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Redesigning the Ashes of Creation's account inventory page

The Account Inventory is where players track every cosmetic item, reward, entitlement, and bundle they own. The legacy version was difficult to navigate and frequently led to confusion and support tickets. I led a comprehensive redesign focused on reorganizing the data model, enhancing item clarity, optimizing scanning patterns, and introducing a flexible system that supports the long-term growth of the game.

Key Accomplishments ✨

  • Rebuilt the IA and visual structure to make inventory items easier to find, understand, and manage.

  • Created a scalable foundation that supports future game data and evolving item states without additional redesigns.

  • Improved item clarity and discoverability, enabling CS to quickly verify ownership, status, and entitlements.

  • Partnered with engineering to ensure the new system handled legacy items, bundles, and backend constraints.

  • Developed reusable patterns and components that now support multiple areas of the account ecosystem.

The challenge 🤔

Players described the old inventory as chaotic and unpredictable. As the number of items increased, the problems became more noticeable.

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  • Items were shown in flat lists with no hierarchy

  • There was no intuitive mental model for how different item types related to each other

  • Searching often returned irrelevant or incomplete results

  • Important attributes, such as status or availability, were difficult to understand

  • The UI did not scale visually or structurally as new item types were added
     

The experience was functional but did not reflect the value or excitement of the items players had collected.

Key goals 🔑

  1. Establish a logical organizational model that mirrors how players naturally think about their items.

  2. Create intuitive interaction patterns that reduce effort and support fast recognition.

  3. Introduce filtering, sorting, and search tools that work reliably with large inventories.

  4. Elevate item presentation to feel more rewarding and collectible.​

The process & execution 🤺

1. Research & component strategy

To understand player expectations, I studied how people manage large collections in different contexts. This included game inventories, digital asset libraries, e-commerce browsing, console UI layouts, and even TTRPG item sheets.

 

Findings that guided the redesign:

  • Users rely on multi-layered categorization to make sense of large collections.

  • Visual markers such as symbols, color bands, and rarity tiers speed up recognition.

  • People scan in predictable Z patterns, so item anchoring and grouping matter significantly.

  • The best inventory systems allow both high-level browsing and deep item exploration without switching contexts.

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2. A multi-layered categorization model 

I redefined the information architecture by introducing a tiered category system that better reflects how players naturally think about their items. Inventory content is now grouped into three logical types: in-game cosmetics, keys (which unlock game access), and additional extras. This structure aligns with gameplay context, reduces cognitive load, and ensures a scalable framework that remains intuitive as new item types are introduced.

3. Robust filtering, sorting, and search

I designed a new interaction model for finding items quickly. The filtering panel supports combinations such as category type and name, but is designed in a way that supports the addition of future categorizations. 

 

Search now accounts for partial matches and player-friendly terminology, which solves one of the biggest frustrations in the legacy experience.

4. Item presentation designed for fast recognition

Each item received a redesigned card or title with clearer hierarchy and more distinctive visual signatures. Item names are more readable, descriptions are viewable, item images have been updated, and are now immediately visible.

 

This creates a browsing experience that feels collectible and consistent with the fantasy theme of the world.

4. Scalable detail views and state logic

I introduced a modular detail panel that surfaces item attributes, eligibility, variants, and related items. It supports a predictable state system, including owned, claimable, expired, and locked. This gives players a breakdown of each item without forcing a page reload.

 

Engineering can now support new item types through a repeatable pattern rather than custom building one off components.

5. Engagement enhancements

The new layout improves usability, but it also creates a sense of value. Items feel like rewards rather than database entries. The system supports browsing by theme, collection, or rarity, which taps into the emotional side of collecting.

 

Players can finally explore what they own with clarity and excitement rather than confusion and frustration.

The final designs

Impact & results

  • Significant reduction in confusion around item categories and ownership

  • Faster item identification due to clearer hierarchy and visual markers

  • Improved search reliability across all item types

  • A scalable inventory foundation that future-proofs content expansion

  • Fewer support questions related to missing or hard to find items

Key takeaways

The redesigned Inventory experience transformed a confusing, hard to navigate system into a structured, scalable, and intuitive interface. CS teams can now quickly locate items, understand their status, and take action with confidence. The new foundations also set the stage for future game data integration without requiring another full overhaul.

Next steps

  • Monitor Google Analytics to understand how often users interact with filters, categories, and item details.

  • Identify high friction areas by comparing time on page and exit patterns before and after the redesign.

  • Collaborate with CS to gather recurring feedback as new game data types are added.

  • Expand component patterns to additional account areas where similar item based logic applies.

  • Continue refining item grouping rules as more item states and categories emerge.

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