1.
the game is
never done
“Seek simplicity, and distrust it.”
alfred north whitehead
Erin Hoffman-John
DESIGN LEADERSHIP TECHNIQUES
FROM THE VIDEO GAME WORLD

2.
erin hoffman-john
g a m e d e s i g n h i s t o r y
I’m an innovation-centered game designer; I follow trends in technology and leap from startup to startup.

3.
let’s talk
fish tanks
Your product isn’t a perfect bubble —
it’s an ecosystem.
So is your team.

4.
but first
some boring slides

5.
Far far away, behind the word
mountains, far from the countries
Vokalia and Consonantia, there
live the blind texts.
passionate players
Far far away, behind the word
mountains, far from the countries
Vokalia and Consonantia, there
live the blind texts.
absolute consistency
Far far away, behind the word
mountains, far from the countries
Vokalia and Consonantia, there
live the blind texts.
superconnected users
Far far away, behind the word
mountains, far from the countries
Vokalia and Consonantia, there
live the blind texts.
critical delight
why this is difficult

6.
Uber

7.
vsUber World of Warcraft

8.
YOUR
TITLE HERE
so what do we know
about building highly complex
systems for extremely
picky audiences?

9.
it’s about
this choice:
keep the big picture
in mind
the devil’s in the
details

10.
system
says:
keep the big picture
in mind
the devil’s in the
details
it’s both

11.
system design connects
the ‘big idea’ to the
details

12.
and now
the fish tanks

13.
think
ecosystem
Your product isn’t a perfect bubble — it’s an
ecosystem.
So is your team.

14.
YOUR
TITLE HERE
so how do
ecosystems
work?
(a triptych)

15.
ecosystems
have
loops
+#1:

16.
Balancing loops have STASIS. As one thing INCREASES,
another thing DECREASES, keeping the system in a stable
state.
If I had enough algae eating fish and snails, as the algae grew
it would be consumed in a stable NEGATIVE loop.
balancing (negative) loops --
there are two kinds…
Reinforcing loops INCREASE a resource in the system. This
POSITIVE FEEDBACK loop nets a CHANGE in the system.
I am in a neverending battle with the reinforcing algae growth
loop in my fish tank.
reinforcing (positive) loops ++

17.
ask
yourself:
what positive feedback loops
are we creating?
this is the ‘virtuous cycle’ - what do you
want more of? what mechanics would get
you there?
what balancing loops are we
maintaining?
where is the symbiosis in your org? where is
the healthy balance, and do we
acknowledge that push-pull relationship?
how are we embracing conflict to create
trust and productivity?

18.
ecosystems
have
leverage
points
+#2:

19.
YOUR
TITLE HERE
BREAK S LID E
S U B T I T L E H E R E
Sign
B r e a k s l i d e B r e a k s l i d e
twelve, to be exact

20.
YOUR
TITLE HERE
BREAK S LID E
S U B T I T L E H E R E
Sign
B r e a k s l i d e B r e a k s l i d e
twelve, to be exact
how many
rocks? how
much
sand?
how much
water?
how big a
heater?
how much
food/fish?
how many
plants?
what kind
of
filtration
system?
what kind
of tank?

21.
fine-tuning operates down
here - what are your
constants?
this is the operational level -
the rules by which you work.
pretty big leverage.
up here lives the ‘why’.
change the why and you
change your whole org.

22.
ask
yourself:
do we need big change,
or small change?
for big change, you need a powerful
leverage point; for small adjustments, small
leverage
are we getting where
we want to go?
if you’re spinning your wheels, you may be
trying to effect big change by adjusting
small points of leverage.

23.
during regime change especially, big orgs tend to turn big leverage dials
this scrambles the system
when big leverage points are twisted, massive system disruption results -
and you have to state change into recovery, rebuilding, rebalancing.
a note of caution:

24.
ecosystems
have
emergence
+#3:

25.
CENTER
PICTURE SLIDE
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the
countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind
texts.
Beautiful slide
Sign
stuff happens that you can’t predict!
the school is not a fish,
but it requires fish acting independently

26.
ask
yourself:
what are our emergent
dynamics?
your design culture is an emergent property.
what are its constituent parts? what are the
roles?
are we all part of
the school?
who are the outliers left behind by the
emergent culture? what are the core
signifiers that create our emergent whole?
what is our core emotion?
the result of a system is often an emotion.
what is the emotion that is the core of your
design experience?

27.
are created by rules, and create either
reinforcing (positive) patterns, or
balancing (negative) patterns - both
are good when used properly
loops
is how you change a system - and
systems have different points of
leverage
leverage
is an abstract that emerges from the
system as a whole - it’s the result
emergence
think:

28.
and now
a coda

29.
consider:
the world is hyperconnected

30.
what does it mean to
operationalize a
hyperconnected world?Expect instant communication.
Expect elaborate collaboration.
Expect deep personal awareness.
Expect to be examined.
Gossip++
Expect the little things to matter.

31.
being nice is hard.
A hyperconnected world tests our ability empathize with people
whose backgrounds we don’t share.
what space are you making for empathy?

32.
failures of
empathy
destroy
worlds

33.
confined spaces
test our ability to
get along

34.
are confined
spaces
In a family, and in a company, when the designers aren’t getting along,
everyone knows.
games,
worlds, &
orgs

35.
TOP PICTURE
Break slide Break slide
and the flag is emotion
leading this way takes great bravery
as a designer-leader your job is to keep everyone charging toward the same flag

36.
so reach for
the universal
Tell stories.
Connect your work to universal
human narratives.
Even if you don’t culturally share
a fairy tale, the form of a fairy tale
is a cultural connector we all understand.
What’s your fairy tale?

37.
thank
you
:)
erin@makingwonder.com
@gryphoness

38.
and now
secret bonus slides!

39.
think
ecosystem
Your product isn’t a perfect bubble — it’s an ecosystem.
So is your team.
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.

40.
level up
organically
When you think about the levels in your organization, think
organically, not structurally/architecturally. How does one level
lead naturally to the next? How do the levels relate to each
other?
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.

41.
let passion
drive
Create structures that access the passion of every designer
and give it an outlet. Insofar as you can, let passion drive what
your designers work on.
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.

42.
community
managers
are
crucial
Who are the community managers in your organization? Are
they empowered? What tools do they have?
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.

43.
embrace
volunteers
What is the role of volunteership in your community? What are
people doing by choice as opposed to strictly because it’s their
job? How are you channeling their volunteer energy?
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.
85%
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far
from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia,
there live the blind texts.