You should approach different types of design differently; it sounds so straight forward, but you have to know the right approaches for each. Erica Hayes-Bouyouris has worked on so many different types of designing, from mass market to IP games to the hobby market and she’s done both solo designing and codesigning.
Watch the live chat below:
I definitely recommend watching the video above as Erica is fantastic! Below are some of the highlights of the video.
One thing that is really great about Erica is how positive she is. She’s focused on trying to make the best of the situation and being realistic on what we can actually get done, especially now with COVID. We all need to be good with ourselves and not force ourselves to design. If you’re not feeling creative, you can try doing something you really love, like gardening, and that might help get you back to your creative side. But make sure to ease yourself into design, as you don’t want to hurt yourself more by forcing design to happen.
Here’s some of the pros for codesigning:
- There’s always someone holding you accountable.
- The process is sped up as multiple people are working on a project, instead of one.
- You can use the best ideas between the two (or more) of you.
Erica ended up breaking into the IP design scene because she approached Renegade with ideas for games for about two years, then they approached her to commission a game, as they knew of her and her ideas and what IPs she was passionate about.
There are lots of pros and cons to working with IP games, though.
Pros:
- You can really make the game a love letter to the IP.
- It’s easy to be passionate about the game if you love the IP.
- When you’re commissioned to make a game, you know that someone wants it and you don’t have to pitch it.
Cons:
- You can’t always talk about the IP games you’re making.
- You can’t playtest in public and your playtesters might have to sign NDAs.
- Luck can definitely be a huge factor, as the first game to market tends to win; if someone else gets there first, then your game might not get made.
- There’s a time limit and you have to meet your deadlines. You don’t have the luxury of putting the game on the shelf for a bit.
When designing mass market games:
- Assume no prior knowledge of games
- Don’t say anything that they don’t understand; things like mechanics, meeple, drafting, etc.
- Pick only one mechanic, be very clear on how to use it.
- Mass Market really likes luck based games because it’s easy to dismiss when something bad happens. If you’re in full control of what’s happening, then it’s your fault you lost.
Advertising Tips:
- Don’t divide yourself too far; you can’t have too much
- Direct all the social media to one place, whether that be twitter, a website, or youtube page.
- Treat your website like your portfolio. It should have a short description on you, but focus on your games.
- Having a website is a great way to get playtesters.
You can find out more about Erica here:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricaBouyouris
- Meeple Syrup Show: https://www.facebook.com/MeepleSyrup/ (Live show every Wednesday at 9pm EST)
- Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/540950783092439
- BGG Page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/102049/erica-bouyouris
