What is Workflow?
Work•flow /ˈwərkflō/
“The sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.” – lexico.com
What is a quality workflow? How do we develop it? Below are elements of the production cycle that most creative people move through as they create something. First, we must identify the stages of project production. What is each stage and what are the quality checks for each stage. Read on and find out!
Stages of Creation Development
Inspiration
How do we find ideas to develop?
- WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE? Mild exercise is very important in thinking of ideas.
- WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE? The most important process to have relating to inspiration is having a way to write your ideas down as you’re getting them
- HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY? Reflection. This is a good way of getting rid of bad ideas. Sometimes something can sound good at first, but not so good thinking about it later.
- WHO MEASURES QUALITY? Quality of an idea is best measured in how easy it is to make a product from it (aside from technical challenges). If the project remains exiting and motivating, you probably had a good idea
Intention
How do we clarify our specific goal(s) for a project?
- WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE? Writing down intentions is the best way of keeping them in mind when making a project.
- WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE? Clarify what the end product should accomplish in terms of user experience, and make sure that idea is involved in every step of development.
- HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY? Good intentions for a product are focused on the user, so an intention for what the user experience should be will always be best.
- WHO MEASURES QUALITY? Users can usually decide if the creators intention had them in mind
Pre-production
How can we brainwrite, brainstorm, storyboard, and plan our ideas at this phase?
- WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE? Other people. Some ideas are better than others, and groups are usually better at deciding what those are
- WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE? Draw out what you have in your head on what the game will look like
- HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY? How much of the product you can plan, and how much you leave up to production
- WHO MEASURES QUALITY? The planning team
Production
How do we communicate with each other and execute our plan for this phase? This is where we actually make the project.
- WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE? Game engine, coding knowledge, etc.
- WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE? Make pre-production ideas reality and then go from there
- HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY? How does the product line up with the plan? Does it feel like it was intended to feel while playing it?
- WHO MEASURES QUALITY? Those who’s ideas are being put into practice
Post-production
How do we communicate with each other and execute our final stages of the project for this phase? This is where we publish the project.
- WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE? Outside perspectives, like play testers
- WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE? Get feedback, and adjust based on the feedback
- HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY? If the changes made in post production make the playing experience better
- WHO MEASURES QUALITY? The play testers
Presentation/Performance
How do we share our project with our learning community, advisory members, and the world?
- WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE? A public way for people to access the game
- WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE? At this point focus on advertising, and receiving feedback
- HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY? Feedback
- WHO MEASURES QUALITY? The player base
Feedback
How do we conduct a feedback session at the end of the project development cycle?
- WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE? A clear and established place for the community to give feedback.
- WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE? Respond to as much feedback as possible, and take it all into consideration.
- HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY? If users feel like they are being listened to
- WHO MEASURES QUALITY? The player base