Tryangled Solutions web designing tips tricks

The design of components can go a long way in determining how much a game is enjoyed. A good game does not necessarily require good components but they certainly don’t hurt. Imagine playing Chess with flat, cardboard counters. It’s still the same game but would it be as enjoyable an experience?

* Tigris & Euphrates tilesMake tiles smaller than they spaces they’re placed on. If your game includes playing tiles onto spaces such that they’re next to each other, it’s better if the tiles are slightly smaller than the spaces they’re placed on. This means that they can be slightly bumped and moved without disturbing all the others. Good: Tigris & Euphrates (Hans im Glück); Bad: Streetcar (Mayfair Games).
* Use highly contrasting/distinguishable colours for player pieces. This is a bit tricky as many people suffer from (one of several forms of) colour blindness. So, there’s no list of colours that will be guaranteed to be easily distinguishable for everybody. Further, the particular colours available to you (as determined by your parts manufacturer) can vary widely so it’s a really good idea to ask for samples to determine that the blue and green are not identical (as an example). With this in mind it’s almost never a good idea to include both orange and red as player colours.
* Use shapes as well as colours to distinguish pieces. A fair percentage of the population have trouble distinguishing certain colours, even colours that many other people see with a high degree of contrast. Adding different shapes or graphics can help tremendously, even for those of us who do not suffer from colour blindness. For example, every city in Trans America has a unique shape corresponding to the five colours. Ursuppe is another example that uses different shapes in addition to colour to distinguish the players’ amoebae. It’s also important to use graphics in a way that helps differentiate colours. An example of a poor design is Schotten-Totten in which there are nine cards in each of six colours. Each card has a picture of a Scotsman, from a feeble codger for the 1’s to a great strapping lad for the 9’s. It might seem that pairing the picture with the value to be a natural choice. However, it does nothing to help those who have difficulty differentiating colours. A superior method would be to pair the picture with the suit (so that all the red cards show the strapping lad for example). This would allow a colour blind individual to distinguish the suits from each another. Zirkus Flohcati employs just such a method and is far more useful as a result.

One of the things I really enjoy about games is their physical presentation. I’m much more likely to enjoy one that has had a lot of thought put into the design of its box, rules and components. Often there will be a clever idea or method used that makes you wonder why all publishers don’t do it that way. With this in mind I present the following list of ideas and suggestions that I think greatly increase a game’s appeal.

When deciding what to include here, I’ve limited myself to ideas and concerns that do not (for the most part) require extra expense beyond time. Using hand carved wooden pieces would be great but the cost could hardly be justified. Similarly, advice along the lines of “use only fabulous artwork” is not all that helpful. Rather, the points I’m trying to state fall into the category of things that cost exactly the same to do the “right” way as they do the “wrong” way.

Further to this, it’s not my intention to make a definitive set of “rules” for good design. There are some suggestions made here that will not be practical for all games. For example, Murder at the Abbey contains a lot of information on its Monk cards and it would be impractical to index it on all four corners. Instead, I think it best to view this as a check list, either implementing the suggestion or deciding why it would be impractical to do so.

1. Make it Memorable

You need your logo to stay at the forefront of your potential clients minds – but so does everybody else, so to make sure your new identity is memorable, think of the ways you can make it stylish and unique and then you’re on your way to making it spring to mind the next time your potential customers have a need for what you offer.

2. Is it Meaningful?

Your logo has to work hard to compete in the mind of those who see it. It should distinguish your business from other and be clear about who you are. By making sure it is meaningful it will allow the people who see your logo to gain an understanding of your company.

3. It Must Be Unique

Your new identity should help you stand out from the crowd – and if you look like everybody else in your market, it’ll be instantly forgotten.

4. Make it Last

By investing in the process now, you’ll ensure you don’t have to redesign your logo again within a short space of time. By considering the many factors involved, you can make sure it can be adapted to whatever direction your business takes. Think of the medium to long-term not just for today.

5. Unity and Layout

A logo isn’t just your company name in Arial typeface with a bit of clipart stuck next to it. There can be many elements within the identity so it all has to work as a single, stand-alone piece rather than a mixed up mess of parts thrown together, this is where the skills of a professional design team can really help.

6. Colour

Colour has a major impact on the way your business is seen by others and there are so many different options, combinations and styles to consider. It is also crucial that your identity works equally well in black and white or greyscale as it does in full colour. As every colour has it’s own meaning, you should also consider what your chosen colours themselves say about your business.
7. Is it Scalable?

It is important to remember that you will need your logo to work across a range of media (and in different formats) and it has to look good at various sizes too – from a business card or a tiny sticker to signage and even billboards. Make sure it is legible at every different size along the way – so whilst it may look good on the front of a brochure, if you can’t read it on a business card then you’ve failed.

8. Keep it Simple.

Too often we see logos that are really complex with too many design elements making it look a confusing mess (and remember we’re used to looking at lots of identities, so think what others must think when they see them!). By keeping it simple and stylish you’re halfway to winning the battle.

9. Consistency is King

Once completed, maintain a consistent approach to the use of your logo – from text styles, design elements, colour and layout. Doing so will ensure your new identity works much harder for you. By protecting the way it’s used, the clarity and consistent use of your logo will help people to remember who you are and what you do.

10. Make Sure You’re Delighted!

There’s nothing worse than a logo that you don’t want to use, so make sure you are absolutely delighted with it. A logo that meets all of these objectives should give you an identity that you are delighted with and are proud to use. After all, what’s the point in having a logo that you don’t want to use?