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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Beginning of the End" data-source="post: 5521159" data-attributes="member: 55271">The article is somewhat deceptive, IMO, because it sort of glosses over the first phase of design: Brainstorming.Ico's designer drew on industry-wide brainstorming to create a big pile of "platformer ideas" that he then began subtracting elements from. Portal was actually <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3839/thinking_with_portals_creating_.php?print=1" target="_blank">refined</a> from a completely different game.Reading through that link will also show how, at key moment in the design process, things were added which were deemed to be missing form the experience.I think there are two important lessons here:(1) Set specific goals for what you're trying to achieve.(2) Analyze the baggage of the genre/medium you're working in. Figure out how much of that baggage is unnecessary.(3) Throughout your design process, remember that problems can be solved by removing problematic elements, not just adding new stuff.By the same token, you have to make sure that you've accurately identified your goals. This is particularly true if you're designing something for a wide audience. And even more true if you're revising something with an existing fan/customber base. If you misidentify your audience's needs ("word processing software is about writing things, therefore this support for including pictures is irrelevant" or "D&D is all about killing monsters") then your audience will be less than happy with you.</blockquote>

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