Ruwan Fernando

Ruwan Fernando

Founder & Head of Design – Go Boldly Design

With 25 years in design and tech, Ruwan has spent the last 18 years building UX UI solutions for AAA blockbuster games for the biggest studios and IPs on the planet including Ubisoft, Zenimax, Electronic Arts, Relic etc, delivering billions in impact and revenue.

Having contributed to over 35 games across mainstream consoles, mobile & Web3, Ruwan has a deep understanding of development processes from pre-production to post launch. As both an in-house UX UI Director and external consultant, Ruwan believes UX UI design’s main purpose is creating space for dialogue between the creative ambitions of game developers and their audience. He founded Go Boldly Design to democratize access to Director level knowhow, so this often overlooked advantage can bring success to small Canadian teams with big dreams.

Expertise

Video games are the intersection of art, technology and consumer products yet survival in the video games landscape has never been so challenging. To be competitive in today’s industry, UX UI design has to be more than an afterthought. It is through the vehicle of experience design that both product and player showcase their fullest potential. Great technology and gameplay are the bare minimum; today’s audiences crave real connections to well designed and presented systems.

Teams that embrace this soon realize they gain a competitive advantage so few of their peers have access to.

As a leader, educator and mentor, I can help you with:

  • Identifying and realizing the untapped potential of a clear and deliberate UX UI strategy.
  • Creating a UX UI strategy for your game and execution plan for your team.
  • Incorporating UX UI design seamlessly into production processes (FDDs, concept development, execution, testing).
  • Guidance on building accessibility into your game with minimal disruption.

Eligibility Criteria

  • 1
    Teams of first time game developers or new teams of experienced developers.
  • 2

    Teams that are motivated to build compelling and competitive products in the video game industry.

  • 3

    Ideally in concept, pre-production or early production.

  • 4

    Teams requiring UX UI audits of current work or builds.

Required Session Materials

  • A clearly worded and presented pitch for your game. Should include a pitch deck and concept development materials.

  • Builds and vertical slices are encouraged.

  • Market research demonstrating a clear understanding of target audience.

  • Team information – roles, responsibilities and experience.

Pricing

$100

IO/Hand Eye Society Member Hourly Cost Per Studio

$200

Mentor’s IO Exclusive Discounted Hourly Rate

$100

*IO Hourly Contribution

2

Minimum # of hours

*IO will only contribute $100 per hour for IO members.

Register for mentorship with Ruwan

Secure your spot today.

Each mentor has limited capacity, so studios will be accepted into the program on a first-come, first-served basis.