pitfalls of the working lead designer michael fitch

Pitfalls of the Working Lead Designer

Michael Fitch


• Creative Manager at THQ• Previously at Red Storm Entertainment• Before that, at Atomic Games• A long time ago… a dreamer

So, who is this guy?


• Think up cool game ideas• Make the games you want to play• Become a game god…

The Dream of the Designer


• 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

The Reality of Design


• 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

So, what’s in a pitfall?


• 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

A few debts to acknowledge:

The stupid bits are all mine…


Failing to Define Design

Pitfalls: Failing to Define Design

• Design is a creative process• A lead designer wears many hats

– Storyteller – Marketer

– Visionary – Historian

– Psychologist – Mediator

– Cheerleader – Psychic

Design is difficult to define


• 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?

Design is team and project specific


• 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

Establish approval paths


• 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

Manage team input


• Set concrete goals• Prototype design process, if necessary• Periodically check your assumptions against

reality• Make sure the team gets fed

Schedule Design Tasks


Ad hoc design is a recipe for

disaster.


Too Many Cooks

Pitfalls: Too Many Cooks

• 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!

Ideas are great fun


• 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


Ideas are hard to resist


• 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

Capture the magic


• 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

Don’t be that guy!


Design is more about eliminating ideas than coming up

with them.


Believing the Hype

Pitfalls: Believing the Hype

• 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

Design takes marketing


• 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


Theory comes before practice


• 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

Build a solid sand castle


• 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

Make a contingency plan


You have to create the hype, but you can’t let it blind

you.


The Devil’s in the Documents

Pitfalls: The Devil’s in the Documents

• 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


Designer → Writer


• 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

Target your audience


• 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

Establish a standard


• 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

Work for the team


• 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

No document survives an encounter with production


The only useful document is the one

that gets read.


Bright, Shiny Objects

Pitfalls: Bright, Shiny Objects

• Most of us are here because we’re gamers• Competitive research • The “wow” reaction • The transplant theory, or when

Developers play games

“This is cool”becomes

“We need to do this”


• Everything is connected– Actions are defined by context

• Feedback is a loop• The gun example

– Balance – AI– Effects – Level Design– Physics – UI– Story

A single feature cannot be lifted


• 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

Timing is everything


• Every change costs more than you think

• Tuning touches all systems• Something has to give• Back to the stone age• Is it worth it?


Moving the goalposts


• Know a convention when you see one

• Insist on a zero-sum approach

• Set a high standard

• Protect the core

• Use those approval gates!

Keep your eyes on the prize


Games are not the sum of their

features.


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!

Contacthttp://[email protected]

pitfalls of the working lead designer michael fitch

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