Over four and a half years at Nifty Games, I art directed two licensed sports franchises — NFL Clash and NBA Clash — from visual development through live operations.
NBA Clash
I was the Art Director for NBA Clash. The work was executed by the talented team at Nifty Games and external partners.
Visual Development
We had an open canvas: make something visually new for the NBA. The goal was stylized realism that felt athletic, energetic, and undeniably premium. I directed us toward exaggerated player proportions, expressive silhouettes, and bold color contrasts. We established clear visual identifiers for characters, UI, loot bags, and player reveals — so every asset had something unique to say. These explorations became our visual north star throughout production, whether we hit them exactly or used them to push back.
Art Style Guide & Game UI
The NBA Clash Art Style Guide defined the visual language across every touchpoint: sporty and premium, dark backgrounds with bold color accents, high-contrast focal points, and a masculine/luxury feel for hero moments. I established the tone, palette, and silhouette rules, then collaborated with the team to apply them consistently throughout the game.
Live Ops Art
With Nifty's live roadmap always buzzing, we needed a banner system that could move fast and still look great. I directed the development of store, event, and home banner templates — a visual system built for speed without looking generic.
UX & Process Documentation
The card progression system is a key part of the game. This was a deep cross-disciplinary effort. These are hands-on UX flows I made myself: card systems, store entry points, chest opening, login bonuses, and in-game menu flows.
NFL Clash
I was the Art Director for NFL Clash. The work was executed by the talented team at Nifty Games and external partners.
Art Style Overview
The brief was to create intensity and "juice." The feel of an NFL broadcast, compressed into a mobile game you could play in 3-minute bursts. I directed the character design toward bold, exaggerated football archetypes — fast receivers, massive linemen — with VFX and animations that made every play feel impactful on a small screen. The environments and loot boxes were designed with a nostalgic twist for true fans of the NFL.
Launch Trailer
The NFL Clash launch trailer was a fully 3D animated production. From storyboard to delivery, I directed the visual execution to ensure the in-game franchise identity held together outside the game — same character language, same color system, same energy.
Game Environments & UI
UX & Process Documentation
Same system-level thinking applied to NFL Clash — mapping the front-end flow, store navigation, and play call UI. These are wireframes and UX flows I produced to define navigation and give the team clear direction.
