Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Michael Fitch

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer So, who is this guy? Creative Manager at THQ Previously at Red Storm Entertainment Before that, at Atomic Games A long time ago… a dreamer

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer The Dream of the Designer Think up cool game ideas Make the games you want to play Become a game god…

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer The Reality of Design Ideas are easy, design is work Coordinating all the pieces Respecting the budgets Solving problems two years before they happen Designers always work for someone Producer, studio, publisher, audience Results are what matter

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer So, what’s in a pitfall? Structural problems It happens to everyone, sooner or later Issues of design process This is not about content Knowledge is half the battle It’s also only half the battle

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer A few debts to acknowledge: Richard Dansky, and the entire design team at Red Storm Keith Zabaloui Everyone who takes the time to publish their own lessons on the web, in books, at events like GDC

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Failing to Define Design

Pitfalls: Failing to Define Design Design is difficult to define Design is a creative process A lead designer wears many hats Storyteller – Marketer Visionary – Historian Psychologist – Mediator Cheerleader – Psychic

Pitfalls: Failing to Define Design Design is team and project specific There are no industry-wide standards Every team is different Designers have to be flexible Deliverables can be difficult to sort out Every game has its unique issues So, what can you do?

Pitfalls: Failing to Define Design Establish approval paths Consensus is great, but someone needs to have the final say Not always the lead designer Approval is a gate Backing up will result in severe tire damage The shorter the loop, the better

Pitfalls: Failing to Define Design Manage team input Make design a visible process Tell the team why, not just how Create specific times and deadlines for feedback And pay attention to what you get Provide closure for the team

Pitfalls: Failing to Define Design Schedule Design Tasks Set concrete goals Prototype design process, if necessary Periodically check your assumptions against reality Make sure the team gets fed

Pitfalls: Failing to Define Design Ad hoc design is a recipe for disaster!

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Too Many Cooks

Pitfalls: Too Many Cooks Ideas are great fun This is a problem There are always already too many Beware the two-man effect A is a great idea! It is! And so is B! Yes, exactly! A and B and C are great! We need A, B, C, and D in our game!

Pitfalls: Too Many Cooks Ideas are hard to resist Saying “no” makes you the bad guy Sometimes, you are the one you need to say “no” to There are some people who won’t take “no” for an answer So, what can you do?

Pitfalls: Too Many Cooks Capture the magic Don’t start with “no” Get the full picture Collaborate; run with the idea Clarify the goal Find the motivation Give them what they want, not what they ask for

Pitfalls: Too Many Cooks Don’t be that guy! Make your approval gates reliable When you get the urge, get a gut check Separate enthusiasm from workability You are not an exception to your own rules

Pitfalls: Too Many Cooks Design is more about eliminating ideas than coming up with them!

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Believing the Hype

Pitfalls: Believing the Hype Design takes marketing Bullet points on the back of the box First, you sell the people with the money Then, you sell the people with the skills Why it’s the designers that do the pitch Plotting the path The leap of faith

Pitfalls: Believing the Hype Theory comes before practice It takes months of work to shape the game That’s a huge investment, and a huge risk Each feature locks you in more tightly There is always a limit to the budget What happens if the theory is wrong? There are no “takebacks” in marketing There are no changes without costs So, what can you do?

Pitfalls: Believing the Hype Build a solid sand castle Prototype, prototype, prototype Be prepared to throw out your work Assess your status with a critical eye If you’re too close, get an outside opinion Move from the center to the fringe There’s the core of the game, then there’s everything else

Pitfalls: Believing the Hype Make a contingency plan Build scale into the project Plan for adjustments; they always happen Know what can be cut before you’re asked Features and content Everything has a priority Last in, first out

Pitfalls: Believing the Hype You have to create the hype, but you can’t let it blind you!

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer The Devil’s in the Documents

Pitfalls: The Devil’s in the Documents Designer → Writer Sooner or later, everything will be documented Level of detail is a Catch-22 You get what you ask for, not what you want Living documents require constant attention So, what can you do?

Pitfalls: The Devil’s in the Documents Target your audience Keep documents short and clear Only as much as is needed Adjust the language appropriately Marketing vs. Management vs. Test Avoid the monolith The era of big bibles is over

Pitfalls: The Devil’s in the Documents Establish a standard Templates save time Consistent formats are easier to scan Use version control Put everything in plain sight Intranet, Wiki, network drives, etc. Work from the high level down Vision, approach, implementation, asset

Pitfalls: The Devil’s in the Documents Work for the team Don’t assume that you know what works Use drafts to revise presentation as well as content Change your formats if needed Sometimes visual is faster than text Foreground goals and rationale Someone may know a better path to the prize Context clarifies key concerns Give the team what they need now You can only be so far ahead of the curve

Pitfalls: The Devil’s in the Documents No document survives an encounter with production Revise, revise, revise Highlight changes in the documents Keep what’s new front and center Push old information to the back Add specifics, but keep the logic Answering one question vs. establishing a method Avoid document fatigue

Pitfalls: The Devil’s in the Documents The only useful document is the one that gets read!

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Bright, Shiny Objects

Pitfalls: Bright, Shiny Objects Developers play games Most of us are here because we’re gamers Competitive research The “wow” reaction The transplant theory, or when “This is cool” becomes “We need to do this”

Pitfalls: Bright, Shiny Objects A single feature cannot be lifted Everything is connected Actions are defined by context Feedback is a loop The gun example Balance – AI Effects – Level Design Physics – UI Level Design – Story

Pitfalls: Bright, Shiny Objects Timing is everything You and everyone else on the planet From you to the customer You always remember your first time Leader of the pack Trends vs. watersheds

Pitfalls: Bright, Shiny Objects Moving the goalposts Every change costs more than you think Tuning touches all systems Something has to give Back to the stone age Is it worth it? So, what can you do?

Pitfalls: Bright, Shiny Objects Keep your eyes on the prize Know a convention when you see one Insist on a zero-sum approach Set a high standard Protect the core Use those approval gates!

Pitfalls: Bright, Shiny Objects Games are not the sum of their features!

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Conclusion

Pitfalls: Conclusion The focus of design is production Best practices trump best theories Every team and project is different Know the red flags when you see them Have solutions before you need them It’s not about you; it’s about the game

Pitfalls: That’s all, folks. Thank you for coming!