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Creating a prototype sample game is a challenging task.

During lockdown, a client commissioned me to create the visual design and hard copy prototype of their dice game. This post shares all of my processes and stages used to help create the packaging mockup, as well as some of the details involved in creating a prototype physical game.

To share the journey, let us begin with what the game was supposed to be!

“ I wanted the would be buyer to feel excited by what they see. Enough so that they may even take the game to the till to buy!”

What is ‘Eager Elephants’?

Based on the initial instructions that were supplied to me by the client, ‘Eager Elephants’ was a dice game directed toward children and families. Although only in its earliest stages, the game was to be a reasonable size for a shelf, educational, and fun.

The hard copy prototype was to take that idea closer to reality.

It was a dice game that encouraged children to think creatively and problem-solve. But I must confess, I was not involved in creating the game mechanics – the rules are now hazy.

What Is a Prototype Sample Game? ( Alpha Prototype )

In this case, the ‘prototype sample game’ was the first draft sample to stress test how the game played and looked in real life.

This copy also offered a detailed look into what the final packaging may appear. This was not the beta sample or pre-release sample.

This alpha prototype was an early production copy. Below is a photograph of the sample product.

Here is more on my part in the project.

Creating the Box Lid & Cover Design – Graphic Design

One of my main roles in this project was to create the cover artwork for the box lid.

The cover artwork needed to set the tone for a game and excite those who picked the game up.

The design needed to appeal to an audience: Young Children, Mums, Dads and Families.

With that in mind, I tried to imagine the would-be customer handling the game on the shelf.

Cover art - Prototype Sample Game box lid — Prototype Sample Game | Cover artwork

Prototype Sample Game example inside cutter guide

What was the game about?
Who is this game for?
Would my children, grandkids, or whomever be excited by this game?

With some of those base questions, I then considered ‘the how’.

Although this was only an early sample, I still had the idea in my mind that this would become a real game. When handling the game, I wanted the potential buyer to feel excited by the game and potentially purchase this from my client. This is exactly how I would want to think about this game.

When designing a piece of packaging or cover artwork, I try to put myself in the shoes of the client. When working on a design project, I try to avoid pressing my tastes onto a piece of design, this can cloud a customer’s first approach to a project. Ultimately, it will be the end customer and purchaser that will be the product.

Not me, not the client, the customer.

I wanted the would-be buyers to feel excited by what they saw. Enough so that they may even take the game to the till to buy!

*I was not involved in creating elephant illustrations FYI.

Creating the Box Bottom / Back For the Prototype

Purely aesthetic, I wanted to create a contrast in colour that complemented the already bright yellow on the box. In this example, I used a blue.

Soft on the eyes and a great background colour, it still made it easy for any customer to pick up the box and scan the content that was written on the back.

The contents, bar code, and conformity were designed by me in such a way as to make it the box easier to navigate and find useful information.

As with the top. I worked with pre-existing cutter guides.

Graphic Design For The Rules & Scoresheet

If truth be told, my part in creating a scoresheet was considerably lighter than the rest of the project. Much of the score sheet had already been considered, I just added the finishing touches helped in getting it printed, and added that final sugar coating.

Helping The Client To Get The Prototype Sample Manufactured

Another key stage for this assignment was for me act as both the guide and intermediary for getting the prototype manufactured. A daunting process, even for those with experience!

Getting a physical hard copy sample can be one of the most exciting stages of a project both for me and the client. It can be this stage you can test and measure a game as well as get an idea of the final impression of the game if it were to be manufactured.

After I had run through the stages and processes with the client, I set about getting the artwork print-ready.

Once the core aesthetic was complete, this is what followed:-

Getting Prototype Sample Game Ready For Print

Finalising artwork
Colour-proofing and checking artwork
Working closely with the manufacturer and adhering to their rules and guides
Making sure the artwork is positioned correctly within the dielines and templates
Packaging design assets and sending this to print

After the prototype was manufactured the sample was sent directly to me to quality check the product before passing it across to the client. After this sample is checked by myself and notes taken, I will then send the product to the client. I also retained a sample for future reference

I own an external website that goes into elaborate detail on how to get a prototype product made. If interested, do feel free to read.

What I didn’t do in this project

For clarity, I want to be clear on what stages and processes I wasn’t involved in this project. Please read below.

I didn’t work on the elephant drawings

Although I am an illustrator, as well as a designer. I did not create the elephant illustrations. These were supplied before I got to work on the graphic design. The credits are mentioned on the packaging box.

Game mechanics

I have been commissioned to come up with game mechanics on previous projects, but this was not the case for this project. I was commissioned to create the visual design, packaging, and sample of this project.

If you are interested in seeing how I have been involved in working in-game mechanics in the past, this post may be of interest. Testing game mechanics.