I came to the realization today that designing a game is a lot like *playing* a game. It often feels like the solution already exists, and it is simply my job is to uncover it. An infant game design is like a giant disassembled puzzle of disparate parts. The parts have to put together in [...]
I’ve been giving some thought to how my game designs would perform on various platforms, and how the typical usage model of a platform affects gameplay and potential engagement.
For example, playing a game on a home desktop computer affords very little inherent interruption of gameplay. You’re in a comfortable and stationary position; it’s easy to [...]
I’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of designing casual/social games but during the course of learning I’ve discovered a number of key differences between web application design (my forte) and game design. My plan is to pass this information along as a series of posts I’ll call “Learning Game Design” (I know, not [...]
I agree with this post from Seth Godin, and since comments are off I’ll add my $.02 here.
I think that following the “musts” is an act of fear and laziness. I’ll be the first to say that people perform better within the boundaries of constraints, but not if you use them as a crutch. The [...]
I read a great post today on Ask the Wizard (via 37signals) regarding the lack of a need for a business model when starting a new project. This is the type of thinking that anyone who wants to build a successful product should consider. Everyone would love to make money with their product, but [...]
I’ve been diligently working on the IA for my side project and come to the point where I have to make the tough decision as to what will constitute the first release. I could go in one direction that would convey the concept and could be done relatively quickly, but holds back a great deal [...]
Often times an interface designer will come upon a situation where he/she has discovered a superior, yet unconventional solution to a given design problem. The solution may be one that requires less time, less clicks or simply makes more logical sense, but at the same time may have a learning curve associated with it. Should [...]
Gambling involves betting a portion of money towards the goal of a larger return. This is not unlike what we do when building an application. We select the features we will implement with the hope that those features will form a valuable tool that is greater than the sum of its parts. But the similarities [...]
One of the most common mistakes I see designers make, is letting look-and-feel decisions influence functionality. This is often caused by jumping into a design program too early, and trying to tackle everything at once. The temptation to move a button, or delete a column of data for the sake of aesthetics can seduce even [...]
During my career as a designer I’ve often been bestowed the great and wondrous gift of “creative freedom”. In my earlier days, I waited and waited for this day to arrive…for this was when I was finally going to show the world what I was made of. When that day did come, the excitement and [...]