content-first design secrets

CONTENT-FIRST DESIGN SECRETS

PRACTICED BY THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY

stephanie hay * @steph_hay

2 KEY DESIGN APPROACHES

FROM THE VIDEO GAME

INDUSTRY

1.!Nail the

story first!Does your design feel like a conversation?

It’s the lowest risk way to design

It’s the lowest risk way to design

It starts with what the hero really needs to “win”

2. Design for discovery

Do your heroes feel like they’re “winning?”

http://goo.gl/O6CKDK

Teaching over time—not all at once—improves retention

BORDERLANDS

BORDERLANDS

BORDERLANDS

BORDERLANDS

BORDERLANDS

Provide answers in the moment when users are most likely to have questions

Teaching over time—not all at once—improves retention

BORDERLANDS

BORDERLANDS

BORDERLANDS

CONTENT DEFINES

STRUCTURENOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND

Outcomes of !content-first design

Lowest risk, lowest cost!

More collaborative design!

Faster approvals + launches!

Higher engagement

BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO

CHANGE HOW YOU WORK

the content!

CONTENT PROTOTYPES

Write the conversation we want to have with users along

each step of their journey

“Having real content up-front meant I could focus on designing a real experience right from the start. I wish we’d always worked this way.” — CeCe Chang

CONTENT DEFINES

STRUCTURENOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND

“There is no tutorial, no [prompt] that pops up

on screen, nobody telling you where you’re

going or why.”

“The storytelling is purely about the game

experience itself.”

1.!Nail the

story first!Does your design feel like a conversation?

2. Design for discovery

Do your heroes feel like they’re “winning?”

stephanie.hay@capitalone.com

Thanks, Dawson.

Jenova Chen: https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3314/3235139236_c3f17cf77d.jpg

Journey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_(2012_video_game)#mediaviewer/File:Journey-PS3-Screenshot.jpg

Journey trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mF8KkDiIdk&feature=kp

James VB crying: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MzCNjlLwFd4/U4oJsbxgMDI/AAAAAAAAKBY/UKDT3ufNk_M/s1600/James-Van-Der-Beek-Crying-On-Dawsons-Creek-Gif.gif

Animal Crossing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPXRAKu-MyQ

credits

Ben & Jerry’s: benjerry.com

Happy Cog: happycog.com

FastCustomer: fastcustomer.com

thanksMoDevUX + Capital One