Design / A Thinking Ape
I joined A Thinking Ape as the startup’s first Art Director, tasked with elevating its brand identity and enhancing the visual experience of its mobile games. Leading the company’s rebrand, I established a stronger, more cohesive visual identity before shifting my focus to UI/UX design for its flagship titles, including Kingdoms at War, Gangs at War, Party in My Dorm, Meego, and VIP Casino.
Following the acquisition of a smaller gaming company, I continued to collaborate closely with the new Creative Director and a team of animators, ensuring a seamless integration of creative direction across the expanded portfolio.
Rebrand
My first task as Art Director was to rebrand A Thinking Ape, shaping a visual identity that better reflected the company's culture. The core concept behind the rebrand was that these developers weren’t just coders—they were more like hackers, pushing boundaries and creating with a rebellious spirit.
To capture this, I evolved their original cute logo into something darker and more sinister, embodying the idea that being a geek isn’t just cool—it’s powerful. This new identity reinforced the company’s edge, aligning with its team of bold, innovative engineers who thrived on solving complex challenges.
Old Logo
Kingdoms at War
For the Android release of Kingdoms at War, I redesigned the game’s interface to optimize it for the new platform while maintaining its core visual identity. Using existing assets as a foundation, I restructured the layout to enhance usability and ensure a seamless player experience. Additionally, I introduced new textures and refinements to modernize the look and feel, striking a balance between familiarity for existing players and a fresh experience for new users.
Mockups
Gangs at War
The next game I redesigned was Gangs at War, which shared the same core mechanics as Kingdoms at War. Working closely with newly hired illustrators, I refined and expanded the game’s urban, grungy aesthetic to create a more immersive experience. While pushing the visual style to feel edgier and more dynamic, I ensured the design remained cohesive within the early iOS framework, balancing creative expression with technical constraints.
Mockups
VIP Casino
I also contributed to the development of a casino game that shared the core functionality of Kingdoms at War and Gangs at War, but with a distinct focus on casino-style gameplay. What initially began as an experimental concept eventually evolved into a fully realized game.
One of the key UX challenges we tackled was optimizing poker gameplay for a portrait-oriented interface, enabling seamless interaction while maintaining an intuitive and engaging experience. This layout not only made gameplay more accessible but also enhanced the social aspect by allowing for easy in-game chatting. Working closely with the illustrators, I helped craft a rich, vintage-inspired casino aesthetic, blending classic elegance with a modern mobile gaming experience.
Mockups
Meego
Meego Village was one of the final games I worked on during my time at A Thinking Ape and marked a significant shift in the company’s approach to game development. Unlike previous titles, which were built within the constraints of the iOS framework, Meego Village was the first to break away and be developed on a dedicated game engine. This transition opened up new creative possibilities and allowed for a more dynamic, animation-rich experience.
As the UI/UX designer, I played a key role in shaping the game’s interface, ensuring it complemented the highly animated world while maintaining usability and player engagement. I collaborated closely with the illustrators, who provided custom icons and textures tailored to the game’s whimsical aesthetic. Every interface element was designed to feel immersive and cohesive within the lively, character-driven environment, creating a seamless blend of function and storytelling.
Mockups
