Graphical UI Heavy Applications

Career Paths

How to interpret this table?

You may choose this advanced topic if you like doing the things listed under “they usually do”, and you are fine with not doing the things listed under “they usually do not do”.

Alternatively, you may choose it if you are interested in applying for the listed job roles and want to practice work that is close to those roles.

Job title	They usually do	They usually do NOT do	Real-life examples
UI / Graphics-focused Software Engineer	Implement visually rich user interfaces, handle complex rendering (2D/3D), design meaningful visual feedback, integrate graphics with application logic	Focus on backend scalability, data engineering, or infrastructure-heavy concerns	3D configuration tools, data visualization dashboards
UX-focused Frontend Developer	Design and implement user interactions that reduce confusion, apply accessibility practices, consider cultural and psychological aspects of UI design	Conduct academic UX research, define business strategy, or optimize server performance	Design-heavy web apps, interactive visual tools

Affected SDLC Phases

If a team chooses this advanced topic, the planning, system design, implementation, and testing phases are most strongly affected. Planning emphasizes user experience goals and visual complexity. System design focuses on rendering approach and UI architecture. Testing includes usability, accessibility, and end-user understanding in addition to functional correctness.

Affected Tasks

Features are defined

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

By the end of this task, your team has defined at least six user-facing features where the graphical UI is essential to understanding or using the system. Each feature must clearly describe what the user sees, how they interact with the visuals, and what problem the UI solves.

Technical Details

Features must be defined from a user-visual perspective. Each feature must include:
- Visual elements involved (views, scenes, 2D/3D components, charts, infographics)
- User interaction with visuals (mouse, touch, keyboard, gestures)
- Intended user outcome (what confusion is avoided or insight is gained)

If 3D or advanced graphics are used, explain why they are necessary and what they communicate. Avoid features where visuals are decorative only.

Quality

High-quality feature definitions make the role of graphics explicit and meaningful. The UI is designed to reduce “WTF moments” by making system state and actions visually clear. Visual choices align with the feature’s purpose rather than aesthetics alone.

Features are sorted by priority

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Your team prioritizes features based on user value and visual importance, ensuring that core graphical interactions are implemented before optional visual enhancements.

Technical Details

Priority decisions must consider:
- User comprehension impact
- Accessibility relevance
- Risk and effort of graphical implementation

Cosmetic-only improvements must not be ranked above core usability features.

Quality

High-quality prioritization clearly separates essential UX functionality from purely aesthetic enhancements and justifies the order based on user understanding and accessibility impact.

Features' cost and price are estimated

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Your team estimates the cost and value of graphical features, taking into account implementation complexity of graphics, animations, and accessibility support.

Technical Details

Estimates must reflect:
- Rendering or graphics complexity
- UX and accessibility effort
- Testing effort for usability and clarity

Assumptions must be stated explicitly.

Quality

High-quality estimates realistically account for graphical complexity and avoid underestimating UX and accessibility work.

System is working

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

By the end of this task, your team demonstrates a working system where graphical UI features function correctly and are understandable to a new user without explanation.

Technical Details

The demo must show:
- Core graphical interactions working as intended
- Visual feedback for user actions and system state
- Basic accessibility support (e.g. contrast, readable text, alternative input)

If 3D is used, demonstrate how it improves understanding or interaction.

Quality

High-quality demos show a visually coherent system where graphics are meaningful, not distracting. The UI feels consistent, aesthetically balanced, and minimizes user confusion. Cultural and basic psychological aspects (e.g. color meanings, visual hierarchy) are applied consciously.

Bug fixing

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

During development, your team must report and fix one reproducible UI/UX-related bug that causes user confusion, misinterpretation, or accessibility problems.

Technical Details

The bug report must include:
- User scenario and context
- What the user expects vs what actually happens visually
- Screenshots or short recordings

The fix must clearly improve user understanding or accessibility.

Quality

High-quality bug fixing focuses on user perception, not just technical correctness. The fix demonstrably reduces confusion, improves accessibility (including impairments), or resolves misleading visual cues.

User documentation

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Your team provides user documentation that explains how to interpret and use the graphical interface.

Technical Details

Documentation must include:
- Screenshots or diagrams
- Explanation of visual symbols, colors, or graphics
- Guidance for users with impairments if relevant

Quality

High-quality documentation anticipates user confusion and explains the UI in clear, visual terms rather than technical language.

Developer documentation

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Your team documents how the graphical UI is structured and implemented.

Technical Details

Documentation must describe:
- Rendering or graphics libraries used
- UI architecture and component structure
- Key design decisions related to UX and accessibility

Quality

High-quality documentation makes it easy for another developer to extend or modify the graphical UI without breaking visual consistency or usability.