Fortnite Menu & HUD Redesign
UX Game Optimization
June 2026
Project Overview
Fortnite is no longer one game. Since its launch, it has grown into a collection of modes, seasonal experiences, and community-made content, all accessible through a single interface that hasn't quite kept pace with that growth. The result is a menu that asks a lot from players: browse dozens of tiles, figure out what's new, decide what to play, and get into a match. For returning players who haven't logged in for a while, it can take longer than it should just to find their footing again.
This project aims to revise the Fortnite lobby, menu, and introduce minor yet efficient changes to the gameplay HUD to allow for a more coherent player experience. It reduces the time taken to browse and select core game modes by altering the layout and visual hierarchy of the mode selection screen, using a hover interaction to give players a quick summary of a specific mode before committing to it. A visible path to switching modes was also added to the lobby screen, replacing a scroll gesture that most players would have no reason to discover on their own. Beyond the menu, icons and quality of life changes were introduced to the HUD (the continuous visual overlay displaying key information), allowing players to take in more information at a glance, while still maintaining a fair state of play.
The goal throughout was simple: reduce the time players spend deciding what to play, give them more confidence at every step from the menu to dropping in, and surface more of the right information during gameplay so players can make better decisions in the moment. The idea is to use visual structure and a few well-placed additions rather than overhauling what already works.
Role: UX Designer (Solo Project)
Platform: PC & Console
Tools: Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Claude, Vegas Pro
Scope: This project focused on three screens: the lobby, the mode selection menu, and the HUD. These represent the natural sequence every player moves through when they launch Fortnite, lobby to mode select to match. Keeping the scope here meant every decision had a clear, grounded purpose, and improvements would have the most direct impact on the overall experience.
Next Steps & Opportunities for Improvement
If this project were to be taken further, the following areas would be worth exploring to validate the existing decisions and push the experience closer to something shippable.
User testing with real players
Validating design decisions with a broader range of players would surface friction points that research and personal experience alone can't catch.
Fortnite Mobile adaptations
Mobile platforms have different input methods and screen constraints that would push these designs in new directions worth exploring.
Motion & animation enhancements
The hover interaction and inventory toggle both have room to be elevated through animation, adding a layer of polish that static screens can only suggest.
Reflection & Learning
First versions are starting points
The loadout iteration was a reminder that the most logical solution on paper isn't always the right one in practice; being willing to revisit a decision led to a much better outcome.
Designing within constraints
Working within an established game's existing design system meant every addition had to earn its place without disrupting what already worked, which is a different and valuable kind of design challenge.
Community research leads to better decisions
Real feedback from players, whether from Reddit, developer acknowledgments, or years of personal playtime, made the reasoning behind each choice far more defensible than assumptions alone.
This project reflects my interest in reducing the friction between players and the experiences they came for, whether that means getting into a match faster, or having the right information at the right moment once they're in one.