Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer

1. Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Michael Fitch

2. 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

3. 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…

4. 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

5. 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

6. Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer A few debts to acknowledge: • The fine folks at Red Storm • Keith Zabaloui • Everyone who takes the time to publish their own lessons on the web, in books, at events like GDC The stupid bits are all mine…

7. Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Failing to Define Design

8. 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

9. 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?

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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

14. Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Too Many Cooks

15. 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!

16. 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?

17. 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

18. 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

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

20. Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Believing the Hype

21. 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

22. 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?

23. 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

24. 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

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

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

27. 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?

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

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

33. Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Bright, Shiny Objects

34. 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”

35. 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 – Story

36. 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

37. 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?

38. 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!

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

40. Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer Conclusion

41. 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

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

43. Contact http://www.micrysweb.com Michael@micrysweb.com