How did begin your career in the games industry?
– After studying Design & Visual Communication at university, I started my career as a graphic designer for a board game company. I thought it was a dream job at the time… but I soon grew bored and felt unfulfilled. When a friend encouraged me to apply for a job at EA on The Sims, I was convinced that I was under-qualified, under-skilled, and under-talented… But I’m also very stubborn, so I applied anyway — despite being terrified and feeling like an absolute fraud!
I stayed up all night making a customised application, titled Hire-A-Sim, showing myself designed in the game’s style with all my skills and values listed as different bars on the sides — similar to the game’s Create-A-Sim screen. To my surprise, they called me up 20 min after I’d submitted it, and a week later I received a job offer! Turns out I was in fact good; I was just doubting my own abilities.
A study by Hewlett Packard at the time found that men applied for jobs where they met only 60% of the criteria, but women only applied for ones where they met 100% of them. I quickly learnt the value of the expression, “Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man”.
And thus I fell into video games; finding my niche in creating digital experiences and exploring the way in which people interact with them… ✨
What motivates you as a game developer?
— My motivation as a UX Designer is fuelled by a combination of empathy for players, curiosity for problem-solving, and a desire to make meaningful contributions to both the industry and the lives of those within it. Working as a game developer is an incredibly unique experience. The ability to have an ongoing dialogue with our audience — wherever they may be — thanks to the level of detailed and passionate engagement that they have, and the sheer depth of how we can use that player feedback to shape our work in return, is a luxury that very few other industries have. I quickly realised that my passion lies in the interaction between game developers and players, getting to be a sort of ‘interpreter’ between the two. I help translate the game developers’ vision and bring it to life in a way that players can understand and experience it — and then help translate players’ feedback back to the team, in order to help shape that vision going forwards. Understanding what resonates with players, and seeing them enjoy the experiences we create with that knowledge, is a huge part of what keeps me excited about what I do.
The other aspect revolves around the unparalleled power that video games have in forging shared experiences. In a world full of challenges, anxiety and chaos, games offer refuge — a sanctuary where people can escape reality and transcend the limitations they may face in the real world. Video games are a truly unique medium with unending possibilities. And as game developers, we’re able to offer people the ability to freely express themselves, explore alternate identities, shape their own narratives, and be whoever they may want to be that day. Games can also be so overwhelmingly intimate… They have the power to nestle their way straight into people’s minds and hearts, and provide them with emotions and experiences that they never might have had otherwise.
I’m fuelled by a combination of my empathy for people and my curiosity for puzzle-solving. I have a relentless drive to continuously improve things around me, and a desire to make meaningful contributions to both the industry and the lives of those within it. I am committed to challenging norms, advocating passionately for inclusivity, and empowering players through my work. As a UX Designer that happens to be a queer woman with both a cognitive (ADHD) and physical (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) disability, my personal experiences with marginalisation have helped shape the way that I’ve developed within my craft. They’ve provided firsthand insight into daily accessibility challenges people may face, and underscored the importance of designing games that both accommodate and accurately represent its players. This awareness of the way that various aspects of one’s identity intersect and influence our experiences is particularly relevant in UX design, as it provides a nuanced understanding of how we can shape our games to better accommodate player needs — leading to more inclusive, player-centric design solutions for all players. My goal for everything in life (both in- and outside of games) is to leave every space I touch slightly better than it was before; slightly more engaging and intuitive, and slightly more thoughtfully put together in a way that puts the user’s needs first.
How do you think the gaming community and industry can better support and uplift underrepresented voices to ensure a more inclusive environment?
— First of all, create more inclusive, player-centric, and accessible games! Accessibility in games today unfortunately still remains limited, denying many the opportunity to play them. Games could—and should!—be created in ways that allow everyone the chance to experience them the way that they were intended. Every living being on this earth deserves to be able to play. And games with good accessibility benefit everybody!
The best way to create diverse, inclusive games is by amplifying those voices in our game development teams — but for this we need more diverse voices in our teams to begin with! Companies ought to make the extra effort to promote inclusive hiring practices, such as implementing blind recruitment processes to reduce bias and ensure that we evaluate candidates fairly. We know that the majority of candidates applying for games jobs are able-bodied white men, so meeting the challenge of diverse recruitment head on entails actively recruiting individuals from diverse backgrounds, and ensuring they know that they are encouraged to apply.
We can also be financially supporting indie developers from underrepresented backgrounds, as well as the organisations that advocate for them. Companies can offer their employees education and training such as unconscious bias workshops, as well as investing in events and initiatives that uplift underrepresented voices. And if you’re unsure of whether or not your game is accessible and inclusive or not — playtest with diverse players! There are several organisations that offer playtesting services (such as AbleGamers’ Player Panels) where disabled gamers play your game and provide the team with invaluable feedback.
Lastly, something that often gets overlooked is simply retaining diverse talent. Because what good is investing all that effort into recruiting underrepresented people if we then can’t hold on to them? When I was selected for IGDA Foundation’s Next Gen Leaders program I learnt that women in games were classed as veterans after just four years, due to our short career expectancy… which is terrible! So, to prevent haemorrhaging diverse talent from our industry, it’s crucial to actively foster environments where they can flourish. Given the lower glass ceiling for women and other marginalised communities, this also means ensuring they have ample opportunities to grow and progress in their careers. Having e.g. 30% women at your company may seem great at a glance — but not if they’re all in junior roles and unable to influence how women are treated at the company. Rather than focussing on overall company statistics, analyse the representation of marginalised groups in decision-making roles. And if those numbers aren’t looking great, well… now you know what company goal to set for the coming year :)
Are there specific initiatives or programs that you believe can further promote diversity and inclusion in the gaming industry?
— There are so many great people working tirelessly for this: AbleGamers, GameDev Force, WIGI, Black Girls Code, IDGAF, and AnyKey to name a few… A note though that promoting diversity and inclusion requires ongoing effort and commitment from all levels of the industry — including leadership with decision-making power, as well as allies of all levels! This work shouldn’t always be done by marginalised folks, who are often already exhausted from doing endless emotional labour every day on top of their regular jobs.
How do you see the role of women evolving in the gaming world, and what positive changes have you witnessed over the years?
— There’s been an increase in the representation of women across various roles in the industry, but especially in executive roles, which has naturally been accompanied by a growing trend towards more diverse and well-rounded female characters in games, moving away from stereotypes and clichés, which I think is great, of course! As for positive changes I’ve witnessed, things like realising that everyone in your work meeting happens to be women is always a treat! As is joining a new company and discovering they have employee mentorship programs, which wasn’t something I’d ever seen when I first joined the industry.
What advice do you have for young women aspiring to enter the gaming industry?
— “Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man.” Don't let imposter syndrome hold you back from pursuing opportunities you could potentially get. Apply for roles even if you don't perfectly meet all the criteria, and believe in your abilities.
To build your professional network, attend game developer's conferences and events, and consider volunteering to meet peers. Engage in game jams like the Global Game Jam or Valkyrie Jam to connect with professionals and create portfolio pieces. Volunteering at them is a great option if you’re on a budget, or simply looking for more ways to meet industry people. Game jams (such as the Global Game Jam, or Valkyrie Jam here in Sweden) are also a great way to meet professional peers and create more portfolio pieces. Join online communities on Discord, Facebook, or Slack. (Groups like "We can fix it in UI" and "IGDA Games Research & UX SIG" are super valuable resources for those interested in UI and/or UX.) Don’t be afraid to seek mentorship, approach seniors that you respect and politely ask them if they’d be willing to mentor you. You’d be surprised at how unintimidating and flattered those people often are!
Hone your skills in your particular craft to stand out in what we all know is a highly competitive industry. Stay informed about industry trends, and be persistent in pursuing your goals. If you’re struggling to find opportunities, create your own by starting small projects or collaborating with others (^ game jams!) as every single good opportunity I’ve ever had always came via someone I knew. But above all, stay true to yourself and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through in your work!
I’d like to finish off by sharing a talk that I was a part of at GDC last year, and that I’m super proud of. We discussed the causes, impact, and potential solutions for occupational burnout among game developers — and this is extra important for marginalised communities as we often face have many more factors that contribute to a higher risk of burnout. It’s such an important conversation, so I’m really glad that the people at GDC agreed and made it publicly available and free to access!
And here is the document that I link to at the end of the talk, which is a collection of resources I put together for both employees and employers affected by burnout — as well all of the slides etc from the talk itself: Occupational Burnout: Resources (GDC 2023).
