korrents

What Daniel Cook thinks about design

@daniel-cook · 8 positions · 0 changes of mind

Game designer and social-systems designer, chief creative officer at Spry Fox and co-creator of Triple Town, Alphabear and Cozy Grove. Has written about game design theory, prosocial multiplayer and the economics of making games at Lost Garden since 2004.

Everything they publish, on ppll ↗

Daniel Cook did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

6 dated positions, 2023, in their own words. Our reading of what Daniel Cook has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingA designer’s obligation is to satisfy real human needs rather than to manufacture needs that pay.

    Their wordsEvery team should ensure they are fulfilling real human needs over merely inducing needs for profit.

    ↗A design practice for social systemslostgarden.com 2nd of 4 in this piece

    Interesting

  3. Our readingThe job of a multiplayer designer is to grow a community, not to make gamified numbers go up.

    Their wordsWe are no longer in the business of delivering systems where players make gamified numbers go up.

    ↗A design practice for social systemslostgarden.com 3rd of 4 in this piece

    Interesting

  5. Our readingThe social sciences have theory but not a design practice, which is why building working social systems falls to game designers.

    Their wordsA big moment of realization for me is that most of the social sciences are not design practices.

    ↗A design practice for social systemslostgarden.com 4th of 4 in this piece

    Interesting
  6. 3 months earlier

  7. Our readingThe more freedom a design gives people to interact, the more of that freedom will be abused.

    Their wordsThe more freedom you give players, the more they will abuse it.

    ↗Closed social affordances / Open social affordances in social systems designlostgarden.com 2nd of 4 in this piece

    Interesting

  9. Our readingPeople will pry open any communication channel a designer tries to close, because the need to connect is stronger than the constraint.

    Their wordsSocial affordances are naturally open because humans crave social connection and will pry open channels that designers tried to close off.

    ↗Closed social affordances / Open social affordances in social systems designlostgarden.com 3rd of 4 in this piece

    Interesting

  11. Our readingPeople who do not yet trust each other are better served by tightly limited ways to interact.

    Their wordsLow trust players benefit from closed affordances.

    ↗Closed social affordances / Open social affordances in social systems designlostgarden.com 4th of 4 in this piece

    Interesting