within existing, rigid systems, which can make even small changes more difficult. My background spans many areas of game development, including core gameplay, multiplayer features, matchmaking, networking, tools, engine programming, technical art, and UX design.

UI Engineering stands out because when it’s done well, players may not notice it at all, it simply feels natural. When it’s done poorly, however, the issues are immediately obvious. A “bad” UI can make an otherwise fun game feel unfun. My goal is to get the UI out of the player’s way and let them focus on having fun.

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IG: You’ve broken down a key part of game development, barely scratching the surface of your work. What video games have your favorite depiction of UI?

JR: Metroid Prime is one that immediately comes to mind. I love the idea of experiencing the game through Samus’s visor and having all the relevant information available at a glance. I’m a big believer in easy access to information, and Metroid Prime executes that concept extremely well.

I’m also a fan of games that don’t force me to fight the UI just to accomplish basic tasks. 

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IG: Share some of your UI philosophies with us. For those games you shared, why have they left such an impression on you?

JR: I have a couple of primary UI philosophies:

1) The UI should be “invisible” to the player.

By that, I mean the UI shouldn’t get in the way of the experience. It should be easy and intuitive to navigate. To me, there’s nothing more frustrating in a game than fighting the UI instead of playing the game.

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2) “At‑a‑glance” information is incredibly important to me.

I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s something I care deeply about. I don’t want to hunt for a specific piece of information while I’m focused on the action.

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IG: We learned you traveled to Peru recently and travel annually with your wife. What a fun tradition! Are there any highlights from this year’s trip or previous years you’d like to share with us?

JR: My wife and I try to take a big trip every year for our wedding anniversary, and over the years we’ve checked off some serious bucket‑list destinations. Last year, we traveled to Peru, and it was amazing. Our itinerary included the Amazon rainforest, Cusco, and Machu Picchu. The people were incredibly kind, and it was very humbling to be in a country where we didn’t speak the native language, though everyone seemed to appreciate my attempts at ninth‑grade‑level Spanish.

Cusco was especially interesting, sitting at around 11,200 feet in elevation. Unfortunately, I did end up with a bit of altitude sickness while we were there. When we visited Machu Picchu, it was raining so heavily that you couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of you. We were standing on one of the trails overlooking the city, and there was absolutely nothing to see. Then the rain suddenly stopped, and the city slowly revealed itself through the clouds. It was an incredibly cool visual moment. By the time we made our way into the city, the sun was out and the clouds had completely cleared.
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‍Later that same year, my wife—who is an aquatic veterinarian—was invited to Brazil to give a lecture on manatee medicine and rehabilitation. I was lucky enough to tag along, and we spent some time sightseeing while we were there. We visited Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls. 
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In 2019, we traveled to Australia and finally checked scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef off our bucket list. That was an unforgettable experience and something we had wanted to do for a very long time. 
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This year, we’re heading to Tahiti and Bora Bora. We’re usually very “go, go, go” on vacation. We love hiking, exploring, and seeing everything we can. This will be the first trip where we’re intentionally slowing down and truly relaxing. That said, there are still quite a few waterfalls in Tahiti that we’ll definitely need to explore.

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IG: Hermosas vistas. ¡Disfruta tus vacaciones! Aside from playing video games, what is a favorite hobby of yours?

JR: I love escape rooms. I’m currently sitting at around 150 complete rooms. They’re basically real‑life video games, and they’re a great way to keep my mind sharp. 
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SCUBA diving is another big one for me. 
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And scareacting! My wife and I are huge Halloween fans. She’s been scareacting for the past five years, and I finally decided to give it a shot last year. It ended up being an absolute blast. We were lucky enough to be paired up in the same house a couple of times. I was a paranoid farmer, and my wife was an alien in a house called Farm 51! We also go all out decorating our house for the neighborhood!
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About five years ago, I also took up dance as a way to exercise. Growing up, I was notoriously rhythmically challenged. I never would have imagined taking dance classes in my late 30s, but here we are, and now I can actually carry a beat. I practice a wide range of styles, including musical theater, hip hop, tap, jazz, contemporary, and more.  
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I’m on the right in the Santa hat.

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IG: You live an adventurous, inspiring life. What’s something you feel everyone must do once in their life?

JR: Travel. Traveling really helps expand your perspective. I highly recommend going somewhere you don’t speak the language. It forces you out of your comfort zone and pushes you to experience the world a little differently.

I’d also recommend doing it while you’re younger and physically able to enjoy it fully. My knees already make strenuous hikes more challenging than they used to, and these days I need the occasional “do nothing” day. Ten years ago, I would explore from sunup to sundown without hesitation.
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The map has pins in locations we’ve been to.

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IG: You’re the best example of the benefits of having the travel bug. Of all the pinned places, what’s your favorite destination that you’ve visited?

JR: This is a tough one. I recently traveled to Ireland with my wife while she was there for a conference, and it was incredible. It was beautiful and quiet, and there were castles everywhere. The food was also amazing.

Australia was phenomenal as well. It’s hard to beat SCUBA diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

Alaska is another standout. We went to Katmai National Park to watch bears feeding on salmon during the salmon run, and I also got to see the Northern Lights, which was a huge bucket‑list item for me. 
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As mentioned earlier, Machu Picchu was also an unforgettable experience.

Bonaire was dry and desert‑like, but incredibly cool. You can rent a truck, throw your SCUBA gear in the back, and drive around the island, diving pretty much anywhere you want.

Hawaii was amazing because it offered the best of both worlds for me and my wife—the beach for me and the mountains for her.

As you can probably tell, it’s really hard to pick just one.

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IG: Heard, we won’t shy away from a multi-part answer. What’s your favorite book or series?

JR: If you had asked me this a couple of years ago, I would have said The Wheel of Time. However, I recently picked up The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, and I’m completely hooked. I originally read the Mistborn trilogy back in my graduate school days, and after finally finishing The Wheel of Time last year, I was looking for something new to dive into.

I decided to jump into the Cosmere, and I’m very glad I did. I’ve devoured The Way of Kings, Warbreaker, Elantris, Arcanum Unbounded, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, and Dawnshard, and I’m currently reading Rhythm of War. Once I finish that—and Wind and Truth—I plan to dive back into Mistborn Era 1 and then continue on through the rest of the Mistborn series.

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IG: What was the last concert you saw?

JR: Define “concert.” If musical theater counts, I just saw & Juliet[DD1.1][JR1.2] (a jukebox musical) a couple of weeks ago. If we’re sticking to something more traditional, it would be Defying Gravity: Blockbuster Broadway, presented by the Orlando Philharmonic—which I actually saw the same day as & Juliet.

Before that, my wife, who plays clarinet in the Central Florida Community Arts Orchestra (the largest orchestra in the country, with over 400 members), performed in their Christmas show, Celebrate the Season. I got to see that as well.
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‍And, since I live in Orlando, the theme parks are constantly hosting concerts. I have a Disney pass, so I’m usually there during their festival concert series. My last concert at a big venue was probably The Eagles on their farewell tour.

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IG: Musical theater in this context 100% counts. Name a scene from a movie that makes you cry, every time…

JR: Andy playing with his toys one last time. Toy Story is one of my favorite movies, and I honestly avoid the third one because of that scene. It’s just too real.

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IG: Andy and Bonnie both represent why we’ve never stopped playing video games. What’s the one superpower that you would like to have?

JR: Teleportation! Being able to travel anywhere I want would be amazing—especially if I could bring people along just by touching them.

 “What do you want to do this weekend?”

 “Oh, let’s go see the Northern Lights in Finland!”

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IG: Given a time machine, which historical period would you like to experience first-hand?

JR: As a spectator, and with no possibility of causing a butterfly effect, I’d go with Ancient Egypt. That way, I could finally settle the age‑old question: Did aliens build the pyramids?

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IG: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you invite?

JR: I’m going to answer this assuming they can be alive or dead. I’d choose Jimmy Buffett. His music helped shape my philosophy on life, and it would be incredible to sit down and pick his brain.

This was another decorated interview for the #MeetIronGalaxy interview books! You painted us a picture of your fun lifestyle along with the livelihood you live out at IG. Your attention to detail and careful consideration of the player helps improve games for us and our partners. Thanks for representing what a UI engineer does in the game development industry.‍