Episodes
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A new ask me anything form. Some example topics to ask me about like why I made a game for 2.5 years without publishing a whole lot about it publicly. And most important - it's official that Word Turtle Island is going to be available publicly as an early access game on Steam and Google Play June 21, 2024!
Related Links and Resources
Word Turtle Island - Details Plus Official TrailerWord Turtle Island - Press KitWord Turtle Island on Google PlayWord Turtle Island on SteamAsk Me Anything — Blog of an Interactive StorytellerSign up for my newsletterGames and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support What I Make
Wishlist Word Turtle Island on Steam.Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, and UX design: SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app -
Wort and Portia from Word Turtle Island
About 2.5 years. That's how long I've been working on Word Turtle Island to get it ready to publish as an early access game. It's about the right time to be getting the word out and to get myself into practice with showing up social. Practicing being more present even if it's chaotic and inconsistent. Such as this 20 some minute audio podcast. Hi.
Related Links and Resources
Tell The Damn Story, 305: How To Dive into Game Writing, And Make Words A Positive Weapon - YouTubeWord Turtle Island on SteamWord Turtle Island — Blog of an Interactive StorytellerSign up for my newsletterGames and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support What I Make
Wishlist Word Turtle Island on Steam.Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, and UX design: SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app -
Missing episodes?
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This is Spell, the magical cat who hosts a save place to practice spelling words.
In the middle of working on my next big game Word Turtle Island, where you use words as weapons to battle creatures taking away the books of power, the idea for Spell's Spelling came to me. In this episode of the Polytechnicast I reflect on how this came about and how sometimes a project that takes time away from another project can be worthwhile.
Related Links and Resources
Spell's Spelling Practice
Interactive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter
Games and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support the Polytechnicast
Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, and UX design: SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.
Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app
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In the overlapping circles of feasible, viable, desirable, what is the emphasis and culture practiced?
I received a question via my Mastodon account about minimum lovable product vs minimum viable product.
@[email protected]: "So @robstenzinger I was just reading about “minimum Lovable product” vs “minimum Viable product” because you want to have enough features to maximize love of a core group of users - do you think this is a real strategy?"
Related Links and Resources
Audiences and Principles to Help Create Meaningful Products Instead of Bolt-On-UX — Blog of an Interactive Storyteller
More posts and extras like coaching sessions at my Buy Me a Coffee page (coaching sessions are all sold out again, stay tuned)
Interactive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter
Games and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support the Polytechnicast
Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, and UX design: SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.
Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app
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W-O-R-D up.
Reflecting on game development and how it feels affirming in a way that other video game projects meet delays. I thought I'd have Word Turtle Island ready for first or even early access by now yet I also feel good about how it's coming along.
Related Links and Resources
Why are so many video games delayed and cancelled? - VerdictWhy Video Games Are Delayed So Often
More posts and extras like coaching sessions at my Buy Me a Coffee page (coaching sessions are all sold out again, stay tuned)
Interactive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter
Games and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support the Polytechnicast
Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, and UX design: SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.
Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app
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Prototype cards for my creative warm up cards game Doodle Creatures Have Needs.
An update about Word Turtle Island and a few other projects I tried to finish this month.
Related Links and Resources
More posts and extras like coaching sessions at my Buy Me a Coffee page (coaching sessions are all sold out at the moment)
Interactive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter
Games and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support the Polytechnicast
Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, and UX design: SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.
Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app
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In this episode I ask why I've posted so few things in 2022. It's a bit about what I'm currently working on and it's also something I've been trying to figure out for years.
Related Links and Resources
More posts and extras like coaching sessions at my Buy Me a Coffee page
Interactive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter
Games and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support the Polytechnicast
Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, and UX design: SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.
[Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app](
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Whether the work that you take on is building on skillful work in the past or not, things got to the way they are for some reason. Now you're here. In this journal I share reasons to find others past work as useful research and signals to help instead of joining a narrative that it has little to no value. Even if that past work wasn't well done, it holds clues and questions to dig into.
Related Links and Resources
Day One - a journal app
Interactive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter
Games and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support the Polytechnicast
Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, and UX design:Listening Like a Coach (Video Workshop and PDF Materials), add to your leadership and collaboration skills. Get it on Gumroad or SkillshareDrawing User Journey Maps, make meaningful products with visual collaboration and narrative that combines many perspectives. Get it on Gumroad or SkillshareCustomizing Your Next Creative Challenge, find your fun and useful approach to your own creative challenge or a public one, whether you draw, code, write, create a recipe that works for you. Get it on Gumroad or SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.
[Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app](
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Have you been part of an organization that seems to repeat projects that don't learn much from one another? It's a thing I've wondered: why do companies forget? This episode of the Polytechnicast I journal about group memory and wonder if it would be helpful to remember what different teams have tried and learned in the past. Is it because we resist repeating other peoples stories?
Related Links and Resources
Customizing Your Next Creative Challenge, join the class at Skillshare or download your own copy at my workshop store.
Interactive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter, be in the know of what I'm making and learning about.
Games and Classes Rob offers and Ways to Support the Polytechnicast
Take one of my classes about collaboration, creativity, design:Listening Like a Coach (Video Workshop and PDF Materials), add to your leadership and collaboration skills. Get it on Gumroad or SkillshareDrawing User Journey Maps, make meaningful products with visual collaboration and narrative that combines many perspectives. Get it on Gumroad or SkillshareCustomizing Your Next Creative Challenge, find your fun and useful approach to your own creative challenge or a public one, whether you draw, code, write, create a recipe that works for you. Get it on Gumroad or SkillshareGet the game Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Now with Lefty Flip in the full version and a free demo version with 9 levels.Join Skillshare via my referral link which gets you 1 month of Skillshare Premium for free.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.
Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app
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Any path that brings you to journaling about your art, here I share some context around planning what you'd want to get out of your journaling plus choosing and creating prompts that are a good fit for what you want.
Related Links and Resources
Art Soundoff
Customizing Your Next Creative Challenge, join the class at Skillshare or download your own copy at my workshop store.
Interactive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter, be in the know of what I'm making and learning about.
Rob's Products and Ways to Support the Polytechnicast
Get Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.You can buy me a coffee with an option to send a note along.
Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcast app
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Something I'm grateful for is to be on a learning adventure together with folks I've worked with. At times I get questions from folks who listen to the show and folks I've been on teams with in the past. I'm going to include all this in a category of listener questions and make a few Polytechnicasts based on these questions.
In this episode I get a question from a colleague who is wondering about practicing communication skills coming from a product team and engineering perspective. How could this help with understanding and communicating your own philosophy and values in a collaboration?
Related Links and ResourcesInteractive Storyteller blog
Sign up for my newsletter, be in the know of what I'm making and learning about.
Rob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeDrawing User Journey Maps to Gather Ideas and CollaborateCustomizing Your Next Creative ChallengeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher -
The emotional work of discovering, including, representing, and collaborating in design is what I explore in this think aloud journal. This recording didn't start as a Polytechnicast or even an exploration about UX Mindset but that's where I found myself going.
Since the beginning of 2021 I've been blogging every day on my Interactive Storyteller blog. I hope you'll join me there too as I talk about illustrating, making games, and UX design. It's very much the prose form of the Polytechnicast.
Related Links and ResourcesInteractive Storyteller blogIntroduction to the UX Mindset Series
Polytechnicast - UX Mindset - Creative Roadblocks Then a Book Outline #artsoundoff — Blog of an Interactive Storyteller
Rob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeDrawing User Journey Maps to Gather Ideas and CollaborateCustomizing Your Next Creative ChallengeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher -
Here I explore some of the reasonable and unreasonable goals I had for this month of journaling and developing the UX Mindset series. Practicing this kind of thing helps you meet your own creative process quirks and explore ways to change and work around those quirks. I recorded so many more rough draft journals than I posted, at least 2:1 if not 3:1. It helped me explore the big topic and discover a concept for a UX Mindset book.
We'll see where the UX Mindset series goes from here. Probably be back on the Polytechnicast, certainly will be in upcoming workshops, and a good chance I'll persue developing a book.
Related Links and ResourcesIntroduction to the UX Mindset SeriesUX Mindset for BusinessUX Mindset for Software EngineeringUX Mindset for DesignersUX Mindset for ArtistsUX Mindset - Lists UX Mindset - ListeningUX Mindset - Groups of People InterconnectedUX Mindset - Mental Model You're Working TowardUX Mindset - Misunderstanding and Misuse of UX's PowerUX Mindset - Active Learning Is Certain-enough Instead of OverconfidentCreative challenge I'm taking part in and co-founded with Jerzy Drozd: Art Soundoff — Lean Into ArtRob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeDrawing User Journey Maps to Gather Ideas and CollaborateCustomizing Your Next Creative ChallengeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher -
Actively learning is a lot like using applied research. It's a very useful place to work from, you can be confident enough to proceed making things yet not too confident to prevent learning as you go.
We setup teams and organizations to sink or swim based on too much certainty. We're certain often from a combination of ego and efficiency seeking without adapting until expensive mistakes happen. What if we practice being confident enough and setup teams to actively learn instead?
And the UX Mindset series continues!
Related Links and ResourcesIntroduction to the UX Mindset SeriesUX Mindset for BusinessUX Mindset for Software EngineeringUX Mindset for DesignersUX Mindset for ArtistsUX Mindset - Lists UX Mindset - ListeningUX Mindset - Groups of People InterconnectedUX Mindset - Mental Model You're Working TowardUX Mindset - Misunderstanding and Misuse of UX's PowerCreative challenge I'm taking part in and co-founded with Jerzy Drozd: Art Soundoff — Lean Into ArtRob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeDrawing User Journey Maps to Gather Ideas and CollaborateCustomizing Your Next Creative ChallengeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher -
Where does UX go wrong? Whether a system is broken at the surface or takes deeper understanding to see how it's not serving the health of its audience along with it's other constituencies: UX can be used to help fix or to make things worse. How can that be? Organizations have a lot to do to just exist and maintain exsistence. Some are not questioning things they could question to fix what's broken. Let's pay attention, be curious, inclusive and move what we make toward collective health.
And the UX Mindset series continues!
Related Links and ResourcesIntroduction to the UX Mindset SeriesUX Mindset for BusinessUX Mindset for Software EngineeringUX Mindset for DesignersUX Mindset for ArtistsUX Mindset - Lists UX Mindset - ListeningUX Mindset - Groups of People InterconnectedUX Mindset - Mental Model You're Working TowardCreative challenge I'm taking part in and co-founded with Jerzy Drozd: Art Soundoff — Lean Into ArtRob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeDrawing User Journey Maps to Gather Ideas and CollaborateCustomizing Your Next Creative ChallengeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher -
It's useful to have even a rough concept of what you're working toward, things you know are important or likely to encounter, or at least are worth checking to see if they'd be helpful. For example, a mental model like a creative progression going from rough concept to refined to complete. You can have a UX Mindset informed mental model of getting your work done so that you are working toward including your audience.
And the UX Mindset series continues!
Related Links and ResourcesIntroduction to the UX Mindset SeriesUX Mindset for BusinessUX Mindset for Software EngineeringUX Mindset for DesignersUX Mindset for ArtistsUX Mindset - Lists UX Mindset - ListeningUX Mindset - Groups of People InterconnectedA Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech | Grand Central PublishingCreative challenge I'm taking part in and co-founded with Jerzy Drozd: Art Soundoff — Lean Into ArtRob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeDrawing User Journey Maps to Gather Ideas and CollaborateCustomizing Your Next Creative ChallengeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher -
Any product we make connects a variety of groups of people. UX Constituencies are groups of people I find relate to most any project/product/system/endeavor: your audience, your team, your organization, the world, and you. Here I explore why considering each of those groups helps you make more meaningful things whether you're a UX expert or any person with a UX Mindset.
And the UX Mindset series continues!
Related Links and ResourcesIntroduction to the UX Mindset SeriesUX Mindset for BusinessUX Mindset for Software EngineeringUX Mindset for DesignersUX Mindset for ArtistsUX Mindset - Lists UX Mindset - ListeningCreative challenge I'm taking part in and co-founded with Jerzy Drozd: Art Soundoff — Lean Into ArtRob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeDrawing User Journey Maps to Gather Ideas and CollaborateCustomizing Your Next Creative ChallengeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher -
Listening is the most powerful thing you can do to understand. Here I share a few ways of listening that work individually or combined to meet the needs of you and your team in the moment.
And the UX Mindset series continues!
Related Links and ResourcesIntroduction to the UX Mindset SeriesUX Mindset for BusinessUX Mindset for Software EngineeringUX Mindset for DesignersUX Mindset for ArtistsUX Mindset - Lists Creative challenge I'm taking part in and co-founded with Jerzy Drozd: Art Soundoff — Lean Into ArtRob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeDrawing User Journey Maps to Gather Ideas and CollaborateCustomizing Your Next Creative Challenge[Subscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher]( -
Being open to including others is a big start to making something more meaningful. List making is one of the best tools you can use no matter if you identify as a ux designer or not.
This episode continues the UX Mindset series!
Related Links and ResourcesIntroduction to the UX Mindset SeriesUX Mindset for BusinessUX Mindset for Software EngineeringUX Mindset for DesignersUX Mindset for ArtistsArt Soundoff — Lean Into ArtRob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher -
Audiences learn about your work, then what's it like for them to learn more, to support your work. If you offer a variety of products how do they find the one they need in this moment? UX Mindset for artists has two distinct and useful concerns:
Making your work findable, purchasable, useful, and usableIncluding the audience in the work itselfThis episode continues the UX Mindset series!
Related Links and ResourcesIntroduction to the UX Mindset SeriesUX Mindset for BusinessUX Mindset for Software EngineeringUX Mindset for DesignersArt Soundoff — Lean Into ArtRob's Products and Ways to Support the PolytechnicastGet Guitar Fretter, an action puzzle that makes a game of memorizing the note positions on a guitar. Available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and MacOS! Features 4 or 5 string bass, 6 or 7 string guitar, multiple play modes, difficulty levels, and more.Creative design coaching services, workshops, and ebooks for ux design, creative coding, creative challenges, goals, and storytelling in Rob's storeSubscribe to the Polytechnicast RSS feed in your podcatcher - Show more
