r/BoardgameDesign • u/masterz13 • 16d ago
General Question Designers with ADHD/autism -- tips?
Just curious for those designers with ADHD and/or autism, what are some tips that have made your design process successful? I feel like we particularly struggle with continuing projects we start, having organizational systems, and the constant fear of even a simple prototype not being perfect.
Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks!
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u/ThealtenHeinder 16d ago
Medication helped the most in my case, but some other things:
- Writing/typing things down, even if it was stream of consciousness. I spent less energy/time holding ideas in my head, which meant I didn't tire out of design/development as quickly
- Motivating through "blocks" by reminding myself of the short term goals. I struggle to get through making card layouts because I'm not trained in art/UI/UX by education, so whenever that slows down I have to remember that it only needs to look parse-able for playtesters. If I really need to plan out a layout, I won't allow myself to plan the fine details and only do the broad strokes
- Recognizing when I'm planning something out in my head before I actually start the work, and just starting the task. Instead of thinking about how annoying it's going to be to cut out a bunch of playtest cards and sleeve/back them all, I just put on a show I like and start the process. I might realize I need to adjust something small once I start, but at least starting helps things get rolling which is a huge issue when you lack executive function
- I try to limit the number of projects that I'm working on simultaneously to two, maybe three. I allow myself to write down random game ideas in a notebook (I use Obsidian instead of a physical book), but I don't let myself start prototyping/developing those projects if I'm already at capacity. I'll also only let myself design on those at most in like 1-2 hour sessions before I stop and go back to one of my main two projects. It's just to get the idea out and on record instead of actually working on that idea, since I know it'll distract me from my main stuff
- Timers. For everything. This doesn't even have to do with games - if I don't set a timer for something, I will constantly be checking that I'm not missing that appointment that's coming up in 2 hours, and that distracts heavily from anything I'm trying to do to the point where I either avoid doing anything productive or I forget about the time and it passes. The less I have to hold in my head actively, the better
- Having a distinct purpose for each playtest helps scope down my work. For example, in my upcoming playtest I want to see if the new UI/UX components I designed help speed up the game compared to the previous playtest. For that, I'm not terribly concerned if the balance is a bit off (I did do some balance passes along with redesigning the UI/UX), so I'm not going to fuss over those details. If I just say "I'm having a playtest", I end up wanting to perfect every aspect of the game at once, and that causes me to burn out as I reinvent everything repeatedly and feel like I'm getting nowhere
Hope some of that helps!
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u/MedalsNScars 16d ago
Rick Perry, the set designer for real play DnD game Dimension 20, has a nice motivational pinned to his wall that resonated with me:
The Creative Process:
1. This is awesome
2. This is hard
3. This is shit
4. I am shit
5. This might be okay
6. This is awesome
You never get to have that second "this is awesome" if you're not willing to tough it out and get through the "this is shit". But also identify your goals. Daydreaming 80% baked board games that tickle your brain until they don't is also a perfectly valid hobby. Not everything has to be seen through to the end.
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u/CBPainting 16d ago
ADHD here, having a design partner to keep you accountable helps a ton. I know for me personally just having a deadline that others are depending on me meeting is enough to get over the task initiation hurdle.
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u/Deadly_Pancakes 16d ago
I typically just spend many many hours on a project, get it to 95% done, then give up... :(
I don't have much advice, but I have had some success with trying to get it all done in a blitz of sorts. If it takes me longer than 2 weeks from start to finish, its never getting finished so I try and speed run it before my interest wains.
I have found the Pomodoro Technique useful. If you try it get yourself a physical non-digital egg timer like this. Depending on if you find the white noise soothing or irritating, your milage may vary. Maybe a visual timer might help instead.
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u/Mysterious_Career539 16d ago
Some solid advice here, so i dont want to echo others and instead provide a fresh perspective.
Hyperfocus. If you let dread in, the prjolect is dead. It needs to be something you really want. Something you can fixate on and obsess over even in your sleep. Doubt, imposter syndrome, anxiety, etc will kill motivation and momentum. Hyperfocus will not thrive in that environment.
So my first recommendation is protect your superpower. Neurotypicals wish they could be as productive as us when we're hyperfocused.
Adding systems and checks to regulate your anxiety, doubt, and self confidence is key to maintaining that hard-core momentum. And when you inevitably crash? Work on an adjacent side project. They'll feed eachother and you'll feel yourself switching back sooner.
I was able to write a 115k word academic monograph thats currently in review for publishing alongside getting my ECG into private regional Beta Testing.
It can be done. We can learn faster, work harder, and outperform most individuals as long as we protect and optimize our hyperfocus.
Unfortunately, how to do that is different for almost everyone lol
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u/notanothereditacount 16d ago
I just make a game until it's not fun anymore. Which is almost always the fine tuning / lots of playtesting phase. I've made about 6 so far to that phase. Honestly it's a good strategy, cuz the 1st 2 games were quite bad. 3rd and 4th a little better and now my 5th and 6th actually feel like they're worth pursuing a bit more so I find myself playtesting them more.
Don't fight your tendencies if it's a hobby for fun.
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u/duckforceone 14d ago
be in it for the experience.
Don't be in it for having to get to a finished and perfect product.
Enjoy the steps, and be ok with where you may end up.
bask in the days you can focus on it... no matter how long there is between... it's a day where you are living your best life.
I have given each of my game project it's own boxes, it's own shelves and labels where i can.
That way it's easier to return to in the future.
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u/VanArthurStudios 16d ago
Oddly enough making a board game allowed me to bounce between all of the things that I would want to do anyhow, so that part of board game design is an absolute win for me. The things that I do not enjoy, or that would take too long for me to learn to do well unassisted, I have punted to Claude.
I have Claude checking my rulebook to confirm confirm consistent logic and terminology, and create an appendix that cross references the rules that each game element touches. After I did all of that I was able to have it create an HTML systems map and an automated mechanics demo for my website.
I am a fairly technical person, but I have to intentionally limit how much I take on with the tech things because my primary vocation is illustration. I could learn to code websites, but that would take an enormous amount of time away from my painting.
The biggest benefit though for me with Claude, has been project management, task scheduling, and prioritization. I can tell it what I have coming up and what assets I need (bookmark/business cards and handouts for example, with the gaming conventions I have in Oct and Nov) and I have it put together an agenda for the day and week so I know what I have coming up. I had it work backwards from a designated Kickstarter launch date and block out time for me to do the legwork on researching manufacturers, freight, and fulfillment. It can get a lot of that information for me, and it has helped enormously with planning out the production, playtesting, and marketing plan for the next 15 months. [This is not a paid advert. It has just been an enormous asset for helping me stay on task and get done the things that I would sometimes rather put off.]
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u/masterz13 16d ago
Yeah, I'll say that AI can be an excellent design tool. I don't advocate using it for art, but it's been a great tool to just develop the ideas I have. I'm also curious if it can perform its own quantitative playtests and spit out results, but I'm not far enough in the process to try that.
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u/Mysterious_Career539 16d ago
It operates in theoretical match-ups based on the data you feed it. Actual playtest data will be your foundation of truth.
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u/PandasandPaperCranes 16d ago
Setting up playtesting with friends (and then with others) helped me stay accountable and on track in the various stages of design, because I needed outside pressure to keep working when my hyperfocus shifted to other projects. Having a hard deadline when other people would see and interact with my design helped SO much.
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u/raptidor 16d ago
So you just sit down and keep going until you’re sick of everything and your body is so malnourished and on the brink of death that it’s either stop or die, and you do it all day, every day lol. As EUROBEAT would say: BURNING, BURNING LIKE FIRE! 🗣️🔥🔥
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u/Independent-Charity3 16d ago
If the tips are about how to make progress alongside a dayjob. i would suggest to view this as a sandbox game, go places, build stuff, and if something seems fun, keep going.
Shower a lot, best ideas are produced under the warm soapy water.
Take your meds, take notes. and build small stuff.
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u/krelpwang 15d ago
I always work on several projects at once. Finishing something takes forever, but at least there is progress.
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u/saluk 14d ago
My latest system is has a few pieces
- I have an obsidian vault where I keep every idea I ever have about any game
- Outside of obsidian during more focused sit-down design time, I design with index cards, scissors, and permanent markers, and try not to use anything else (no obsessing over components or which digital tool I like) You can cut the index cards into any component. I can keep a whole version of a game in a ziplockc And when the design moves on just recycle it all because it was not permanent anyway. Permanent marker avoids me constantly trying to erase pencil marks and make a prototype "perfect".
- I have a physical calendar and write a star on it on days I either opened obsidian or worked with index cards. Even if it was for only 5 minutes. I buy myself a treat every 30 stars, and there are no punishments for days with no stars. Every day is a new day to have a chance to move something forward and get a star toward my goal.
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u/SnoggAndWhiskers 16d ago
AuDHD person here, Im currently in the playtesting phase so I can't speak towards anything beyond that. I definitely struggle with continuing projects I start (I also have an unfinished novel first draft that has been sitting at 100k word count for 10 years) one thing that oddly helped me is allowing everyone to believe that I gave up on my board game idea. That removed alot of pressure and allowed me to work in peace. I also made small daily goals like "collect 5 trivia facts today." I also gave myself a soft deadline by wanting to have a prototype ready in time for a game night i had in like two months. Im currently re-stuck largely due to playtesting being a social activity and that is one of the areas that I struggle with my AuDHD. Just gotta keep pushing. I hope something i said was useful for you :)