Root - A Usability Postmortem

Explore a 2021 GDC Board Game Design Summit session that delves into the development of 'Root', examining successes and failures in rules writing, graphic and component design, and user experience research. Learn from Leder Games' Joshua Yearsley as he shares valuable insights on game usability, including icon testing, storytelling feedback, affordances, false prompts, and the importance of context in product design. Discover strategies for effective teaching in game design, addressing cognitive load, and balancing asymmetric factions. Gain practical knowledge on synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods, and understand the challenges of enculturation in game development.

Introduction
What is Usability
Icon Testing
Storytelling Feedback
Crafting Feedback
What are affordances
What are false prompts
Example of false prompts
Context
Product Design
Law of Roots
Flame Wars
The Problem
David Foster Wallace
Decoupling norms and contextualizing norms
Cuba Libre
Brutal Warfare
Enculturation
Walkthrough
Walking Through Routes
Cognitive Load
Synchronous Teaching
Teaching Strategy
Teaching in Bars
Not everyone is ready
Factions are asymmetric
Teaching is useless
Asynchronous teaching
Conclusion