The Game Advocate

I've always felt that a strong parallel exists between game design and industrial design. During my education and experience in product design I have found that two considerations account for the majority of a product's quality: what the user experiences and the physical form of the product. Games are certainly an experience of one sort or another. And in our consumer driven society they frequently take the form of a product. Even if that product is a digital manifestation we still perceive it as a collection of objects, characters, and sounds within a crafted environment. 

Maybe that's why I was excited to learn that my friend, Andy, recently launched his website, The Game Advocate. While this post is certainly an excuse to put in a plug for my friend (and to link myself to his website which will likely accumulate far more traffic than my blog and personal site ever will) I assure you there are plenty of interesting connections between the world of video games and the process of designing new products.

"Even if that product is a digital manifestation we still perceive it as a collection of objects, characters, and sounds within a crafted environment." 

You don't need to be familiar with any specific games to understand how the same considerations that create a successful game also help to make a great product. In either scenario the designer still begins by asking many of the same basic questions. Who is my target user? What is their objective? What kind of experience do I want them to have? 

Technological advances aside, it might be safe to say that the design of games has more to lend to the profession of product design than the other way around. By that I mean that it is at the core function of games to provide information to a player in a manner that they intuitively understand and respond appropriately to his or her choices. 

When we design objects for people to use we often place all of our focus on the ability of the object to perform its intended task with the greatest success using the least amount of materials. While this is certainly the mark of a well made product it is important to remember that we are making this object to be used by many unique individuals who have had no part in it's design. 

For the game maker, the ability of all potential users to understand the functions and interactions of his or her product is paramount. If you've ever played a game where the basic principals of play were obscured or difficult to grasp you understand why this is important. 

"Who is my target user? What is their objective? What kind of experience do I want them to have?"

Another area where these two professions have a strong tie is the link between imagination and reality. Video games and science fiction films have provided some of the strongest visions of potential products in the past several decades. Futuristic gadgets, heads-up information displays, menu navigation, and stylistic design of vehicles and structures are all envisioned and pushed forward by games. 

Video games provide a space to explore possibilities and bring them right to the edge of reality without the burden of physical creation. The designer is free to generate a wealth of content and potential solutions without ever needing to slow down to consider what's possible. We then experience all of these fantastic and outlandish solutions through the act of play, thus allowing us to consider them without the constant tug of pragmatism. 

In short, I think the open-ended creativity to make something people are excited about is what connects game design to my profession of choice. I continue to be a huge fan of the imagination that games inspire and would encourage fellow designers to seriously consider their contributions.