Page Text: How you can help!
The Game Design Library is an online research portal, currently in the making, meant to make it easier for everyone interested in topics about game development to quickly find what they are looking for. It’s further planned to add sections for beginners, adding recommended reading lists for certain topics, and last but not least a glossary, to collect and explain important terms and keywords used in the industry.
The site was previously known to be the Level Design Library, but already covered topics of game design, production and more – as such we decided to rename the site and officially expand the range we want to cover.
How it came to be
Birth in 2012 as simple collection of bookmarks.
Update in 2016 to a more profound google sheet collection of articles, books, and more.
2019/2020 start of the GD Library as a project, to find a more usable way to share the collection.
Birth in 2012 as simple collection of bookmarks.
Update in 2016 to a more profound google sheet collection of articles, books, and more.
2019/2020 start of the GD Library as a project, to find a more usable way to share the collection.
Now in 2020, the former personal collection of links to articles and books has been transformed to the more profound online catalog: the Game Design Library. It is still in the process of getting all the collected entries filled into it, as the original list has easily >900 entries, but it is a steady process and new links are added daily.
How it works
Link Collection
The first step involves a lot of collecting links, keeping track of new articles, podcasts, etc. and sorting out which could be of interest for game development.
Getting the Details
A range of automated scripts help to read out the general data and information from the links, and any holes that can’t be automatically read out are filled in by hand.
Into the Library
The last and important step is to transform the data into a more readable and presentable form, which is done again by scripts, and then imported into the library site.
Link Collection
The first step involves a lot of collecting links, keeping track of new articles, podcasts, etc. and sorting out which could be of interest for level designerst.
Getting the Details
A range of automated scripts help to read out the general data and information from the links, and any holes that can’t be automatically read out are filled in by hand.
Into the Library
The last and important step is to transform the data into a more readable and presentable form, which is done again by scripts, and then imported into the library site.
This combination of automated and human work has proven to be the best way to ensure the quality of the data and to make it sustainable regarding the time it consumes.
The people behind
Anja Schiffner
If I may introduce myself: My name is Anja Schiffner and I’m a Technical Designer at Ubisoft Reflections , and the main person behind the GD library.
Before joining the games industry, I was a system programmer with a focus on databases and data handling; from which my passion for organizing data comes from. I’m also quite the lover for architecture, space, and general design of all kinds.
To the website
Anja Schiffner
If I may introduce myself: My name is Anja Schiffner and I’m a Technical Designer at Ubisoft Reflections , and the main person behind the GD library.
Before joining the games industry, I was a system programmer with a focus on databases and data handling; from which my passion for organizing data comes from. I’m also quite the lover for architecture, space, and general design of all kinds.
To the website
Celina Wijesekera
Hey there! I’m Celina Wijesekera, online also known as ZombieCeli and I’m a Digital Designer at Ravensburger and the creative support for the LD library.
In my free time I’m working on illustrations and vector art (like these here!) while being a volunteer for the Riot Games Community for over 5 years. I became friends with Anja while studying Game Design together.
To the website
The Future
There is still a lot to do and many plans for the future to evolve the LD Library to what it can become!
"Where to start" site
A site meant to help and guide people new to game development, to help them on their first steps of their journey.
Increasing the Library
The biggest, most important, and continuous job is obviously to increase the library, to add the already collected links, and also add other media like books, courses, thesis, videos and more.
Glossary
The next big update is going to the Glossary, which will be a list of important and widely used terms that are used in the industry, with a thorough description, examples, proper background information, and links to useful articles.
Increasing the Library
The biggest, most important, and continuous job is obviously to increase the library, to add the already collected links, and also add other media like books, courses, thesis, videos and more.
"Where to start" site
A site meant to help and guide people new to game development, to help them on their first steps of their journey.
Glossary
The next big update is going to the Glossary, which will be a list of important and widely used terms that are used in the industry, with a thorough description, examples, proper background information, and links to useful articles.
How you can help!
Like every project, this one is as well in need of a little help.
The biggest and easiest way to help is to share it, as a library is only as useful as it is being used. Share it with people at your university, co-workers, fellow students, or your friends that love to mod in their free time!
If you also have feedback of any kind you want to share, please feel free to contact us via social media or email! Every bit of feedback to improve the Game Dev Library is more than welcome!
Spread the word!