Meet the Team: Hadyn Hawkins
January 25, 2022
What’s your role on the Third Pie Studios (TPS) team and what all does this entail?
User Experience designer, I develop the interface layout and blueprint out structure of the game that a player would experience. This basically means I figure out where all the little buttons would go and how a user would get to them. I use visual hierarchy and information architecture in my design decisions, as well as through my collaborations with all the big, talented brains on the team.
What interested you in game development?
Moving around every three years in my life, I played a lot of video games since I was a little kid. Games were always an escape from a world I felt a little lost in after a big move across the country; there was consistency in my games that I had trouble finding in real life. I could create my own little world with characters who I could understand and relate to, and would be right where I left them if I had a tough day and wanted to have some fun. I went to college focusing on app and product development, but video games have always been a comforting place for me, so getting to apply my skills to a whole new medium is really exciting for me.
What are your favorite video games, and why?
A lot of games I loved playing when I was younger would have me design my own character, and I think a lot of that had to do with perceiving myself and my identity, and what I hoped to look like as I got older. The game I played most was The Sims, but I also would spend hours creating Miis for all of my friends and family, and I would look forward to unlocking cool clothes on Rock Band. Fast forward to now, I really enjoy storytelling puzzle games, specifically mystery/spooky ones, such as LIMBO, Little Nightmares, INSIDE, and Firewatch. These are the types of games I can sit down and play all the way through in one sitting, completely getting lost inside of the plot and adrenaline that accompanies the creepy storylines.
What are your favorite non-gaming things to do?
I’m a big horror buff, so I love to bingewatch scary movies and shows, as well as cracking open a good page-turning mystery book. I’m a self-proclaimed foodie, but I live in a pretty small town, so traveling helps with finding new fun places to eat at. I'm willing to try just about anything (especially if it’s spicy).
What about Ages of Cataria are you most excited about?
Getting to develop something from the ground up is really incredible to see from the inside, and working along with such an amazing team has really been a dream come true for me. I love collaborating with enthusiastic, ambitious, and encouraging designers who think outside of the box and are just teeming at the brim with creativity. That’s definitely the team behind AoC. Having the opportunity to play a part in making this project launch is so rewarding, especially because there’s so much for me to learn from and ideate with. It’s really fulfilling getting to apply my real life skills of UX to create an extension of one of my longest passions, a new experience for players who find comfort in video games just like me! :)
Beyond TPS, where can we find you?
You can find me at my website!
