The Problem
The Georgia Game Developers Association has been instrumental in the Peach State’s growing game design industry; the GGDA annually produces SIEGE, the largest professional game dev conference in the South, and works throughout the year to empower both established studios and amateur designers. As part of their outreach program, the GGDA conducts the Best in Georgia competition, which pairs teams of aspiring game designers with industry professionals and gives them one month to develop a playable game; at the end of the month, GGDA awards the winning team with marketing & legal support so they can publish & sell their game. Although the teams are enthusiastic about game design, they often struggle with day-to-day essentials like scheduling, project management, and active listening. After research & interviews with SMEs (including game industry veteran & GGDA President Andrew Greenberg), I developed a series of interactive mini-lessons on Articulate Storyline 360.
The Solution
The GGDA Best in Georgia Orientation includes:
1. SMART Goals in Game Design
2. Know Your Roles: an overview of roles in the game industry
3. Scheduling Strategies
4. Effective Communication
5. Active Listening
6. Collaboration Platforms for Beginners
7. Concepting & Game Design
The orientation was initially designed as one large course with multiple parts that could be completed in any order but needed to be finished in one sitting. Based on feedback from the pilot program, the course was modified into mini-lessons that could be completed at the user’s preferred pace; the content was also made more interactive and stylized around video game genres, leading to far more favorable reviews and engagement levels after the official launch.
Implementation has been so positive that the GGDA has made the initial series of lessons available for all aspiring game developers–and invited GGDA members to propose topics for an upcoming second series of courses!
