Design Goals
Dec 21, 2017 23:40:59 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2017 23:40:59 GMT -8
I want to share with you the most important part of my creative process. Whenever I sit down to create something I think about what my goals are for that creation. Is there a role it needs to fill or an aesthetic it needs to fit into? What is my purpose for the creation? These kinds of questions are what I use as my guideposts when making decisions.
Kimi is thinking about working on a setting book, so I’ll use that as an example. We have some obvious things to start with. The book needs to convey the setting and any rules needed to play it. What other things does the book need to accomplish? Does it need to sell itself as a setting and hook in readers? Is it based off of another IP and thus already has a ready fanbase (who need less convincing as to why they would want the setting materials)?
Right off the bat I, as a stand in for Kimi, decide that the first thing my setting books needs to do is draw in readers. To that end the book needs a kick ass visual for the front cover and a name that knocks peoples socks off. Then first thing after my table of contents the first thing I need to do is set the hook in my readers by presenting something deeper that gets them to want to both buy and read my book.
So we have cover art. Inside is the index followed by a short story. We’ll then lead in with an overview of the chapters to come. And just what will those be? Well, it depends on who our intended audience is! Is this a book for players, GM’s, or both? Maybe we’ll want to put the secret GM info in the back, or maybe that’s where we’ll put a handout you can photocopy for your players. Perhaps we’ll lead off with who you can be in this world if the book is for players. If instead the book is for GM’s maybe we’ll instead lead with a history/state of the world and its factions.
While we decide which chapters are important and where they should be included, we’ll keep an eye on design goals. Is this book going to be easy to reference? Is this book doing a good job of teaching the setting and its rules? We always start by figuring out why we are doing something and we end with evaluating to see if we are actually accomplishing our stated goals (and perhaps creating new goals).
A big part of evaluation is testing. Do people find the opening short fiction compelling? Are players left with questions about what is available to them after they read the chapter on “things to play”? If your creation is meant for others (as is the case with this book), only they can really judge your work. If a creation is meant for you, than you have to be the judge. What works for you won’t always work for others, so keep in mind who your intended audience is.
Sometimes you’ll need to take a break to evaluate your work with fresh eyes. Plan for this as part of your process. The longer you can wait, the better. A week is often a good amount of time for me, but you may need more or less time to reset your mind.
Don’t get too attached to your own ideas. If something isn’t working as expected, be prepared to let it go and move on to a new approach. The important thing is the result, not the method of getting there. Ego is your enemy when it comes to getting results. Follow the fish instead of getting angry that they aren’t acting as predicted.
And that’s it really. While I don’t think this is anything out of the ordinary or special, sometimes I have to remember that not everyone is like me. I hope you find this useful or insightful in some way.
Kimi is thinking about working on a setting book, so I’ll use that as an example. We have some obvious things to start with. The book needs to convey the setting and any rules needed to play it. What other things does the book need to accomplish? Does it need to sell itself as a setting and hook in readers? Is it based off of another IP and thus already has a ready fanbase (who need less convincing as to why they would want the setting materials)?
Right off the bat I, as a stand in for Kimi, decide that the first thing my setting books needs to do is draw in readers. To that end the book needs a kick ass visual for the front cover and a name that knocks peoples socks off. Then first thing after my table of contents the first thing I need to do is set the hook in my readers by presenting something deeper that gets them to want to both buy and read my book.
So we have cover art. Inside is the index followed by a short story. We’ll then lead in with an overview of the chapters to come. And just what will those be? Well, it depends on who our intended audience is! Is this a book for players, GM’s, or both? Maybe we’ll want to put the secret GM info in the back, or maybe that’s where we’ll put a handout you can photocopy for your players. Perhaps we’ll lead off with who you can be in this world if the book is for players. If instead the book is for GM’s maybe we’ll instead lead with a history/state of the world and its factions.
While we decide which chapters are important and where they should be included, we’ll keep an eye on design goals. Is this book going to be easy to reference? Is this book doing a good job of teaching the setting and its rules? We always start by figuring out why we are doing something and we end with evaluating to see if we are actually accomplishing our stated goals (and perhaps creating new goals).
A big part of evaluation is testing. Do people find the opening short fiction compelling? Are players left with questions about what is available to them after they read the chapter on “things to play”? If your creation is meant for others (as is the case with this book), only they can really judge your work. If a creation is meant for you, than you have to be the judge. What works for you won’t always work for others, so keep in mind who your intended audience is.
Sometimes you’ll need to take a break to evaluate your work with fresh eyes. Plan for this as part of your process. The longer you can wait, the better. A week is often a good amount of time for me, but you may need more or less time to reset your mind.
Don’t get too attached to your own ideas. If something isn’t working as expected, be prepared to let it go and move on to a new approach. The important thing is the result, not the method of getting there. Ego is your enemy when it comes to getting results. Follow the fish instead of getting angry that they aren’t acting as predicted.
And that’s it really. While I don’t think this is anything out of the ordinary or special, sometimes I have to remember that not everyone is like me. I hope you find this useful or insightful in some way.