NBA 2K26 Main Menu Redesign
- Albert Carmona
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Role: Design Lead, UI/UX | Timeline: 8 months (Oct 2024 – Jun 2025) | Team: Cross-functional (Environment, Lighting, Characters, Engineering, UI/UX)
Problem
Previous NBA 2K main menus prioritized visual complexity over clarity. Layered textures and busy graphics made it harder for users to quickly navigate to their preferred game mode. As the product matured, the UI wasn't keeping pace with the quality of the game's core asset: photorealistic player models.
We saw an opportunity to strip back the noise and let the product's strongest feature take center stage.
(Previous main menu)
Process
Exploration I explored multiple layout directions, from grid-based hubs to carousel formats. The winning concept was a dynamic text list where items reorder based on content priority, giving us flexibility for seasonal updates without redesigning the menu each cycle.
(Early Explorations)
Concept Direction Drawing on my love for photography, I pitched a cinematic approach: slow motion shots of individual players performing signature moves, lit dramatically in a darkened arena. The UI would stay minimal, letting the visuals do the work.
Leadership approved the concept. Now we had to build it.
Cross-Functional Execution This required coordinating five teams: Environment (arena scene), Lighting (cinematic mood), Characters (max fidelity models), Engineering (camera systems, transitions, effects), and my UI/UX team.
I created a milestone roadmap, ran kickoff meetings, and embedded with each team to keep the vision consistent. Worked especially close with engineering to build internal tools that would let us update player animations without full dev cycles.
Solution
A redesigned main menu featuring:
Dynamic navigation that adapts item order based on content priority and seasonal relevance
Cinematic player showcase with slow motion signature moves, dramatic lighting, and smooth camera transitions
Reduced visual clutter creating a faster, cleaner path to game modes
(Shipped product)
Impact
This menu set a new visual standard for the entire product. The premium, cinematic feel influenced how we approached UI across other modes throughout the release cycle. The tooling we built with engineering reduced the effort needed to maintain and refresh the feature post-launch.
