UI Portfolio: Phillip Cohen

Download Resumé (PDF)

ACSX

Loved this project. I got the chance to bring out some nice UI designs, such as eye-pleasing form validation (below), and instant-filtering search bars in the Admin, Orders, and Cores page.

These ideas weren't just pretty—they saved code. I conceived the instant-search bars, for instance, as a way to save us from writing a whole redundant set of search dialogs.

Skulltag

Skulltag is a source port for iD Software's Doom II, adding such modern features as client/server multiplayer and OpenGL rendering.

You can see all my changes over the past 3 years in the changelog (I'm Rivecoder).

The IWAD Screen

What's the biggest obstacle keeping people from playing classic Doom?

You need a 16-year-old data file to play! Furthermore, you have to pay for it.

But what's really bizarre is that no modern sourceport made any attempt to help the user (on the software side), until recently. They simply assumed you knew what IWADs were (above).

Tired of the limiting factor this was having on the Doom community's growth, I took a stab at adding a more useful dialog. After a few days, this emerged:

It solves both problems elegantly—experienced users can move right along, and newcomers don't have to search Google to get Skulltag working. As it should be.

The One-Click Installer

Modern installers are incredibly redundant, often requiring the user to trudge through a half-dozen "steps" when only a couple are really needed.

Inspired by the Java installer redesign, I cut Skulltag's down to just one:

Server Settings Dialog

In the new version, each tab is kept clean—intelligently and religiously.

Flags Dialog

No joke—the original was an actual dialog!

Changemap Dialog

Previously, to change the server's map, you had to guess the new map's exact name (not ideal if you're using a custom map pack). No longer:

Like the DMFlags dialog, this redesign acts as a catalog—quietly informing the user of their options without getting in the way.

Command History

Even Window's cmd.exe has command history—and for good reason; it's a huge time saver. Now Skulltag does too:

G15 LCD Display

Video Trailers

These were both done in 2007.