My name is Chad and I’m a designer, which means I really like to sit around and talk about a subject way past the point where normal people find it interesting or entertaining, I make problems for others to solve (for players and for coworkers), and I have an affinity for presenting problems and solutions in three parts.
Why did you choose to work in game development?
I probably heard someone say, “Do what you love” and it was this or design and build drones for the military, since I use to love putting bottle rockets on R/C planes and fire them remotely. Considering how drones have been/are being used I’m very happy with my choice.
What part of your role do you enjoy the most?
When others play with a feature I’ve built and I get to see how much they enjoy it. It’s the best feeling.
What inspires you?
Naps and breaks. I’m completely serious. There’s nothing that motivates me more than being away from a troubling and complicated task. The longer I have to spend away from a problem, the stronger my desire to return to it and solve it.
What is your favorite videogame genre?
I don’t have any favorites that are still my go to today, as my tastes and preferences change over time. I tend to obsess over a few games for a few years and then move onto something else. My most recent obsessions are Factorio and Overwatch.
What would you be doing if you couldn’t make video games for a living?
I took a step out of the game industry for a few years and did UX design (specifically interaction design), I might go back to that or I might do something else like woodworking or prop making.
If you could give some advice to someone who wants to work in this industry / do what you do, what would it be?
The entire computer industry is going to try and get you to work as many hours as they can. It’s hard, but you’re going to need to figure out how to resist that and take time away from work and do other things. The best people I know in this industry spend a serious amount of time away from work doing things not related to their day job. You need time away from work to allow inspiration to happen.
If you had a superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?
When I was a child I wanted to fly and rescue people from buildings and now I want to stop the world from being on fire or maybe end gerrymandering and increase voter participation.
