Working with beta testers… creating board games isn’t easy! A crucial and oftentimes overlooked stage for creating a commercial board game is the beta and alpha testing.
I was commissioned to create a board game prototype to teach children about youth homelessness. My primary role was – mostly – visual design and gameplay, and illustration. And… consulting and guidance on creating a game.
When working with Beta testers, I tried to create an environment that was open and invited constructive feedback.
While I took notes, I allowed the Beta testers to play how it suited them to play. Down to opening up the initial black packaging box to reading the rules, in whichever order they chose.
Setting up the Playtests for a board game prototype
This was my first playtest in quite a while. In the past, I have been involved in both helping to set up alpha testing and the follow-up stages of a Beta test. Beta testing on behalf of a 3rd party client was a new experience for me. And there was a lot involved.
Before preparing 2 different environments for beta testing. I had to get the testers to sign NDAs on behalf of the client.
It should also be noted that a large amount of effort was involved to find both beta testers, and finding a space to carry out the beta testing. Money also needed to be paid to the venue for lunch.
Alpha Testing vs Beta Testing
There are some key differences in the alpha and beta testing stages. With alpha testing, this is often a case of a game or game prototype being experimented with and developed internally. In my case, I was the first tester of the rules. I created the rough rules to see how the game mechanics may work and wrote these down as I went along. This is typically the very early stages of creating a working board or card game. The more alpha testing you can do before going to external beta testing, the better.
This is a photo of some of the first game components and alpha
Beta testing the game involved finding other parties to look at and play the game. These people had never read the rules or knew what the game was or anything. Once I sourced the beta testers, found spaces to play the game – this then set about into motion the gameplay.
The beta stage is the more developed stage of creating the game prototype.
Creating the gameplay | My experience of working with beta testers
I was involved in creating the initial gameplay as well as working on all the visual design for game. This was part and parcel of the commission of the game project – from top to bottom. Finding board game testers can be tricky ( external website on finding beta testers ) , but I feel that these beta testers offered tremendous value to creating the board game prototype.
Here are some initial screen grabs from the playtest. An important stage when creating a board game prototype.
The first draft low-fidelity prototype
The later stages of the playtest | working with ‘other’ beta testers
I would advise when doing a playtest of your game, to try the game on people you don’t know. ( although I do know Paul here – thanks Paul, Paul is also a drummer I’ll have you know! ) The wider the pool of people… the better. Below are some visuals of the playtesters in action doing their thing!
And me… taking notes on how the game is being played.
Doing these live tests is not always easy on the ears. But they can be essential for making a better and more rounded board game.
A special thank you to the playtesters for this game
This lot should be proud – although the Conwy Council may not know the names of the playtesters I would like to announce who helped make the prototype a more rounded and playable experience.
( me, I was the first tester ) Faye Willets + Family, Helen Edmonds, Jake Joung, Paul Whibley, Steve – and a Special thank you to Liz Chadwick for introducing me to some fellow playtesters!
If you would like any advice or a design service to design your board game you can read more here – freelance board game designer
Are you a playtester?
If you are a playtester for board or card games? Feel free to drop a message across with a bit about you, what you do, where you are based, age, your demographic, and the types of games you like to play. ( please note that many of my playtesters are currently based in the South East – UK )
Are you looking for playtesters?
Playtesters or beta testers can be tricky to find if you are just starting out. This article here on Dragon Bone games About finding playtesters may be helpful – ( Alpha ). Or if in the later stages of development – where to find Beta Testers. ( external website )
Notes – On Prototype
It was a fun project to work on. I would like to say I have no idea what the mass production or future edition of the game will look like but either way – I was happy to be part of the pre-first edition of the gameplay.
Are you looking to create a board game? I was involved in the visual look and feel of the game along with the vector character illustration. Feel free to get in touch if you want to discuss your game project!
Wimbledon Brewery UI – This project was carried out through a local agency based in Wimbledon. After some initial meetings and discussions with the agency Director, I was commissioned to come up with an early proof of concept for a new website idea for Wimbledon Brewery. It was to pitch a new idea.
I was commissioned for only the ideas and visualisation stages of the project. My part was to come up with a new UI ( user interface ).
In this post, I wanted to share both my involvement, and some of the processes to create for this project.
Gathering Research | Working With The Brief
At first, I went over the brief with my client and discussed the limitations or any important criteria that would affect the project.
After collecting together all of the information for the project, I then set about gathering some additional research and ideas. This could range anything from looking at recommended drinks companies, looking at competitor websites to seeing what we could learn. And browsing Pinterest to name a few.
What was important – was that the brand image of the company was sustained. The UI design needs to stand on its own two feet with the brand being seamlessly integrated.
Roughing Out Ideas
Once some of the initial research was collected together, I then set about putting together the low-fidelity visuals and ideas to share and discuss.
Initial Design & UI Kit Pieces
Bit by bit, I started to put together some initial designs for the various components on the page. For example boilerplates, brand accents, information cards, and the main navigation amongst other important pieces of content.
The design process and the idea generation were created modularly. Key components were examined in close detail before committing them to a polished design and compiled into pages in their entirety.
Proof Of Concept | ( POC )
After the various stages of discussion and mutual brainstorming with the client. I then started to put together some complete and polished visuals for the early proof of concept for a new website.
*This was put together for illustration purposes only
This post has been written to answer how to get into the board game design industry and what you can do to potentially get through those elusive hidden board game industry doors.
Getting into the board game industry is both simple yet difficult. When you know how and where to look, it Is simple.
When you do not know where to begin, getting into the board game industry is difficult, or at least finding the hidden doors is hard.
Boardgame design is experiencing a creative renaissance and there is no better time to join this growing fun and creative business. Nobody could blame you for wanting to work for a board game company at this time.
Getting involved in the industry is fun, creative, and rewarding!
What does it really mean to be In the board game industry?
Many board game designers are individuals and small teams with board game design being their passion. Their companies and side projects may run secondary to another main source of income.
In other words, their board game companies are paid hobbies that may bring them additional income and fulfilment.
These are all people who have got into the industry and make up for a large portion of the creators behind board games and the creative board game development.
Many of these smaller independent games design companies might be friends, partners, husband and wife teams etc which make up the board game ‘in’ crowd.
To get into the board game design industry, these smaller teams started to create games for the love of making games and published their own.
The smaller studios and tabletop game developers often grow their companies from a side passion to something that can earn money and allow them to continue to make board games.
Of how to get into the board game design industry and get involved with the big publisher to sell your game – that’s a battle in itself and are 2 very different doors into the industry.
Details below, if you are looking at working in the tabletop gaming industry, want to work for a game publisher or sell your game, idea or product then this helpful post is for you.
how to get into the board game design industry and work with smaller publishers and designers
If you are just starting out, looking to change career, or launch a passion project you can start creating your board game now.
There is no harm in starting small on a hobby project and working your way up to the bigger companies later if that is what you want to do.
There is also no shame in working with smaller companies and staying with little studios. By being part of a small team or going solo, you can get hands on experience with game design and development on many levels and in many “departments”.
As with various creative roles in the smaller outfits, it is a great way of being shown the ropes when you are part of a small unit.
But, even getting involved with smaller studios can be a challenge if you don’t want to go solo or you are just starting out.
Here are some tips on how to get into the board game industry and work with smaller developers and publishers.
Steps on how to get involved with (smaller businesses) in the board games industry
1 ) Have an interest in board games! This should be a given, but if you want to create some games, great! If you just want to make quick money, consider other careers.
2 ) Start creating games. Make it all about the game and the enjoyment of creating games. If you are stuck for ideas consider making a personal game project with a pencil and paper. You can make a fan game to, like this website shows – how to create a HeroQuest style game.
3 ) Take an interest in other games that have been created. Ideas rarely come from nowhere! Show interest in what types of games you like to play.
4 ) Sign up to board game forums and become an active member
5 ) Hang around with board game creators! You can attend various meetups and casual board game events
6 ) Network work extensively
That list of steps is a simplified way of what you can do to get into the tabletop gaming business and work with the smaller studios and independent makers.
There are many ways of accessing the industry and at varying levels.
And to be involved – is to be involved!
Enjoy games and meet people that also enjoy creating games, make connections In the gaming field.
how to access the board game industry and sell your game (small scale)
If you want to get serious and commercialise your game, meeting the right people is both important to this goal and challenging.
But how do you make these all-important contacts?
It is a case of where to be and where to look.
The most simple first step to making some initial contact in the industry is by going onto forums, looking at board game directories, and seeing what companies you find on Google.
This is the most straightforward, but in my opinion – not the most effective solution for making contacts in the board game industry.
Meeting face-to-face and showing what you can do is better. You can build up a rapport and discuss board games there and then. Be it at a show or a networking event.
So ‘where’ to meet these contacts and get into the board game design industry.
Get involved with the board game industry by attending shows and conventions
One of the best ways of getting involved with the board game industry is by showing up to conventions and shows and saying “hi”. Go to the boardgame stands, say hello and talk about your passion and see where it may lead!
Going to conventions and shows will also broaden your view on the industry as a whole. You get to meet companies that focus on party games, board games for the family, adult games, card games, poker games, RPG’s, science fiction, fantasy, games for young children!
There are too many to list.
Going to shows is a big way to build those all-important contacts.
Another way of getting into the industry, is through self-proclamation!
Self-publish your board game! “I am a board game developer”
I am a board game designer! Therefore, I am part of the board game industry!.
Another way to get into the board game design industry is by creating your own games and products. You may have already created your own game or aspire to create a game. By actually creating a game or products around gaming you can say –
“You are part of the board game industry”
To what capacity? That can be left to interpretation.
Creating a game and building a board game design career
The main focus of this article is on how to get into the board game design industry and creating your own games is early access to this.
I do not wish to deviate too much into the intricacies of creating a board game in this article. Creating board games is a skill in itself that deserves more than just a few sentences.
You can read more on creating a retail-ready game here if you want to focus on board game creation and selling your own products.
If you would like help with creating your game, you may also wish to look at the board game design services page or get in touch via my contact form.
Creating your first game or board game product is a great way of getting into board game creation. You can learn a lot from even just making a prototype. You can either pitch your prototype to a company or look at selling it yourself.
Getting involved with the big board game publishers (selling to and working with)
Getting into the board game design industry is challenge number 1. Eg create a game or fan game) and show what you can do. Set up a business.
But.
Working ‘with’ or ‘in’ the BIG board game companies is a separate challenge in itself, and tough inner circle to break into.
Because it is hard to get into, it certainly doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth it. Especially from a financial or publicity standpoint.
Here are few listed benefits as to why getting your board game into a larger board game can help your and your board game development career.
The benefits of getting your game in with a big company (selling your game)
Larger market penetration and industry coverage. The larger board game companies – publishers and distributors are more likely to have the retail and business channels to sell more copies of your board game in higher volumes. They might be good to approach after you have also (potentially) created a Kickstarter, if crowdfunding is a path you take.
Great marketing for your board game. At first, getting your name out there can be a huge advantage for the future and for growing your board game design business.
More revenue – Having more revenue isn’t the same as having a higher margin (making more money per individual unit) The the big retailers are likely to shift larger volumes of your game than just you on your own.
More on the example below.
Selling your game through a larger board game company vs do it yourself – rough example
Although “do it yourself” is a great way of getting into the board game industry, you will have to out a lot of energy into multiple avenues of the business. As opposed to the bigger business may be able to sell your game in larger volumes.
Do it yourself method
You sell 100 units, throw all of your time and energy into distribution and logistics – earn £3 (profit) unit for example per game. You take away £300
Selling your game through a large publisher or distributor (getting involved with the companies)
As an example, you sell 10,000 units through a board game publisher or distribution company and earn £2 per unit. (rough example – NEVER a guarantee)
Per unit, that is less.…
The publishers will take a larger cut – BUT – you earn £2 x 10,000 = £20,000. The bigger companies have access and possibly bigger selling power.
Not only will you be more likely to sell higher volumes through a board game distributor or publisher. It will allow you to focus more on board game development and design. If that is what you want to do.
To get involved with the large publishers can be difficult if you are starting out in your career. The next section focuses on how to get into the board game design industry and work with the big board game companies.
“The easier you make it for the businesses to sell your game and increase ‘their’ revenue. The easier you will make it for yourself.”
How to get your board game into the big companies, publishers and retailers
If you are board game designer and developer or an aspiring creator! You may have ambitions to get your game into the big publishers and distributors.
As with any businesses, and contrary to popular belief, most companies and buyers are risk-averse. If working with you and your game proves to be a potential risk with weak financial returns, they won’t sell your game.
To get involved with the big companies in the board game industry, make your game retail-ready and full or promise.
The easier you make it for the businesses to sell your game and increase ‘their’ revenue. The easier you will make it for yourself.
In other words, earn more revenue for them and earn more revenue yourself.
Getting yourself and your board game ready for retail
In order to get into the board game industry, I have written a couple of design-focused entrepreneurial tips that will help you in creating a game for retail in mind.
Creating your game and playing it is one thing but creating game that gets the attention of the bigger businesses is another.
* it should be noted that reading posts and saying “is that all” it takes is not the best mindset to start on. Creating games and creating games ready to be sold is a big time consuming effort and can be a labour of love many.
Tick boxing alone, will not guarantee the success of a game. Use your initiative, use critical thinking, and be prepared to try and try again to crack that industry!
How to work for a board game company (in house, freelance)
To work for a board game company you need to prove that you can work in a relevant field in the board game industry and also work as part of a team!
There are various skills, roles and departments for budding games designers to consider :
To answer “how to work for a board game company“, be it freelance, contract, or in-house, you should consider working on skills that will lend itself to the game company you wish to work for or with.
As with the list of skills and roles above, this is a glance at some or the roles and departments available that you can work in. If you wish to work in a more permanent position at a company or a board game publisher you should network and look on job boards to find the ideal position for you.
You may also need to be prepared to move location for most jobs if you wish to work in-house.
What is the ‘best’ way of getting work in the board game industry?
There isn’t a single and clear cut path of how to get into the board game industry, each journey and career will be unique to the individual.
To choose which is the best way, as based on opinion, experience, and observations on how to get into the board games business. I would say the following are some of the best and most prominent ways of getting into the tabletop gaming industry.
1) Have a passion for tabletop games or/and creating games
2) Meet the right people for your game niche and share passion, knowledge, and skills with games and creating games.
3) Attend trade shows and make contacts. Network with other board game creators * ( personnel and favourite/ best method)
4) Look on jobs boards in the creative industries and dedicated board game communities. Facebook and Board game geek
5) ‘Niche’ on a certain skills and keep scouring the communities equipped with a portfolio or examples of what you can do!
6 ) And above all else – the best way on getting into the board games is to keep trying if you are passionate about board games!
“We found these contacts mostly through trade shows and events.“
How to get into board game design industry | A firsthand account
I wanted to discuss my first-hand account of how I became involved in the board game industry and how you may find my story interesting or helpful in your creative journey!
I was involved In creating a party game at my previous job. It was created as part of “Product Development – innovation engine” which was a weekly process that was rolled out from 2016.
I and the team at the time realised that a game might be popular. It was inspired by something a colleague had seen on TV. I was sceptical initially but I was won around. (good job!)
We spent a few months designing and developing a party game.
The game was a commercial success and we went on to develop more products and expansion at the request of a large board game retailer. This opened a very wide door to more investment.
From there other retailers also requested the game. It grew in popularity in the UK.
We found these contacts mostly through trade shows and events. They were a mixture of board game distribution companies, smaller retailers, and high-street shops.
That was my first-hand experience in working commercially in board games and 1 first-hand example of how to get into the board games industry.
Off my own back.
I then started to find more contacts at conventions and shows. Many of the these people I networked with were a mixture of small independent game designers to larger-scale board game developers.
And to this day, I am always looking for ways of building new contacts and ways I can help independent board game developers create their game.
That was an (‘is’) part of my professional journey.
An example of how to start early – get your children to start making games!
This is an example of somebody that has the will and drive to create something they love! This person was undeterred by pessimism, cynicism, and the knowledge of money!
Just the want and the like of creating their own game. I think there is a lesson us adults we can learn here.
* For confidentially, I cannot mention in detail about the parties involved.
I wanted to draw your attention to this prototype by a budding game designer. ( my part was in the visual and creative design + getting it ready to look at )
The client started first by drawing a rough game on post-it notes and mapping out the game.
They had already playtested and worked out the mechanics before contacting me. They just wanted to figure out “how to make it”.
From the rough prototype. I came up with visuals, character vectors and ideas how it would look and what was going on.
I had the joy of designing the box art, the game cards, conceptualising and creating the dinosaurs, the caveman, tokens, and the board!
This is an example of what you can do if you decide to go down the self-publish route.
Having something physical to show looks both professional and that you are serious and passionate about the board game industry. This will be your early steps of how to get into the board game design industry
People are often tactile and like to look by touch also.
How to get into the board game design industry – The final answer
To consolidate and simplify the answer, there are a couple of main routes on how to work in the board games industry.
The main path is by making the right contacts at shows, conventions, and events – meeting the right people in senior positions at board game companies will put you at a strong advantage.
Another alternative way of getting into the board game industry is by creating and publishing your own game and making yourself part of the industry.
The final point for you to get into the industry is by looking at niche board game job boards or job boards in creative industries. Look on Facebook and Board Game Geek also
With many creative businesses – a big part of it is, who you know, what you can do.
Love (or like) what you do!
that is how you can get into the board game industry. Persistence, passion, and having a lot of good relevant business contacts in the business. And trial and error, luck and determination.
If you have found this post helpful, feel free to share. All the best in your board game creation career.
In your journey into getting into the Boardgame design business you may also find some of the following articles helpful.
Other helpful topics to help you get into the industry
The games and images in this article are all copyrighted, please do not use or distribute. Handy tips – how to get into the board game design industry and how to work for a board game company.
Tips for creating a graphic design portfolio. Getting noticed can be difficult in the design field. Whether you are a freelancer, junior or somebody that is looking at changing their career. This post is a list of 30 portfolio ideas that will help you with your design journey. – tips for Graphic Design portfolio
This will (hopefully) offer some ideas to create an interview-ready graphic design portfolio.
“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.”
– Milton Glaser
Tips for a graphic design portfolio that may get you noticed
I will answer quickly the question that I was asked recently before going into the detailed list of tips on making a compelling graphic design portfolio. But before going further into these tips for graduate graphic designers, I want to share some of my knowledge and experience when recruiting for graphic design internsships.
Please bear in mind that I am not a recruiter.I’m a designer with over 14 years of experience. I was also a Senior Designer and Head of Department when I used to recruit somebody to help me and the company.
I was a Senior Designer, who hired graduates for junior ‘traditional design roles’, 3 month internships, and freelance positions. And when I say traditional graphic design – mostly print.
Myself and my former colleague, looked through a range of portfolios when trying to find a good fit for the company. Sometimes a job posting would get 100’s of applications in less than a week.
Another interesting piece of information you may like to know – I used to look at portfolios before looking at CV’s. I could write a post about the process but that is something for another day.
How can I make my Graphic Design portfolio stand out? tips
To get employers, agencies, and or anyone to hire you for a project or job. You need to have a portfolio that helps you shine, resonates with the employer and potentially be on brand with the person hiring. Look at who is hiring and ask yourself whether your portfolio is a match. What benefit can you and the portfolio bring to the role?
Take
note, you, the designer will need to put your best foot forward if
you want to win that job. You need to show that you can do what is
asked of you and that you can offer value to the next role.
What you did yesterday is nice – what you are going to do tomorrow will be what gets you the job.
Not everyone will love you or your portfolio, but you want to give it your best shot until something eventually sticks.
Onwards for 30 tips for creating a graphic design portfolio – list of ideas
1 ) Have a portfolio
In short, yes you need a portfolio to get graphic design roles. Be it in digital or print form. People, designer managers, and recruiters need to see what you can do. This is the first tip. Without a design portfolio, there is no way of ‘showing’ what you can do. Without any examples of work, you are relying on an employer, agency or client to just take your word for it. I cannot emphasise this enough.
Yes, you need to show that you are a graphic designer and you at least have some idea of what you can do. Don’t tell them – show them.
2) Include your best, finished pieces
This is not as common as you might think. Graduates, in particular, tend to can put much process stages and fluff into their portfolios. Although this offers a good insight into how you work, too much can be counter-productive. This can be better shown in asked.
Many employers are in a hurry and want to see ‘results’ but not all.
And, I may burst a bubble here and go as far as to say that you may be working as a creative junior artwork / designer if this is your first role – even if the position is sold differently on the jobs board.
Hopefully, this won’t be forever. But be prepared to see a lot of this when applying for work – especially in the early stages.
Many artworking roles are dressed as creative design work when in fact a manager or client may be telling you what to do, and… you may be pushing pixels around to begin with as a junior designer.
When you also include you best pieces of work, consider making your portfolio like a sandwich. Really great stuff at the start. Less good stuff in the middle, great stuff again at the end.
3 ) Show your technical proficiency
If you have managed to find a job that is more ‘art and design’ or ‘illustrative’ then great! But if you are looking for more mainstream graphic design roles you will need to show that you can create the artwork in common industry standards. Programs such as, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Indesign are common at the time of writing this.
I would no longer assume that all design graduates come out with these software skills as a standard – not after recruiting interns and junior graphic designers for creative positions. I was surprised some establishments were churning out graduates without any software skills mentioned above at all, and I felt truly sorry for the graduates who sold these design ‘courses’. If that is what you can call them.
4 ) Design notes & annotations in the portfolio
Believe it or not, whether you are going to a meeting as a freelancer, junior or senior designer. People will read your notes and they will want to understand more of what is going on in your project.
You may know what your project is about but others will not, it is often best to spell it out in short sentences. It doesn’t have to be an essay. Just a paragraph with some annotations saying what is going on in a few words.
5 ) Make it relevant and appealing
This is one of the most important points in this list so make sure to pay attention. Make sure whatever is in your portfolio – is as relevant to the job as possible if you want the position.
Employers
will want to see what you have done and also what you will do for
them should they hire you for the role.
For example, if you are going for a packaging role at gifting company, try to emulate that you can do packaging and that you have past experience in the relevant market. If you have no commercial experience in this and you want to work in packaging and print, create some of your own initiated projects and show what you can do!
6 ) Your portfolio says one thing, your CV says another
Saying that you have x y z is one thing. But if your portfolio tells a very different story to what comes out of your mouth or what is written on your CV it will be evident by the end of the meeting.
Don’t bluff too much as you will waste your time and hiring managers’ time. And managers and directors really don’t have a lot of time to waste.
7 )Woefully terrible portfolio
Subjective
but…
I recall reading a CV and thinking to myself how epic a candidate was. I jumped over to their portfolio and they had just 2 pieces of dubious graphic design work in their portfolio. There was a dinky little piece of advertorial tucked up into a corner of the page promoting a grave-digging business, the other I cannot recall. But it made an impression..!
It was pretty evident that this individual was not a trained graphic designer and that some people in the industry may have been outraged by what was trying to be passed off as a portfolio. In a word – they were bluffing it and their portfolio showed it.
Perhaps
they wanted to change their career.
If
you are looking at changing career then study design, or at the very
least have a portfolio with work that shows you are capable.
Don’t
tell hiring managers how good you are, show them!
Also, don’t get me wrong, I don’t claim to be the best designer in the universe but you know… come on. I was hiring! My reputation is on the line and anyone who would put even a basic new fresh out of university or course graduate next to this would probably giggle.
So what to do with your graphic design portfolio – Let other eyes see
So, make your portfolio as awesome as you can! Do your best, look at other designers, and ask yourself some frank and critical questions. This would be a strong tip on how to create a design portfolio. Make it as best as you can! even this will get some brutal remarks most likely. Trust me, I both seen it and felt it.
8 ) Varied but relevant
The
closer you can keep your portfolio to the job match, the better. If
you have any relevant or applicable pieces that you believe can help
land you the desired position – include them.
You want to show projects that are transferable to the position and present you in a good light.
9 ) Not enough work
It can be frustrating even as a senior designer to hear, “Have you worked for anyone else?” or when I was a graduate “is that all?” from a recruiter. As a graduate, the chances are you may only have a few good pieces of work and a final major project that takes up a large portion of your portfolio.
Don’t be disheartened.
Create
more work that will draw attention. Sounds easy, but the fact is,
your portfolio shouldn’t stop once you leave university or college.
If you can try to keep your work up to date and keep adding new and
exciting pieces, this will carry you in good stead in the future.
tips Graphic Design portfolio
10 ) Personal projects
As long as they are good, polished, and relevant, include a couple of these projects in your portfolio. It shows that you are continuously trying to develop and some of these projects are on occasion, more interesting than your commercial projects.
11 ) ‘Discuss’ projects
With your printed portfolio, be ready to discuss not just what you did in the project, but for what purpose. For example, if your aim was to sell a product, mention this in notes and be prepared to elaborate if you are asked questions.
Keep the notes small and to the point but, try to write it in a way that will invite questions and open discussion.
12 ) Real-life examples
If you have created any real-life examples of your work be it packaging, stationery, or retail displays take photos of these and add them to your portfolio too.
Aside from breaking up your portfolio and keeping it interesting, having real-life examples adds a tangible authenticity to the project that a render of a flat image cannot replace.
If you don’t have photos or real-life examples then create your own renders and visual mock-ups to show your work in action! And if you can’t create visualisations, you could always consider using a website such as Graphic Burger for freebie mockups.
Websites, such as Graphic Burger have a ton of free mockup kits.
14 ) Have real products and samples for your meeting
Another thing to accompany your graphic design portfolio is to have physical samples of what you have made. So, for example, if you have created a piece of packaging and you have the box – take it with you to the meeting.
People
like to touch things – we are tactile creatures.
You can always show some of the work in progress in your portfolio too and then pull out a “Here is one I made earlier”. It can also help to shake up dull meetings.
15 ) A ‘bit’ of the design process
Showing some of how you work can offer a little extra insight into you as a designer, as mentioned before. For me, I will often keep completed visuals alongside some of the rough drawings and processes.
This is a small break in the list! 30 Tips Graphic Design portfolio.
Hopefully,
this has given you some ideas on how to create an interview-ready
portfolio. As a designer, your portfolio is important at any stage of
your career, whether you are a graduate or a senior designer.
It should be noted right here and now, that a nice display book for your portfolio is never a replacement for good work and eye-catching design. It is just tidy a professional vessel to show your best pieces.
Since University, I
have used a tidy A3 mapac portfolio to display my work.
Your portfolio needs to look professional. No stickers, No A-level ring binders with cloudy sleeves… slick and professional.
A3 Mapac
My personal favourite
that is affordable is the A3 design book or if you have some cash for
the sleeves too, archival cases.
Don’t use the cheaper-looking A2 ring binder portfolio that you probably went to a college interview with. You are a design professional now and you need to look the part, I would also like to remind you that you are in competition with other designers – with slick portfolios.
17 ) Art vs Design
I’m going to say something controversial to some – art & design, in most commercial settings, are not the same…
So, by all means, feel free to include some of your ‘artwork’ if it is relevant to the job.
But most agencies, unless you are an illustrator, are looking for a Graphic Designer – not an artist, and there is a difference, and more so in real commercial settings.
If you look too much like an artist as opposed to a design professional when you are applying for a professional graphic design role, this can work against you in a couple of ways:
Secretly, you want to be an artist and your portfolio shows this. Therefore do you have intentions to make this dream a reality? (leave the role in 5 minutes)
They are not hiring an artist (unless they are) they are looking for a graphic design professional for the position. You have sold yourself as more artist than a graphic designer
You will be frustrated as you probably won’t get to paint. (Who doesn’t love to paint!)
Make sure your skills and portfolio are in line with the job requirements. What you have in your portfolio will reveal more than you realise. Sell yourself to the position.
Then create all CVs and portfolio and reflect this.
18 ) ‘Artwork’ in your graphic design portfolio
As lovely as some
artwork can be, these more often than not offer an irrelevant
distraction sadly. They may look beautiful, but unless relevant to a
job or project it is best left out.
Or added to an alternative dedicated artwork portfolio.
If you have provided artwork for ad campaigns, an app, or something similar, include it if you feel it offers something to the job. But only if it offers something to the role. Make your portfolio about the job and what you can offer to the job that will be applicable.
19 ) How much work should I include in my design portfolio?
This question has been
around for years and for as long as I have been designing – and in
truth. I would struggle to say how much is too little for your
printed design portfolio.
– For my printed portfolio, I try to hover around 14 pieces without it getting boring.
– I would say no more than 20 pieces in your portfolio. Recruiters would try to steer you toward around the 14 or 16 number.
Too much ‘okay’ work can dilute the great work. Be ruthless with what you include. it is a delicate balance of best foot forward and not selling yourself short. Or, if speaking to a recruiter for a role, ask them. Include work that will sing to the person hiring.
20 ) Stand out with your print portfolio
The tips and ideas listed in this post are elements of a much bigger goal – what can you do to make your portfolio stand out and get you a job?
Recruiters, HR, and businesses are busy and the chances are if you applied for a position at a company in a big city they will have received literally hundreds of applications. This is especially more likely if you are applying for work in the summer holidays.
How do I know this?
Because I have been in the position of hiring for junior design
roles.
So, this brings it back
round to this point. What can you do to stand out in a roaring sea of
busy inboxes?
Create real-world examples of how the project came out, If it is a piece of packaging then try to mock up the packaging. There are websites online that allow you to put together mock-ups if you can’t do this yourself.
If you have designed a kiosk, stand signage – take ‘in situ’ pictures that make a recruiter say “you actually made this”.
Other ‘wow’ factors for your graphic design portfolio
If it is digital design also, use web links to live websites if at all possible, however, it can be the case that website change – some make sure to take screen grabs.
If the website has
changed and you only have a UI, create mock-ups of the design inside
a computer screen or a Smartphone.
Assume that people will
only spend around 60 seconds glancing at your portfolio. What can you
do to hold their attention for longer? Also ‘show’ what something is
as much as possible.
21 ) Make your design portfolio snappy
Did I mention that
business owners are busy (or impatient)? Or both. I’m (and have been)
guilty of this. I would advise making it so that your portfolio can
be read easily and skimmed.
There may only be a couple of projects that actually catch the employers’ attention so make it easy for them to spot what they are looking for.
22 ) Compartmentalise and structure
Keep your portfolio in
some sort of sensible order. Whether this is by project or by a
medium such as print and then digital is down to you. Don’t jump
between projects.
It will help any recruiter stay on track with what they are reading and make it look like you can apply some order to your projects. Being an organized designer is a huge plus too.
Do I need a ‘digital’ portfolio?
Yes, in a very short answer. A quick step out here.
I have been asked “do
I need a digital portfolio?” or specifically a PDF portfolio. 100%
yes. You do need a digital portfolio saved as PDF. Get this sorted
first as with the digital age, this will be your first port of call.
When I was recruiting for internships ( you can read tips here on getting an inhouse graphic design internship) and hiring for a junior role, I would also need to see a PDF of work along with a CV. And shall offer a little inside sub-tip right here, right now.
Subtip – After a time I stopped reading a design CV’s first
Think that is an odd thing to add?
It was not uncommon for me to read a great CV from top to bottom and say – “Wow this person sounds great! Let us hire them now.“
Then I would look a the portfolio…
I can recall looking at some of these portfolios and asking myself whether they were even Graphic Designers, it made me feel genuine pity for Graphic designers trying to struggle through and find work in the industry when these ‘have a goes’ were trying their luck.
Secondly. I had wasted 5 minutes of my time reading a CV of somebody who clearly wasn’t a Graphic Designer. From then on I took a portfolio-first approach.
Make both your CV and
portfolio as good as it can be. It will help you secure the
opportunity you want.
And to answer again –
yes you will need a graphic design portfolio / PDF version. It is
very important. Which leads to the next point.
23 ) Create PDF or online version of your portfolio
Moving on from physical
hard copy of your print portfolio. I will now offer some ideas and
insights on creating digital versions of your portfolio with this
being the first digital tip.
Create a digital PDF version of your portfolio so that it can fit inside a recruiter’s inbox.
Make it eye-catching
and don’t make the recruiter or the person having to hire need to
work for it.
Make it as easy for
them as humanly possible.
If you are struggling to know which program to use to create a digital PDF portfolio you can use Indesign and Adobe Acrobat and ‘save as’ or ‘export’ from there.
24 ) Keep the PDF small
Don’t send a MASSIVE portfolio to the recruiter’s inbox. This will either take too long to download or may even get caught in a firewall.
So with this I mind,
and knowing that you should send a concise version of your PDF
portfolio this will probably mean that you may have to trim the fat.
Cull the stuff that
won’t help land you the job – next point!
25 ) Create A ‘light’ version of your PDF portfolio
One of the obvious ways of shrinking your portfolio is by losing some of the pages which makes it so bloated and heavy.
Lose projects and be
brutal with what you want to include.
If needs be, strip it
back to the bare essentials. And then decide what matters to you and
what you should include. I can be worth doing this every year. We can
call this maintenance.
26 ) Don’t bother sending Wetransfer links to download your WHOPPING great PDF
Please don’t.
Remember when I said ‘make it easy for them’ sending a link or a ‘Wetransfer’ isn’t making it easier for the recruiter to see your work. Don’t make ‘them’ (people hiring) have to wait to download your 2 GB portfolio as this takes time and invites more problems for you.
I tend to strive to try
and keep my PDF portfolio under 3 / 4 MB tops so that I can attach it
and get it inside an inbox.
From a recruitment standpoint making me have to download a PDF from 100 plus applications makes it time-consuming and more difficult than it needs to be.
So, don’t make a hiring manager download anything. Don’t waste their time.
It will be met with an
inner groan. You don’t want to make the person hiring burst a blood
vessel!
Don’t cause this | tips graphic design portfolio
27 ) Make it easy for the hiring manager
Make it simple. Don’t send dozens of links to various locations. Have all of the big content in a single PDF or keep it all together as much as possible.
The more actions you ask the recruiter to take, the more likely they are to get bored or move on.
And you don’t want
that. They are people behind the jobs, after all.
28 ) Links to online presence
In addition to your PDF portfolio, you should have some of your artwork online. And when I say online, I mean on platforms such as Behance, Creativepool, etc.
Putting additional work on websites such as Behance can be a great way of showing off additional work and sending follow-up links. The bits of the process you can’t fit into a portfolio or the bit of a project that didn’t quite make the final cut.
As a freelancer, it is especially important for you to have your work visible online but that is another topic for another day.
29 ) Deciding on ‘not’ having an online graphic design presence
Mixed opinions on this.
If this was for a job for a classic print house then I could let it go – maybe. But in this day and age with so much information, projects, and work being online I would have found it strange not to see any of your work online.
Even as a pure print
designer. I would advise that you have your print work online also.
Here are a few reasons:
It will most likely be the first thing people will look at when they
want to see samples of your work – in particular as a freelancer.
Not having work online will age you – in a negative way (too much of a senior designer?). It may also be perceived that you may not have an interest in design trends etc.
I’m not mentioning that
to be mean. Even a senior designer myself. I have found this to be an
issue in the past.
30 ) Website Portfolio
You may not ‘need’ a dedicated online portfolio if you are just going to focus on print design. But, if you are gearing towards working in the digital fields then I would say yes – you should have some form of a website or at the very least an online presence as a bare minimum.
If you are thinking of creating a website I have written some tips here on how to start with some very affordable web creation options – keeping in mind, that the post mentioned is geared toward small business owners as opposed to how to create a killer graphic design portfolio.
A website allows you to
sell yourself and sell yourself the way you want to.
Having online a Behance profile means that you are in a sea of designers and you have to structure portfolio according to their rules and format.
Don’t get me wrong,
Behance is great. And I believe you should set up a profile today but
not at the expense of a website – more true if you are a
freelancer.
So… do you need a
Website? Is it compulsory to have one?
No.
But having one may help you to stand out and possibly look more professional. You need to give yourself an edge.
Summary | 30 tips for creating a graphic design portfolio
I hope these
suggestions will help you in creating a graphic design portfolio that
turns heads. If you also have tips for a graphic design portfolio
feel free to share.
I have over 14+ years of commercial experience in graphic design – both digital design and print. I have also recruited quite a few graduate designers that I see falling at similar hurdles and I wanted to help you – as a graduate graphic designer (and maybe another professional designer) get to the design job you want.
Here are a couple of
inspiring quotes:
“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” – Milton Glaser
“No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist.” – Salvador Dalí
Graduate design tips
If you are a graduate looking for some design tips read this.
Additional Resources | tips for a graphic design portfolio
Creating a cool game is one thing, making a game that sells is another. This post covers how to sell your board game and make money in easy to follow stages. As an acknowledgment of my skills and experience, I have co-created successful party games in the past.
The Commercial Director’s informed games commercial success in figures. This was also fairly recent as from 2017 onwards.
The games that I was involved in creating earned £200k in revenue – nothing to sniff at and this post will share that information.
Intro –Monetising your game after creating it
Your number 1 priority should be making a great game that people can play and enjoy – don’t deviate from this principle. Making a halfhearted job and ‘just shipping’ it will backfire in the board gaming community.
If you want to sell your game in the future, make a good game!– don’t cheat your audience into buying a terrible product.
Creating the game – approach
My
approach to creating a game was a bit different from many I feel. it
didn’t come from an insatiable need to express my artistic desire or
tell a narrative that will revolutionise the world.
The
game as created based on a ‘ready’ market that didn’t need educating
on what the game was.
We based our concept on a pre-existing model and try to improve upon it – it wasn’t left to chance and gut feeling when developing the game and all of its expansions. The actions were deliberate and researched before the game was created.
You have a look at one of the early editions here. Which takes you to Amazon, or you can get the general idea from this image.
We wanted to create a game people would enjoy!
We created a UK version of the game that filled a gap – it started as an idea and evolved it something that was bigger and more potent over time and became its an entity that could stand on its own 2 feet.
3 main approaches to selling your game
Moving on, here is a quick overview of how to make money from your game.
1) Sell it retailers or individual shops
2) Pitch it to games publisher or distributer
3) Use a crowdfunding platform such as Kickstarter or IndieGoGo
How to sell your game and make money through publisher/distributor and earn over | 200k
I was involved in creating a party game that earned over 200k in turn over in one year and over 100 k (give or take) in subsequent years.
Selling your game directly to a publisher or game distributor can bare large financial fruit. An advantage of getting your game in front of a large game distribution company is that they can sell your game in large quantities too. They have the channels, marketing, catalogues, and contacts. – You may, or may not!
So how do you get your game in their inventory?
You pitch to them
How to pitch your game to a seller and make money – wholesale
In order to look the professional, your game will need to look the part – eg be ready to ship, be affordable to buy and come with any marketing so you can to prove the game exists.
Don’t leave to much to the imagination, look as ready as you can be.
In order to pitch your game to the correct people, it will come down to knowing the right people. A previous colleague of mine used various methods to find the correct contacts, here are 2 I can recall worked well:
1) Finding them on LinkedIn
2) By going to shows and arranging meetings.
Pitching a game to a large distributor isn’t easy, but things with the best rewards rarely are!
My role in the process of winning such business (in addition to product creation) was to create pitch boards with renders and mock-ups of the games. These were often followed up with marketing PDF’s for buyers at the companies skim through.
I will let you in on a little something else also, should you get in with a successful game
Upsell your game to move toward a 200k gaol
So, you have a proven track record with a distributor, you have sold the game and now what do you do?
We gave them more – although there was a challenge here, we didn’t have more to give – initially anyway.
At this stage, we conceptualised prototypes of expansion packs and extra games and then pitched the “Final game” to the distributor via ‘mock-ups’ on a pitch board which may have still be in the concept stages.
*The games weren’t manufactured until an order was placed.
I won’t lie to you, this can be a risky way of creating a product. You should try your utmost to get a batch or set of prototypes ready to get around this risky approach.
These pitches and subsequent pitches which were driven by the commercial success were won with what was said and what was shown on the boards. At the best of times, a prototype of the game was made.
How to sell your game – use pitch artwork, This is an illustration down to the box and shadow.
So, that is the power of the pitch – don’t underestimate it and considering the potency of your game and whether it can be scaled.
Did that party game really earn 200k?
I think for the first run of the Family Edition of the game, from one single order – it was approximately 200k turn over in orders, and $150K in profits according to the Commercial Director. And more additions of the game were created.
So, yes – 200K then even more over the years. As it was it was being sold in other countries and snowballed.
How to sell your board game and make money | shop & retailer
As part of your strategy to either grow your wealth or hit a 200k target (or any number), you should consider selling your game direct to a large retailer. As above, the process of winning the business and selling your game to high street stores such as WH Smiths in the UK you should explore the tactics of pitching and trying to win business.
For the sake of clarity, I will discuss the steps in order to sell your game to a high-street store and what was involved in the process.
Make sure you have your game ready. The more you have it together, the better this will be for you when you try to pitch your game
Dot your I’s and Cross your T’s – in other words make sure you have all conformity, barcodes and product information ready.
Is the product ready to be shipped? – fulfilment. Retailers like it to be straight forward and not have to worry about getting and unprofessional product etc. Have a warehouse or fulfilment centre ready to meet demand if the retailer places an order?
Build Trust – Retailers don’t want to take foolish risks. If there is an indication of an existing market or you have sold games before, consider putting this in your proposal.
Packaging – in retail, the packaging is more important than you may realise. The box art and how it looks on a retail shelf is incredibly important to a retailer and to the person buying the product. You need to make your product stand and look appealing. Its the box that may sell the game in the end.
It could also be worth noting that if you are yet to make or manufacture your box but have the artwork to utilise the visuals to create a planogram. This will help sell the dream and make your game look a little more real to the retailers.
These are some of the keys points I have been involved in when both collaborating and creating a proposal to a retailer.
This point was, in addition to the method of selling your game to the distributer a large contribution to it’s a financial success.
How to Kickstart your game and earn over 200k – if only knew.
Kickstarter template graphics
Although, I have yet to be involved in creating a successful Kickstarter that sells 1000’s of unit most of my experience comes with working with retailers.
Companies have earned millions on Kickstarter
A website such as Stonemaier games covers lots of hints and tips on how to create a Kickstarter and make a success of it. If you have a moment you should take the time to read some of the articles.
I would also like to mention the games companies that made Bears VS Babies and Throw Throw Burrito, both of these board games were hugely successful on Kickstarter before going onto nailing it in retail. I have seen these games in Waterstones, John Lewis, WH Smiths & others in passing.
Both of the games had a huge fan base and used Kickstarter to its maximum potential. They used Kickstarter for what it does best – to validate a product and get ready for the next big step.
That next big step… conquer retail.
If you are intending on launching a Kickstarter anytime soon …. don’t launch unless you have a crowd waiting to place an order and buy your game!
Your
crowd is crucial to a game’s success on the likes of Kickstarter. No
crowd? Probably no crowdfunding either.
If you want to hit the bigger numbers get all of you marketing up to scratch first and then roll it out. If you are struggling there is no shame in canceling your campaign and moving it to another day.
Kickstarter is a great way of getting your product validated and tested before going to retail. I have written a post here on how to design a Kickstarter page.
How to sell your board game and make money – summary
I hope this post was useful and offers some insight into selling your game to the big retailers and distributors. As mentioned above, the large sum of money was earned through selling to a retailer and distributors.
If you would like to know a bit more about the making of the party game, you can view the post here and read at your leisure. This post discussed more of the design stages as opposed to the money aspect of the game creation.
Selling your game – my credentials.
I am a designer with 10 years’ experience and I have been involved in creating party and card games! Whoop whoop, if you would like to know a bit more about my services you can read more about my freelance card game design and get in touch.
Thank you for reading how to sell your board game and make money, if it was useful feel free to share.
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