Congratulations! You’ve worked hard to hone your storytelling chops. You’ve studied dialogue, character arcs, and interactive narratives. You’ve built a portfolio that shows what you can do.
All that hard work got you in the door. YES!!
But you keep running into the same frustrating wall at work, and you don't know what is going on.
- Your ideas get ignored.
- Your pitches don’t land.
- Your role on the project feels smaller than it should be.
Dang it! What is the problem here?
At most studios, that barrier is up for one reason, and one reason only.
It’s not because your stories lack potential.
It’s because you don’t speak design.
Most game writers today are hitting a career ceiling not because of writing gaps—but because they lack design literacy.
And that’s a skill you can absolutely learn.
What Is Design Literacy?
Design literacy just means understanding, at a high level, how games are built — how design systems, player psychology, and gameplay mechanics work together to shape the player’s experience.
It’s not the same as being a designer. You don’t need to code, create levels, or balance combat stats. (Thank God.)
But you do need to understand how designers think, what constraints they work under, and how your story ideas fit (or don’t fit) into the design process.
Design literacy allows you to:
- Collaborate effectively with design and development teams.
- Pitch ideas that get accepted because they support both narrative and gameplay goals.
- Identify design problems and propose solutions (instead of just highlighting narrative issues).
- Earn creative trust from your colleagues—which leads to more influence and bigger opportunities.
Why This Matters to Your Career
Studios don’t just want great writers. They want team members who can solve design problems through story.
That’s why you’ll see less experienced writers getting promoted, invited into design conversations, or getting hired over candidates with stronger writing skills.
They understand the language of design.
They make the designer’s job easier, not harder.
They pitch ideas that work for the game the studio is building.
And that makes them superstars on the team.
The Benefits of Design Literacy
When you can hold your own in a team meeting with designers, you'll find you have:
🧩 Better Collaboration
You stop feeling like a writer "tacked onto the end" of the process and start becoming a creative partner from day one.
🎮 More Creative Control
When you understand what’s possible (and why), your ideas are no longer dismissed as "too complicated" or "off scope." You shape the player experience alongside the designers.
🚀 Faster Career Growth
Design-literate writers don’t just get hired more often—they build reputations as reliable collaborators and problem-solvers. That reputation opens doors.
How to Start Building Your Design Literacy
Here’s the good news: you don’t need to become a designer to gain design literacy.
You can start today:
- Look for Patterns. When playing games, observe how narrative and gameplay influence each other. What works? What doesn’t? Why?
Or take the faster route:
Join our latest training program, designed to teach writers the exact design skills that studios expect you to have.
Learn What The Pros Know
How To Work With Game Designers: A Writer's Guide opens for registration May 19.
Lead designer Will Shen (Fallout, Skyrim) built this class for writers, and he teaches every lesson. If you've ever wanted a game designer to give you a roadmap for how to be effective and successful, this course is for you.
In this six-week course, you’ll learn:
✅ Design literacy fundamentals
✅ How to pitch ideas designers say yes to
✅ Real-world collaboration strategies from award-winning game designer Will Shen
✅ How to grow your creative influence inside studios or freelance teams
Join the waitlist now and be first to know when doors open.
🎁 Bonus: When you sign up, you'll get a free copy of The Writer-To-Designer Conversation Starter Pack: 10 Questions That Build Trust, Spark Ideas, and Prevent Idea Shutdowns.
Use it to dazzle and amaze your designers at your next meeting!
Designers can be a mystery - but they don't have to be. Check out these related articles:
Susan’s first job as a game writer was for “a slumber party game - for girls!” She’s gone on to work on over 25 projects, including award-winning titles in the BioShock, Far Cry and Tomb Raider franchises. Titles in her portfolio have sold over 30 million copies and generated over $500 million in sales. She founded the Game Narrative Summit at GDC. Now, she partners with studios, publishers, and writers to help teams ship great games with great stories. She is dedicated to supporting creatives in the games industry so that they can do their best work.