Running the Table

In this series I will show you how to take tried and true Lean UX methods, used by successful product design teams across the globe, and apply them to create engaging Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

What?

• We’re going to talk to our players before we create anything.
• We’re going to use that feedback to figure out the best thing to create.
• Then we’re going to create it.

From the game’s publisher, Wizards of the Coast, “The core of D&D is storytelling. You and your friends tell a story together, guiding your heroes through quests for treasure, battles with deadly foes, daring rescues, courtly intrigue, and much more.”
https://dnd.wizards.com/dungeons-and-dragons/what-is-dd

According to interactiondesign.org, “Lean UX is focused on the experience under design and is less focused on deliverables than traditional UX. It requires a greater level of collaboration with the team.”
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/a-simple-introduction-to-lean-ux

Using UX research and agile sprint planning techniques, we will take a player-centered approach to campaign and game design.

Part 1: Defining a Vision for your Campaign
By researching the D&D landscape and talking to potential players, we will define a campaign vision that all can agree upon. Read more…

Part 2: Planning a Minimal Viable Product
We evaluate possible game ideas against the campaign vision, discovering needs and requirements for a successful game. Read more…

Part 3: Running Games as Agile Sprints
We take the minimal viable product and begin crafting effective game sessions, one at a time. Read more…