Madden NFL 2004
Systematizing the Front End
Madden NFL 2004 included over 500 screens, demanding a modular, consistent approach to menus and interactions. As the interface design lead, I defined reusable layouts and components that streamlined development by making it easier for the team to meet the project’s visual goals. I also scripted and debugged UI logic using proprietary tools, working closely with engineers to solve asset management and pipeline challenges.
Madden NFL 2004 Screens, Screenshots · I led the interface design for Madden NFL 2004, crafting a system within the color and resolution limits of NTSC video long before HDTV, and later 4K, eased those constraints · UX/UI Design Gary Boodhoo
Unifying Interfaces Across Franchises
Same Brand, Different Worlds
Every year, teams were rebuilding similar interfaces from scratch across franchises, platforms, and studios. To change that, EA Sports brought together designers and developers from across four studios to build a shared design system and I was one of them
EA Sports Linelook 2005 Brief · A creative brief prepared by a design partner which framed the challenge of unifying brand expression across packaging, UI, and marketing · Visual Design Arnson Communications
Design System
Turning Shared Pain Into Shared Patterns
We created shared rules for flows, menus, and layouts. I focused on typography and scalable components. The real challenge was aligning teams with different tools and goals. Collaborating with designers and developers at four studios taught me how saying “yes, and…” can sometimes move a team further than disagreement. That clarity helped us deliver a unified design system across that year’s entire product line.
EA Sports 2005 Style Guide, Studio-wide Design Document · Menu anatomy and layout rules for the main navigation cascade, establishing consistent structure, spacing, and motion across the front end · UX/UI Design & Documentation Gary Boodhoo
EA Sports 2005 Style Guide, Studio-wide Design Document · Component specifications for sliders and tables used across the product line · UX/UI Design & Documentation Gary Boodhoo
Success
Systematizing the Experience
I authored and maintained the style guide as a single source of truth for designers, engineers, and especially QA. This product grid showcases the 2005 EA Sports releases, each built using our shared system. We established repeatable structures for key screen types to ensure visual and functional consistency across titles.
EA Sports 2005 Front End Comparison, Studio-wide Design Document · Seven franchises shipped with one cohesive system · UX/UI Design & Documentation Gary Boodhoo
Future Direction & Design Legacy
Carrying the Vision Forward
Linelook06 continued the evolution of the system I helped create. I contributed early visual work and structural thinking, though leaving before the project was completed.
The Madden titles I worked on laid the foundation for consistent UX at scale during a time when players expected complete experiences out of the box. Today’s versions balance that legacy with live-service design and evolving monetization models. The tools have changed, but the need for structure, clarity, and adaptability remains
The Linelook 2006 Story, Studio-wide Design Document · Comparative product research into broadcast aesthetics (I have a background in TV and postproduction) for guiding team discussions around emotional pillars and visual storytelling · Design & Discovery Gary Boodhoo
EA Sports 2006 Design Vocabulary, Early-Stage Internal Materials · The next iteration of EA Sports’ shared UI language built upon on the success of Linelook 2005 with stronger visuals and more refined application · UX/UI Design Gary Boodhoo, Keith Alexander, Tim Spangler Presentation Gary Boodhoo
Outcome
