- Apr 21, 2016
- 3,409
Hello,
Opera GX is the world’s first gaming browser. Built to match every gamer’s preferences and needs, it offers some groundbreaking features such as the CPU, RAM and Network Limiter. But it, above all, looks and feels different. This was a choice we made: we designed the browser that way and today, we would like to tell you a bit more about the design philosophy that led to the Red Dot award we just received tonight in Berlin for our browser’s UI/UX design.
Take a look at our team with the Red Dot certificates below:
Opera GX team receives the Red Dot award in Berlin on Nov 1, 2019
Before we began working on the design of Opera GX and before the browser got the name Opera GX, our design team started by defining what gaming is. The aim was to address it on many levels through our design.
Designing a browser for gamers
In our view, gaming can’t be defined as just playing games. It’s also about social circles which form around particular games, as well as international events including E3 or Gamescom. Gaming also encompasses accessories and gear, as well as furniture, clothing and even movies.
Gaming also entails a particular style, aimed at making an impression, that’s why gaming gear takes some shapes and colors that are considered special or unusual or even enigmatic. Of course, having a keyboard, mousepad and mouse that light up a certain color isn’t necessary and some people make fun of it but, deep down, everyone desires such gear.
At the inception of this project, the design team was assigned with the task to create something that looks great and dark, with colorful accents.
The design of Opera GX in detail: a browser as dark as the sky at night
The accents in Opera GX are inspired by neon lights and how they break the darkness of the night. We looked at the streets of Tokyo and also sought inspiration in cyberpunk and Blade Runner.
A complete darkness or black as a color doesn’t really exist in nature and it just doesn’t look great. That’s the reason why it couldn’t become the background of our browser. So where do neon lights look best? Against a night sky. That’s why we kept Opera GX in tones of navy blue and dark purple, just like a nighttime sky.
Opera GX comes in a multitude of colors, not just in Opera red
We started designing Opera GX with red as the highlight color in mind. It’s our brand color and we quite like it but we soon realized it couldn’t be the only one. Just taking a look at beautiful gaming setups or gaming rooms, we knew we needed to let gamers adjust the browser to their preferred color. That’s how we chose 10 main colors, which correspond to the typical colors of neon lights.
Splashes of color in the night were among the inspirations for Opera GX
We named them after particular game elements that inspired them. That’s how we came up with Potion Red or Mana Blue.
The color names aren’t the only place where we added references to gaming. Our browser versions come in Levels. As we are still in the early access, we also included special feedback mechanisms, which let gamers rate the browser using hearts, a bit similar to those in the life bar in the Legend of Zelda. Your feedback lets us shape the product based on your needs.
The design of the CPU, RAM and Network limiters, which could have easily been boring, was inspired by car speedometers. They give you a feeling of an absolute control over how much resources your browser is using and let you tweak it to suit your needs.
Diagonal UI elements
A further design element you might notice are the canted edges of particular UI elements. It’s a recurring motive, present on the speed dial or in the tab corners, as well as our web pages and product images. We were inspired by the shape of processors and memory cards, as well as microchips. Diagonal elements also make the look more dynamic.
Last but not least, Opera GX is also full of sounds, designed with the sound designer Ruben Rincon and the band the Berlinist.
Reception of Opera GX
After we announced that we would soon be be releasing a gaming browser, we received some comments that it’s not something anyone needs. After we released Opera GX, however, the mindset shifted. The tech industry, as well as gamers simply love it. Your comments on social media, during gaming conventions where we seek your advice, as well as via the feedback tool in Opera GX show us that Opera GX addresses your needs. Opera GX is still in early access but we already celebrated one million downloads a few weeks ago. We appreciate every single one of them, thank you.
And, right now, we are very happy the design that we’ve invested so much thought and effort in has been recognized by the international jury of the Red Dot Award for communication design. We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Make sure to give Opera GX a try!
Source: Opera GX wins Red Dot Award in Berlin - find out more about the design philosophy behind the world's first gaming browser - Blog | Opera Desktop
