REBECCA MAGAR

VelocityX Desktop Application

Industry: Gaming / Computer hardware

Role: UI/UX Designer, Researcher

As part of an effort to modernize PNY's VelocityX GPU Overclocking Software, I designed a completely updated Windows desktop application to accompany the release of PNY's NVIDIA 40 Series GPUs. The project included a new interface for controlling GPU RGB lighting effects and an updated app icon.

SKILLS & SOFTWARE

• UI/UX Design
• Wireframing
• Prototyping
• User Research
• Adobe XD
• Graphic Design
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Photoshop

Research

I began by conducting competitive analysis, studying YouTube tutorials, Reddit forum posts, and testing rival apps. This helped me grasp the software's nuances, uncover user pain points, and identify essential features. To validate my findings, I interviewed gamers in my network and used their insights to create user personas.

Parallel to user research, I delved into technical research, collaborating with PNY engineers. Together, we defined user flows and determined GPU functionalities, such as individually controlled lighting zones, overclocking capabilities, and multi-GPU support. This research highlighted the need for customizable options based on the specific GPU or workstation configuration and informed the final wireframes and app design.

SOME KEY FINDINGS

1. Graphics card software users are smart, technically savvy, and creative gamers who are accustomed to using Windows utility apps, and gaming interfaces.
2. The ability to save multiple lighting and settings profiles and easily switch between them is a key feature gamers look for in a GPU app.
3. The older version of the VelocityX app was not providing users with enough feedback to indicate if overclocking was exceeding safe levels.
4. Gamers prefer using apps in dark mode and show a preference for customizable color schemes.

Design

The app's flat black UI provides a sleek and familiar experience for desktop gamers. To offer users a sense of personalization without requiring advanced custom skins—something not feasible for the first iteration—I designed the interface with an acrylic overlay that allows desktop backgrounds to subtly shine through. This creates a unique look for each user while laying the groundwork for potential future updates, where app glows and colors could become fully customizable.

Bright glows on dark elements mimic the RGB lighting effects of the GPU hardware to align the app's visual identity with the hardware it supports. The design reduces reliance on eye-straining reds, using them as accents to improve readability and accessibility without eliminating the XLR8 brand colors, while color-coded monitors and pop-up alerts help users quickly identify unsafe overclocking levels.