A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture on game design led by James Ernst, founder of the award winning Cheapass Games. Though there are certainly differences between game and website design, the similarities were telling.

Have a Process

James Ernst, like Marissa Berger, holds that one of the most important rules for practical design, is to make sure that you adhere to a process.

Selecting Your Audience

If you do not know who you want to use your product, you’re going to have a hard time evaluating if it appeals to their interests or addresses their needs. A game with lots of pieces that each has its own rules is unlikely to appeal to casual gamers. A website with lots of technical vocabulary will not show that you can address the needs of someone who is already feeling overwhelmed by a topic they do not understand.

Pick the Theme

James Ernst acknowledges that a lot of game designers like to start with the mechanics and then apply the theme after they know that the rules will work. However, this can result in games where the motifs created by the mechanics are at odds with what the theme is supposed to be. This can also creep into a web site if you build mechanical elements before settling on a design. Those of you already familiar with Marissa have probably heard her talk about the importance of focus.

Remember, the only time you want to jar your audience’s expectations is when you yourself have a point to make. You don’t want them thinking about how your e-commerce interface seems divorced from the rest of your site.

Determine the “Play Time”

30-minute games have different constraints than two-hour games. Likewise a site that’s supposed to get visitors to contact you ASAP will be different from resource sites where you want visitors to linger.

Mechanics

It is possible to build mechanics for almost anything provided enough time and creativity. By building from your theme you can specifically tie mechanical elements to the motifs and tropes that your audience will expect.

Introduce a Narrative

As you start building the Mechanics, a story should recommend itself. How do these rules or those navigation elements fit into your theme? By answering that question you can come up with an interesting angle for your copy, and give your visitors a reason to play your game or click through your site.  For other tips on how to generate a compelling narrative, read Ken Freeze’s article on The Elements of News.

Tend Towards Completion

Whatever your objective or end condition is, you want to make sure that your design drives people in that direction. If you want people to call you, your number should become increasingly prominent the deeper someone delves. If you want them to make an online purchase, the shift into e-commerce should be as seamless as you can make it.

Even though people can make their own way through your website, you want their experience to eventually come to an end of your choosing.

Test it Out

Both James Ernst and Marissa Berger feel that it is important to test their products throughout the creation process. If something does not work, it is important to find alternatives that both fit the theme and mesh with the existing mechanics.

Game Suggestion: The Big Idea

If you’d like to see how one of James Ernst games plays, I’d suggest The Big Idea. It combines a simplified view of the IPO process with a brainstorming exercise.

Not a Game For You?

Tell us what metaphors better fit your processes.