Visual Design / 3D Modelling
EA Sports FIFA / FC Ultimate Team
Role
Experience Design - Visual
Timeline
1-2 Weeks for smaller campaigns
2-4 Weeks for larger campaigns
Overview
For three consecutive years, I designed the visual identity of FIFA and EA FC Ultimate Team player items — the cards seen by tens of millions of players worldwide. This work spanned the full creative process: from campaign briefs and stakeholder alignment to final 3D renders shipped in-game, on social, and across global marketing.
The Process
Each year begins with a brief. I'd work closely with the marketing team to understand the seasonal campaign direction, then translate that into a mood board — a visual proposal that sets the tone, palette, and aesthetic language before a single render is made. Once aligned with stakeholders, I'd move into 3D design, iterating until the result was both visually compelling and true to the campaign.
The final designs don't just live in a deck. They ship in-game as special items, get published across EA's social channels, and land in front of millions of players.
Base Set Design
Beyond campaign items, I designed the base player item sets for FIFA 23, and EA FC 24 — the foundational visual language that defines how every item looks for the entire year. Every special item, every promotion, every card a player opens traces back to that base set.
Marquee Campaigns
Some items in Ultimate Team aren't just cards — they're moments. FUT Heroes, Team of the Year, and Future Stars are among the most anticipated releases in the FUT calendar, the kind of drops that players save coins for months in advance and real footballers post about on their own channels.
I've designed items across these marquee campaigns. The bar is different here. These aren't standard releases — they're collectables, and they have to feel like it. Every design decision is scrutinized across multiple rounds of stakeholder alignment, from the creative team to marketing to licensing, because when a card drops, it represents both the player it depicts and the EA brand at its highest level.
The reward for getting it right is rare in this industry: direct feedback from professional footballers and genuine excitement from a global fanbase. Seeing a card I designed trending on social media or praised by the player it represents is a reminder of the scale this work operates at.
