NBA 2K11.

Old-gen art direction, UI/UX leadership, presentation systems, and a franchise-first bootup intro revival with #23 on the cover.

Not only did I art lead the UI, UX, and presentation, I resurrected a franchise-first UI-directed game bootup intro sequence after five years without one. With #23 on the cover, this was one of my favorite old-gen titles to work on.

01 — Bootup Intro Revival

A franchise first impression returned.

NBA 2K11 intro title frame
NBA 2K11 intro frame 1
NBA 2K11 intro frame 2
NBA 2K11 intro frame 4

I owned the sequence end to end, from copywriting, storyboarding, image sourcing, and cutout prep through animation, in-engine implementation, and final bug fixing. The intro is still captured best in this fan upload by Luis Deleon. Two comments stuck with me: DoubleO88 wrote, "This intro gives me chills every time," and duinedubhmaurus144 called it "The best 2K intro."

Watch the fan capture

02 — UI Visual Direction

Before styleguides became the norm.

NBA 2K11 menu visual design

These UI visual designs paved the road for the rest of the interface before formal styleguides became the norm for the franchise.

03 — Scorebug Design

One of my favorite broadcast systems.

NBA 2K11 scorebug design variant
NBA 2K11 scorebug design

I designed one of many scorebugs for the franchise, but this one remains one of my favorites.

04 — Experimental R&D

Explorations that never made the cut.

Experimental R&D I did that never made the cut, but I still had fun making it.

2K11 sits at the end of the old-gen era for me: a hands-on blend of visual direction, interface systems, broadcast thinking, and playful experiments that helped shape how the franchise presented itself.