YEAR 2 SEMESTER 1

Technical Designer Research

Role Research

In this group project, I was assigned the role of Technical Designer. In order to better fulfil this role within the project, I actively researched the position. I looked at its definition, daily responsibilities, and required skills, gradually building a more complete understanding of what a Technical Designer does.

What is a Technical Designer?

A Technical Designer is essentially a supportive role. They help reduce the technical workload of creative designers while acting as a bridge between the design team and the programming department. As discussed in a GDC 2019 talk on technical design, Technical Design is “the missing link between game designers and programmers.”

This means the role is not purely technical, nor purely design-based. Instead, it requires an understanding of both sides, helping communication and production run more smoothly across the team. Technical Designers act as the technical contact point for the design team. When the team encounters problems related to tools, workflow, or implementation, they know they can go to the Technical Designer for support or guidance.
Source:https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/why-you-need-a-technical-designer

What does a Technical Designer actually do?

In terms of gameplay development, Technical Designers use their programming knowledge to create testable prototypes. This allows design team members with limited programming experience to still take part in playtesting and iteration. They turn other designers’ abstract ideas, such as systems and mechanics, into working prototypes inside the engine.

In terms of teamwork, Technical Designers often act as mediators and translators. Miscommunication between designers and programmers can easily create serious development bottlenecks. For example, a designer’s request may be rejected by a programmer because “the engine does not support it,” when in reality the two sides may simply be describing the problem in different ways. The idea itself might still be technically possible, but the team lacks a shared language to discuss it clearly. The role of the Technical Designer is to solve this kind of communication gap.
Source:https://www.digipen.edu/showcase/news/digipen-game-design-disciplines-explained-technical-design

What skills are needed for this role?

On the technical side, a Technical Designer needs to be familiar with major game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine, as well as programming or scripting languages such as C++, C#, Python, or Lua. In addition to these hard skills, strong communication and collaboration skills across departments are also essential.

For entering the industry, many game studios value portfolios and practical experience more than academic background alone. Taking part in game jams, independent projects, or building personal game prototypes are all effective ways to develop skills, gain experience, and build connections.
Source:https://hitmarker.net/technical-design-jobs-in-the-video-game-industry-the-ultimate-quick-guide

Connecting this role to my own experience

Before taking part in this project, I already had some experience in game design. I understood how to design mechanics, write design documents, and organise creative ideas in a clear and structured way. This overlaps strongly with the work of a Technical Designer. A game designer needs to think about “how the game should be played,” while a Technical Designer needs to go one step further and consider “how this idea can be implemented in Unity.”

This project was developed by a small team of four people, so we did not have an additional dedicated programmer. Because of this team structure, I mainly took responsibility for both game design and programming implementation. On one hand, I was involved in designing gameplay mechanics, task flows, and interaction logic. On the other hand, I also needed to implement these ideas in Unity and turn them into testable and playable game features.

Therefore, my role was not only about proposing ideas, but also about taking part in the process from design to implementation. I was glad that I could help my group members bring their gameplay, interaction, and system ideas into the actual game, instead of leaving them only at the concept stage. This helped me understand the value of a Technical Designer more clearly in a small-team environment.

As this project was made in Unity, my existing experience with the engine allowed me to build basic systems and functional prototypes. Combined with my background in 2D and 3D concept design, I was able to understand visual assets and design intentions while also helping translate them into working game features.

My game design experience made it easier for me to understand my teammates’ ideas, while my Unity skills allowed me to directly participate in technical implementation. This reflects the core value of the Technical Designer role: in a small team, it is not only a bridge between design and technology, but also an important role that helps the team turn creative ideas into a working game with limited resources.

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@ KEVIN LIU WSA GAMES DESIGN AND ART