The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Quest Log Redesign
Case Study
// Project Overview.
Skyrim Quest Log Redesign is a UX/UI project, a redesign to fix usability issues that frustrated players, such as poor organization, lack of clarity, and minimal accessibility. By turning the quest log into an interactive journal, we made it more immersive, intuitive, and personalized for different play styles.
// Problem.
The original Skyrim quest log presented several usability and design challenges that impacted the overall player experience. While it served its basic function, many players found it difficult to navigate, lacking in clarity, and disruptive to immersion. Some of the issues player run into includes:
01
Differentiate between main and side quests
Players struggle to identify which quests are essential to the main storyline and which are optional or side content.
02
Find relevant quest information
Players often can't quickly locate the details they need within a quest such as objectives, location, status, or context.
03
Re-immerse after time away from the game
After taking a break from Skyrim, players find it difficult to recall what they were doing in their quests. The quest log does not support easy memory recall.
// Our Solution.
Building on our research findings, the final solution introduces a redesigned quest log with features that directly tackle the identified user pain points:
01
Clear Quest Categorization
We introduced visual tags, filters, and color-coded labels to clearly separate main quests from side quests and miscellaneous tasks.
02
Enhanced Quest Information
Quests now feature structured objectives, contextual summaries, and sorting tools to help players quickly find and act on relevant information.
03
Immersion Through Memory Aids
A dedicated synopsis section allows players to easily revisit key quest details and story progress after time away from the game.
// Research.
We began by conducting a range of research methods including heuristic evaluations, competitor analysis, and player-focused techniques like user interviews, guided tours, and the 5 Whys method. These approaches helped us uncover patterns in player behaviour and gather actionable insights that informed our design direction.
// User Research Findings.
Through the research and user interviews we gained valuable insight about the pain points of the current interface. Some the insight we gain from the different research methods includes:
01
Heuristic Evaluation
We found the original log lacked clear cues for active vs. completed quests and had cramped typography, making quick scanning difficult.
02
Competitive Analysis
Comparing other RPGs showed Skyrim’s log missed collapsible categories and filters, forcing players to scroll through lengthy lists.
03
User Interviews
Players expressed frustration over searching dozens of quests, with lore-heavy descriptions causing them to lose track of objectives.
04
Guided Tours
Watching players revealed they skimmed long text and ignored details, indicating a need for concise summaries in each entry.
05
5 Whys
Digging deeper showed that without hierarchy or filters, important objectives were buried under completed tasks, slowing progress.
// Player Personas.
Finally, we developed user personas representing distinct Skyrim player types to translate our research into actionable insights. These personas anchored our redesign strategy, ensuring our solutions prioritized usability, clarity, and immersive gameplay for various player needs.
// Hiroshi Nakamura.
Age: 32
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Type: Completionist
"I enjoy the satisfaction of completing everything a game has to offer."
Goals:
Complete side quests before progressing main story
Organize quest log based on personal playstyle
Track progress and achievements
Pain Points:
No way to sort or filter quests
Can’t distinguish main vs. side quests
Overly cluttered quest list
// Design Development.
With usability issues clearly defined, we moved into design development by transforming our insights into tangible solutions. Through a step-by-step process including ideation, visual exploration, and iterative refinement, we crafted an experience focused on immersion, clarity, and accessibility.
// Ideation.
We started with whiteboarding to explore layout ideas, then used storyboarding to map the player journey and pinpoint when features like synopses and filtering would be most useful.
01
Whiteboarding
Sketching early layouts helped us prioritize features by effort and impact, revealing that sorting and summaries were high-value, low-effort improvements.
02
Storyboarding
Visualizing a player's journey highlighted how users lose context after breaks, reinforcing the need for a synopsis tab and clearer quest transitions.
// UI Flow Improvements.
Building on our storyboard, we mapped out improved UI flows that reduced friction and enabling faster switching between quests, summaries, and map views with minimal cognitive effort.
// Style Tile.
Next, we explored visual direction through a style tile by blending Skyrim’s fantasy aesthetic with modern readability. Earthy tones, parchment textures, and handwritten fonts helped shape an immersive journal-like feel.
// Low to High Fidelity.
We then transitioned into wireframing, starting with low-fidelity sketches to organize content and layout. As fidelity increased, we introduced refined visual cues, clearer hierarchies, and immersive thematic elements to guide users naturally through the interface.
// Final Mockups.
Finally, through several revisions we reach a final mockup that balances immersion with functionality. This final stage focused on refining visual cohesion, reinforcing narrative context, and ensuring the interface seamlessly integrated into the game world.
// Usability Testing.
To evaluate the usability of our redesign, we conducted task-based usability testing using a functional prototype. Participants completed tasks, and we recorded both Inuit metric scores and qualitative feedback to assess effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.
01
Find a Specific Quest
Users searched for a specified quest and identified its objectives, type, and description.
02
Review a Completed Quest
Users located a finished quest and used the synopsis to understand what happened.
03
Track a Quest on the Map
Users selected a quest and used the interactive map to find its in-game location.
// Results & Impact.
Our redesigned quest log significantly improved the player experience in key areas:
01
95%
Task success rate
Users could locate and identify quest objectives with greater accuracy, showing strong alignment between the new layout and player expectations.
02
53%
Improved navigation efficiency
With filtering, sorting, and visual indicators, players spent significantly less time searching through the quest log and freeing up focus for gameplay and exploration.
03
88%
Increased re-engagement
The addition of the Quest Synopsis tab allowed players to quickly re-immerse after taking a break, reducing confusion and improving long-term session retention.
// Reflection.
Redesigning Skyrim’s quest log challenged us to merge immersion with usability. By centering our process around real player frustrations, we delivered a solution that felt both familiar and fresh.
01
User Centered Design Works
Grounding every decision in player feedback ensured we tackled real usability issues rather than relying on assumptions.
02
Style and Function Can Coexist
We demonstrated that immersive, lore-rich visuals can be thoughtfully integrated without sacrificing clarity or accessibility.
03
Iteration Drives Improvement
Each round of testing and refinement uncovered new opportunities to enhance both the interface and the user experience.