What do you do if a junior game designer needs feedback?

Not just for junior designers, but anyone taking on a new set of skills. I am a very detail oriented person and I like to look at the big and small picture. This is not easy to do and it can be difficult for folks to absorb all of the information. Remember that first time you played D&D and that one guy tried explaining EVERYTHING at once? Good intentions but difficult to grok. Break the tasks down into smaller, more achievable bits. If you throw it all at them at once, they are more likely to get confused or overwhelmed from tasks they may not be entirely familiar with (yet). Continuing with the D&D analogy, teach them how to roll an ability check, then a skill check, then get into attack rolls, etc. Build them up a little at a time.

Always start with something you liked or thought was interestingly different. This engages the junior and puts more emphasis on your feedback (that comes after the good) as growth minded. Giving feedback you should address (in this order): The good (positivity) The bad (negativity) And the ugly (how to improve) For example: This is an interesting card, I like how the draw three discard one introduces choice but doesn't accelerate card draw significantly. However, I think that the cost is too high given it's impact of forcing you to discard out of your deck. Have you considered making it reshuffle or adjusting the cost? Why or why not?

Play the Game: Spend time with their work. Understand the game mechanics, art, and user experience to provide informed feedback. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses: Note what aspects of the design work well and which ones could be improved. Highlighting strengths is just as important as identifying areas for improvement. Be Specific: Prepare specific examples of elements that could be enhanced and suggest ways to improve them.

Always be on a feedback loop with them and give explanations backed by examples of common (or less common) knowledge. The worst feedback is "it's bad" without explaining why. Maybe you did not understand the rationale and it's actually ok or almost ok but without reasoning no one can learn and grow from it. Good examples are great to learn from and bad examples are even better to not fall into the same pitfalls again and this is how you teach by example.

Start with Positive Feedback -> Begin by highlighting what works well in their design. Identifying strengths not only boosts confidence but also helps them understand what to continue doing. Follow-Up -> Offer ongoing support. Checking in on their progress not only helps them stay on track but also reinforces that you are invested in their development.

In my experience, being assertive about best practices pays the best dividends in the long run. It's always best to focus on what can be done, more even so when you don't have clear insight into how a mistake or problem could have been avoided in the first place. If more than hard work and discipline is expected from junior talent to follow through with your suggestion, there's a good chance you're not being specific or actionable enough!

Focus on the Work, Not the Person: Make it clear that your feedback is about the game, not about them personally. Be Constructive: Instead of just pointing out what’s wrong, suggest ways to improve. Offer solutions or alternatives. Be Objective: Base your feedback on the game's objectives, target audience, and design principles, rather than personal preference.

Ask for Their Perspective: Encourage them to share their thought process and any challenges they faced. This can provide valuable context for their decisions. Be Open to Discussion: Allow them to ask questions and explain your feedback further. Feedback should be a two-way conversation. Encourage Self-reflection: Ask questions that encourage them to critique their own work, fostering critical thinking and self-improvement.

I've often found that allowing the designer to dig into their interests and passions brings the most innovative and creative work I've ever seen. We often get bogged down by limitations and trite formulas. However, if you let the designer know its ok to fail and they are free to push their designs, you not only get better results and a happier, more engaged designer, but you also get a designer who is ready to learn from their experiment.

I try to emphasize that every project, even one that leads to nothing, will pay off somewhere down the road. So be curious, and I also demand the time for you to be curious.

Highlight Progress: Recognize and commend improvements and achievements in their work over time. Encourage Learning: Recommend resources, such as books, courses, or seminars, that can help them improve their skills.

Less experienced Designers usually don't question themselves when coming up with features. Harsh schedules and rushed presentations are the anteroom for disaster, and it shows in many games. Embracing brainstorming and asking "Why?" regularly until the feature is solid enough to answer most instances with a concise and solid answer is crucial to both strengthen a Game's design and to keep it aligned with the core audience. Design without questioning is authoritarianism. The sooner new Designers understand asking questions is not wrong, the stronger their professional (and personal) growth.

¿Cuál es el objetivo del juego? ¿Qué es lo que más disfrutas al crearlo/jugarlo? ¿Quiénes te gustaría que jueguen? ¿Si pudieras hacer una analogia con estilos musicales,con cuales se podría representar? ¿Qué estado te genera jugarlo?

Private Setting: Feedback should ideally be given in a private setting to avoid putting the designer on the spot in front of peers. Right Time: Choose a time when neither of you is rushed or stressed. This ensures that your feedback is considered and that the designer is in the right mindset to receive it.

Try to imagine the game that you are developing as if it already existed, than keep that in your mind, whrite it down, play with that idea, try to feel what you would like to feel while playing it, only than, start the documentation, do a brainstorm session with your team, or by yorself, just do it, than you can start developing it, you will have the target in your mind and in a document, now, just go straight to the target!

Emphasize that, as an analyst, you are a resource to be taken advantage of by the design team. So any young designer who will ask for data, analytics, or just a consult will be looked at as someone who can take care of themselves and is, therefore, more trustworthy with bigger tasks in the future

Offer Ongoing Support: Let them know you’re available for questions or further discussion as they make revisions. Set Checkpoints: Schedule follow-up meetings to review progress and ensure that the feedback has been understood and acted upon.

Game Designers need to keep tabs with the team, especially the junior Designers. Making mistakes is not unexpected and, quite frankly, it's the best way to learn what works and what does not work. If something tanks, why? And if it works, ask yourself why as well. Follow up on features designed by Juniors and provide both feedback and encouragement.

One of the most important things to teach a Junior game designer is how to take feedback and also how to ask for it. Our job heavily relies on feedback, though we are all artists looking for expression, it is equally important for our ideas to be expressed clearly, in digestable manner by sufficiently large number of people. It is pointless for us to put what we think and what we want on the page or game design document if no one enjoys the game but us. The game works perfectly in our heads, its already fun for us. Our job is to let others enjoy it just as well, to share our joy of gaming with the world. Our responsibility is to make our games not just fun but also beautiful and comprehensible.