Graphic Design and Game Design

As most of you are aware, Drowning Moon Studios consists of only myself and various freelancers I hire for specific projects. This is not unusual in the tabletop industry--in fact it's more common than not--but that means, as a designer and publisher, I have to wear many hats. This has never been much a problem, but there are definitely areas where I'm weaker than not.

One of those areas is graphic design and, while most of the early DMS covers were made by a specific designer, lately I've been doing a lot of artwork on my own. While I have some fine art training, and a lot of experience formatting book interiors, I am much less practiced at creating and modifying images. I have a decent working knowledge of Photoshop, and some experience with InDesign, but I'm never satisfied with my own attempts at graphic design.

Because of this, I finally bit the bullet and began searching for courses I could take online. Luckily, I found a class series on graphic design principles hosted by CalArts, and have been working my way through each class. I've also been incorporating what I've learned into DMS's newer releases. I've only been doing this for two months, and I've learned so much. I really regret that I didn't think to do this sooner.

It goes without saying that graphic design is an extremely important aspect of game design, especially if you're planning to publish and sell your own games. Much like fiction publishing, many customers do judge a gaming book by its cover, and the cover art can often make or break a potential sale. Internal art is slightly less important--from my experience, having a nicely laid-out book is actually what matters more--but it can lead to increased sales if the art is particularly striking. Yet, game designers shouldn't be expected to also be graphic designers, and this creates a unique sort of catch-22.

I chose to increase my knowledge in graphic design for two reasons: 

• It definitely saves money if I do the work myself.
• I really enjoy creating art and graphics for my games. 

I find the process of creating art very meditative, where writing and system design tend to be more emotionally intense. This also means that I can tweak artwork to my specifications, without having the the struggle of trying to communicate what I want to another person. Finally, I'm working toward a UX/UI specialization, which is extremely useful for game design. I have a lot to say about user-facing design, but it's probably best that I save that for a future post.

Suffice to say, the choice to study graphic design in-depth is exceptionally useful as a game publisher, and I'm glad I have the privilege of doing so. If you want to publish games and don't want to dedicate your time to learning graphic design principles, however, you shouldn't feel pressured. There are plenty of professionals in the tabletop industry who can do that for you. For example, a good art director is worth their weight in gold. If you are interested in learning about graphic design, however, you can definitely apply what you learn to creating more attractive, visually interesting games.