Pixel Art and Its Influence on User Interface Creativity: A Design Perspective

This research explores the impact of Pixel Art games on the creativity and User Interface (UI) design skills of college students, assessing whether exposure to this gaming format can enhance design performance. Pixel Art games, known for their minimalist graphical style, are recognized for stimulating creativity, but their direct influence on UI design is less understood. The study involved two groups: one that played Pixel Art games before engaging in UI design tasks and a control group that did not. The research assessed their performance across five key UI design criteria: Layout, Color Scheme, Button and Font Clarity, Usability, and Creativity. Statistical analysis revealed that the Pixel Art group scored significantly higher in Layout (8.19 vs. 6.12), Usability (8.43 vs. 6.26), and Creativity (8.36 vs. 6.53), This study used Group Difference Testing t-tests to evaluate the impact of playing a pixel art game on students' UI design skills. These findings suggest that integrating Pixel Art games into design education could foster creativity and improve key design skills, contributing to more engaging learning experiences in art and design.