{"id":1194,"date":"2021-09-04T03:34:02","date_gmt":"2021-09-04T03:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brown-sheep-511001.hostingersite.com\/carla\/?p=1194"},"modified":"2022-08-23T22:45:45","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T22:45:45","slug":"guest-post-fitting-in-game-design-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/2021\/09\/04\/guest-post-fitting-in-game-design-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: Fitting in Game Design Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I know a lot of amazing designers, and I wanted to highlight some of them, which is why I have guest posts! Each post will be a question about design or publishing and will hopefully give you a variety of perspectives to learn from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you fit game design into your life or free time?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignfull is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/received_4296118663777600-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1176 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/received_4296118663777600-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/received_4296118663777600-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/received_4296118663777600-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/received_4296118663777600-1300x1733.jpeg 1300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/received_4296118663777600.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;I suppose now I fit my life around game design, since I do it daily for work. Now it&#8217;s very important that I set mental boundaries with my design process so I don&#8217;t burn myself out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I concentrate on playing games or engaging my mind in other ways to make sure it properly turns off the game design mode. It&#8217;s very important to let your mind breathe, and it&#8217;s an interesting adjustment going from using most of my free time to think about game design, to use most of my free time to take a break from it( and even then it doesn&#8217;t always work).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Previously, before I did design professionally, I had to fit game design wherever I could. While riding the train to work, listening to podcasts while I was at work, while walking my dog, when I had free time and when I was supposed to be sleeping. It was integrated into all my daily tasks. Even if I wasn&#8217;t physically building a game, I was daydreaming about it.&#8221; \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/fertessa.com\/\">Fertessa Allyse<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/fertessa\">@fertessa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"293\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/profile_smalll-Nicholas-Yu.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-784 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/profile_smalll-Nicholas-Yu.png 293w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/profile_smalll-Nicholas-Yu-210x300.png 210w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 293px) 100vw, 293px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;I wait until after the kids are in bed and I&#8217;ve spent a little quality time with my wife. I generally don&#8217;t sleep a lot, anyway, so I use the late night hours to work on game design.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.zucchinipeoplegames.com\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"www.zucchinipeoplegames.com\">Nicholas Yu<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/yutingxiang\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/yutingxiang\">@yutingxiang<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"263\" height=\"274\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/UAB1-XxRavenxX-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-801 size-full\"\/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;When I first got into game design it took up almost all of my free time. I was going to online conferences nearly every other weekend, working on games immediately after my regular 9-5 almost every day, and taking part in different mentorship programs and workshops as often as I could.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A year and some change later I\u2019ve had a few life events that make it difficult to devote all my free time to game design, as well as multiple projects in the works, and so I find myself being a lot more intentional about it. Just like I plan out my meals for the next week on Sunday, I take time out to plan when I\u2019ll work on which designs during the week as well. I also try to set goals for quarters and smaller goals for the month so that I always have something larger to work towards.&#8221; &#8211; Raven McKenzie, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_RavenMcKenzie\">@_RavenMcKenzie<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"703\" height=\"937\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/PXL_20201027_234406410-Ananda-Guneratne.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-795 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/PXL_20201027_234406410-Ananda-Guneratne.jpg 703w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/PXL_20201027_234406410-Ananda-Guneratne-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;I do a lot of game design while riding my bike from place to place. I have at least one scheduled playtesting day each week and make sure to attend. I try to make a little bit of progress each day, even if it feels insignificant. The important thing is to keep moving forward, even when it feels slow.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/anandaguneratne.com\/\">Ananda Guneratne<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AnandaGuneratne\">@AnandaGuneratne<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"747\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Sara-Perry-747x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-788 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Sara-Perry-747x1024.jpg 747w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Sara-Perry-219x300.jpg 219w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Sara-Perry-768x1053.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Sara-Perry-1120x1536.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Sara-Perry-1493x2048.jpg 1493w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Sara-Perry-1300x1783.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Sara-Perry.jpg 1750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 747px) 100vw, 747px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;When I first started designing, I worked on games anytime I had free time. That works for some people, but that didn&#8217;t work for me. A lot of my creative process felt forced and it made the whole process less fun. It became more of a job than a fun hobby.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Now I only work on games when I&#8217;m really inspired. If I have an idea I&#8217;m really excited about, I&#8217;ll work on it in the evenings a couple times a week and bring it to my weekly game night to playtest. It&#8217;s much more of a hobby for me now than it was a few years ago, which means that sometimes I can go a few months without working on a game. I&#8217;m designing a lot slower, but I truly enjoy all the games that I work on now.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.saraperry.org\/\">Sara Perry<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/saraperry96\">@saraperry96<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"959\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/david.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-802 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/david.jpg 960w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/david-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/david-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/david-768x767.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/david-650x650.jpg 650w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;I am fortunate to have a 9-5 job that ends as soon as the day is over. Work doesn&#8217;t come home with me, so I can focus on game design right after work, on most days. Weekends are a little harder because there is so much else I want to focus on. If I&#8217;ve made good progress, during the week, then I&#8217;ll allow myself a break from designing.&#8221; &#8211; David J. Bruglia, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DavidBruglia\">@DavidBruglia<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"844\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jay-Bell-Jadyne-Bell-844x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-789 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jay-Bell-Jadyne-Bell-844x1024.jpg 844w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jay-Bell-Jadyne-Bell-247x300.jpg 247w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jay-Bell-Jadyne-Bell-768x932.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jay-Bell-Jadyne-Bell-1266x1536.jpg 1266w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jay-Bell-Jadyne-Bell-1688x2048.jpg 1688w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jay-Bell-Jadyne-Bell-1300x1577.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;This has recently become more difficult than initially. For me, it&#8217;s all about balancing your time, energy, and interests. This past summer (2021) I committed to too many things. My schedule was solid and everything had a night, but I didn&#8217;t account for time to relax and recover. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I do have a pretty fluid schedule that allows me to design at any time I want, but sometimes life just drains you too much to get the ball rolling. So yeah, just remember to balance design with any other obligations you have, and account for time to heal and just do nothing.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cloverspark.com\/boardgames\">Jadyne (Jay) Bell<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thejaybell\">@thejaybell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/estafania-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1197 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/estafania-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/estafania-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/estafania-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/estafania-1300x1733.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/estafania.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;Sometimes I am able to schedule it in, but most times is about feeling inspired! Once I get a though going I can\u2019t stop. I need to design and really get into it. Then there are times where you have to let things simmer, but eventually the desire to get back to it will push me to make time for it whenever I can.&#8221; &#8211; Estefania Rodriguez, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/estefaniar88\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/estefaniar88\">@estefaniar88<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Marcus-Ross-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-797 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Marcus-Ross-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Marcus-Ross-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Marcus-Ross-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Marcus-Ross-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Marcus-Ross-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/headshot-Marcus-Ross-1300x867.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;Poorly. \ud83e\udd23<br>The Designer Brain is always on to some degree. It\u2019s at its worst when I\u2019m trying to sleep or play other games. I keep a tablet by my bed to jot ideas into Google notes and sometimes that\u2019s enough.<br><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Paradoxically I\u2019m at my least effective when I\u2019ve set aside three hours to \u201cwork on game design.\u201d Go figure.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/waterbeargames.com\/\">Marcus Ross<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/waterbeargames\">@waterbeargames<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/tony-tran.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-872 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/tony-tran.jpg 400w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/tony-tran-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/tony-tran-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;This is a great question for any designer. I try to fit in design in whenever I have time whether it is in the morning before work, at night, or the weekends. I keep a journal that I can doodle in that allows me to quickly make notes here and there. If I&#8217;m playtesting, I&#8217;ll book time in my calendar and make plans accordingly!&#8221; &#8211; Tony Tran, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tonymakesgames\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tonymakesgames\">@tonymakesgames<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kirsten-2-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-841 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kirsten-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kirsten-2-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kirsten-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kirsten-2-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kirsten-2-1300x1733.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kirsten-2-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;Fitting in game design comes in two varieties: the \u201cbefore times\u201d and life during COVID.<br>When I had work, homeschool and kids to manage, it was quite the balancing act. The important thing was to try to schedule at least one dedicated time slot to work on games each week. I&#8217;d them communicate with husband and kids, who fortunately supported my design time and would fend for themselves for a few hours. I didn&#8217;t always get my scheduled block, and I learned to forgive myself when I missed a week or two&#8230;or more.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Since COVID, I&#8217;ve had a LOT of time to dedicate to game design. So now it&#8217;s more about managing that time wisely than about how to fit it in. I&#8217;m using spreadsheets and task lists to stay on top of what I want to accomplish. And I was just recently reminded that I&#8217;m a lot more productive if I enjoy some free time once in a while. Balance is key for me, whether I have to squeeze in game design or ensure that I&#8217;m getting quality time with my family in between hours of design and self-publishing work. Be good to yourself, and it&#8217;ll be good for your design efforts.\u201d \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lookingglassworkshop.com\/\">Kirsten Lunde<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lookingglassws\">@<\/a><a>lookingglassws<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Chris-Solis-Chris-Solis-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1073 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Chris-Solis-Chris-Solis-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Chris-Solis-Chris-Solis-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Chris-Solis-Chris-Solis-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Chris-Solis-Chris-Solis-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Chris-Solis-Chris-Solis-650x650.jpg 650w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Chris-Solis-Chris-Solis-1300x1300.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Chris-Solis-Chris-Solis.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;I always ask how things can be better. If I can make something better and a fun positive experience, that is what I will do! The world will be a brighter place if more part of it were gamified.\u201d \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.solisgamestudio.com\/\">Chris Solis,<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CGCFOX\"> @CGCFOX<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/20210426_145758-Katie-Allred-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1196 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/20210426_145758-Katie-Allred-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/20210426_145758-Katie-Allred-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/20210426_145758-Katie-Allred-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/20210426_145758-Katie-Allred-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/20210426_145758-Katie-Allred-1300x1733.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/20210426_145758-Katie-Allred-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;For complex design issues, I&#8217;ll write down my problem in a little journal and let it stew in my subconscious, writing in it further when inspiration hits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some things if I have some time on my phone I might review cards or rules.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Then when my kid is in bed, or in preschool, or with her other mother, I&#8217;ll do playtesting\/graphic design\/prototyping kind of work. It&#8217;s challenging, but passion helps.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.knifebunny.com\/\">Katie Allred<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RedCheshireKate\">@RedCheshireKate<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"801\" height=\"886\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/HeatherYoda-Heather-ONeill.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1195 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/HeatherYoda-Heather-ONeill.png 801w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/HeatherYoda-Heather-ONeill-271x300.png 271w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/HeatherYoda-Heather-ONeill-768x849.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;I typically do it for &#8220;fun&#8221; when I have a free afternoon or Sunday. I&#8217;ve been much busier the last 6mths so I&#8217;m only getting a few hours per week for design. I actually schedule my playtests to ensure they get done!&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.9thlevel.com\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"www.9thlevel.com\">Heather O&#8217;Neill<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/catphysicist\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/catphysicist\">@catphysicist<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/courtney-picture-Courtney-Shernan-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1223 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/courtney-picture-Courtney-Shernan-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/courtney-picture-Courtney-Shernan-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/courtney-picture-Courtney-Shernan-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/courtney-picture-Courtney-Shernan-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/courtney-picture-Courtney-Shernan-1300x867.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/courtney-picture-Courtney-Shernan.jpg 1773w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;I organize my life using a written planner, so I try to schedule out blocks of free time in my planner specifically for game design. It&#8217;s a good accountability mechanism for myself, but I also try to be flexible. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Something could pop up that has to take priority over a design session, or I could suddenly be struck with inspiration that makes me want to start designing ASAP!&#8221; &#8211; Courtney Shernan, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/courtneyShernan\">@CourtneyShernan<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"909\" height=\"910\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Amelie-Pic-Zerua-Games.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1224 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Amelie-Pic-Zerua-Games.jpg 909w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Amelie-Pic-Zerua-Games-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Amelie-Pic-Zerua-Games-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Amelie-Pic-Zerua-Games-768x769.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Amelie-Pic-Zerua-Games-650x650.jpg 650w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;That&#8217;s a tricky question. With parenting and part-time work, it can be difficult to find time. But honestly I&#8217;m always designing in my head. I keep a sketchbook close by at all times so I can jot down ideas. I make art time an activity so my daughter will let me brainstorm and sketch. My partner takes over certain days so I can playtest. Being creative and designing is part of my mental health so I make sure there&#8217;s time for it.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.zeruagames.com\/\">Amelie Le-Roche<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/zeruagames\">@zeruagames<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1022\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen-1022x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-790 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen-1022x1024.jpg 1022w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen-768x770.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen-1533x1536.jpg 1533w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen-650x650.jpg 650w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen-1300x1303.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/69973195_10109392383080918_2641429149310255104_o-Joseph-Chen.jpg 2011w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;It can be tricky to find time especially when you have kids. What I find helpful is to have dedicated and regularly scheduled time for game design on a weekly basis. Even better is if you can find a group of other game designers to meet up with and playtest with. Having other people committed in the same way as you helps keep you motivated and moving forward. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As long as you make forward progress you build momentum and you end up finding time to continue that passion.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@fantastic.factories\">Joseph Z Chen<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/fanfactories\">@fanfactories<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sarah.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1198 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sarah.jpg 960w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sarah-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sarah-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sarah-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sarah-650x650.jpg 650w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;The hardest part is making time, but only I can do that for myself. So, I figure out reasonable goals I want to achieve and set aside time to work on them. If I don\u2019t make it to my goals in the time I set for myself, I adjust and keep at it. The goal is to make progress and not give up, even if it takes longer than I wanted it to.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/thing12games.com\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/thing12games.com\/\">Sarah Reed<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EuroGamerGirl\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EuroGamerGirl\">@EuroGamerGirl<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:38% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/pfp.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1284 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/pfp.png 600w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/pfp-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/pfp-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">&#8220;I&#8217;ve struggled with this for a long time, and usually only get time when a deadline is approaching (which is why game jams are so great!). But now I&#8217;m trying a system where I earn my time by completing my other work; it&#8217;s great because it makes me really appreciate and enjoy my game design time!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I also have a &#8216;Distraction Notebook&#8217; Evernote file up at any given time, and if I see something that inspires an idea or whatever I jot it down. Sometimes I even dive in for a while, writing out long notes, sketching things, etc. It makes it super easy to flip over and quickly note inspiration or ideas without killing my work flow on other work.&#8221; &#8211; Beth Jackson, <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/cataclysmgames\">@CataclysmGames<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"block-9104f75e-bd6f-49e3-95f1-9072d33faa16\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-2cef37d2-c1c6-4b08-8c43-1dbb81a1bb8f\">Did you enjoy this entry? Which designers would you want to hear from next? Please let me know! I\u2019d love to hear what you think and what kind of things you\u2019d like to see from this blog. Feel free to send me an&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:contact@weirdgiraffegames.com\">email<\/a>&nbsp;or comment with your thoughts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f4a553ad-0fcc-4e38-8d00-1ab8e4280aee\">Don\u2019t forget to sign up for my mailing list, so you don\u2019t miss a post:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tinyletter.com\/carlakopp\">https:\/\/tinyletter.com\/carlakopp<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I know a lot of amazing designers, and I wanted to highlight some of them, which is why I have guest posts! Each post will&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_4766012646_4766012646":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[2,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design","category-guest-post"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/guest-fitting-in.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":815,"url":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/2021\/03\/29\/guest-post-things-you-wished-you-knew-when-you-started-designing\/","url_meta":{"origin":1194,"position":0},"title":"Guest Post: Things You Wished You Knew When You Started Designing","author":"Carla","date":"March 29, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I know a lot of amazing designers, and I wanted to highlight some of them, which is why I'm starting some guest posts! Each post will be a question about design or publishing and will hopefully give you a variety of perspectives to learn from. What do you wish you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game Design&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Game Design","link":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/category\/design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/guest-things-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/guest-things-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/guest-things-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/guest-things-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/guest-things-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1006,"url":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/2021\/06\/21\/lessons-learned-from-a-year-of-content-creation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1194,"position":1},"title":"Lessons Learned from a Year of Content Creation","author":"Carla","date":"June 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been writing in a blog for a bit over the year and I hosted the Game Design Live Chats for a year as well! (The Game Design Live Chats is currently on a hiatus between seasons 1 and 2). This has been the first time that I really focused\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Productivity&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Productivity","link":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/category\/productivity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lessons-learned.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lessons-learned.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lessons-learned.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lessons-learned.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lessons-learned.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":926,"url":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/2021\/05\/04\/getting-started-and-pressing-forward-with-game-design-with-raven-mckenzie\/","url_meta":{"origin":1194,"position":2},"title":"Getting Started and Pressing Forward with Game Design with Raven McKenzie","author":"Carla","date":"May 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Raven is a game designer and is on the Unpub Leadership team. You can watch the interview below: https:\/\/youtu.be\/86X111LdJVA When Raven started with game design, she armed herself with notecards, notebooks, and an idea of what she wanted to do. Her first game design was Macaroon Mania and she initially\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game Design&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Game Design","link":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/category\/design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/raven-2-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/raven-2-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/raven-2-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/raven-2-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/raven-2-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":137,"url":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/2020\/04\/04\/when-you-get-stuck-on-a-game-design\/","url_meta":{"origin":1194,"position":3},"title":"When You Get Stuck on a Game Design","author":"Carla","date":"April 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes you won't know exactly what to do next on a game. You could use your game design time to think on what to do and it's good to do so, but you don't want to do so for an excessive amount of time. Here's a variety of things that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game Design&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Game Design","link":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/category\/design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Slide8.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Slide8.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Slide8.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Slide8.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Slide8.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":654,"url":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/2021\/12\/27\/common-designer-pitfalls\/","url_meta":{"origin":1194,"position":4},"title":"Common Designer Pitfalls","author":"Carla","date":"December 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"There are a few things that designers might run into when they start working on games. These issues can plague any designer, but the first step to making sure you don't allow them to get in your way is knowing that they exist in the first place. Be wary of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game Design&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Game Design","link":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/category\/design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/common-designer-pitfalls-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/common-designer-pitfalls-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/common-designer-pitfalls-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/common-designer-pitfalls-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/common-designer-pitfalls-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1315,"url":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/2022\/01\/31\/more-ways-to-start-your-game-designs\/","url_meta":{"origin":1194,"position":5},"title":"More Ways To Start Your Game Designs","author":"Carla","date":"January 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Here\u2019s another post on ways to get ideas for game designs! I\u2019ve written about this a few times before, but I\u2019m always finding out new ways to start the game design process. If you haven't read the previous articles, here they are: Alternatives to Mechanism First or Theme First DesignsWays\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game Design&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Game Design","link":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/category\/design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/moreways.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/moreways.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/moreways.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/moreways.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/moreways.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1194"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1286,"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1194\/revisions\/1286"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weirdgiraffegames.com\/carla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}