The GROW model is a framework traditionally applied in coaching and personal growth. However, I find it very relevant for game design process. I am sharing a deck that I made on the topic.

1. The GROW Model
In Game Design

2. Outline
What is the GROW model01
G is for Goal
R is for Reality
02
03
O is for Options04
W is for Will05

3. ABOUT ME
Stanislav Stankovic - Creative Director at
TrackTwenty/EA studio in Helsinki, Finland

4. What is GROW Model
Framework
Max Landsberg in The Tao of Coaching, 1996
● Used extensively in corporate coaching
● Leadership skill development
● Applied to goal setting
● Applied for problem solving
● Simple and intuitive, yet versatile

5. The Framework
REALITY
Where you are
now
GOAL
What do you
want to achieve
OPTIONS
Tools and
resources at
your disposal
WILL
Plan of actions to
be taken based on
available options
that get you closer
to your goal

6. Game Design
The everyday work of game design
● Game consists of features
● Features need to have a reason for existence
● Features interact with other features
● Creative process is hard and messy
● Making creative decisions can be difficult
● Process is iterative
● There is a pitfall of running in circles
● Structured approach can be beneficial!

7. Goals
Where do we want to go?
● What do we want to achieve with the feature
we are trying to build?
● Each feature needs to have a purpose
● New features are built on top of existing ones
● They should fit with the rest of the game
● Features need to meet players’ expectations
● Some features need to hit business targets
● Implementation needs to meet quality
standards

8. S.M.A.R.T.
What is a good goal?
● Specific - vision of the feature needs to be clear
● Measurable - KPIs by which success of the feature is evaluated
● Attainable - feasible in given time with available resources
● Relevant - clear purpose of each feature
● Time boxed - schedule aligned with the release cycle

9. Reality
Where we are now?
● What is the current state of the game?
● What are open design questions?
● Are we building something new on top of something existing?
● What is the infrastructure that we already have?
● Which tools do we have at our disposal?
● What resources do we have at our disposal?
● How can we get what we need?

10. Options
What can we do?
● How do we tackle the problem at hand?
● What steps can we take?
● How do we come up with options?
● Five options approach
● Obstacle approach
● Ideal outcome approach
● Transformative approach
● Thinking outside of the box

11. Five Options Approach
There is more than one way...
● Applicable when we already have plenty of ideas
● Compile a list of all the ideas
● List pros and cons of each idea
● Perhaps do a SWOT analysis on ideas
● Prioritise ideas based on expected impact and difficulty of
implementation

12. Obstacle Approach
Clearing roadblocks
● Useful when we have one clear roadblock
● Imagine it magically removed
● What does reality look like?
● Allow us to move beyond the point at which we are stuck
● Ideally, this would help us realize how to go around, under,
or over the problem

13. Ideal Outcome Approach
Ideal future
● Imagine how the game looks in the ideal case
● Wark backwards and retrace the steps
● List all the things you need to have or to do to reach the goal
● Like solving a children labyrinth

14. Transformative Approach
Turning lead into gold
● Useful when we have something that already exists that we
want to build upon
● Is there something that we can adapt to fit the new purpose
● Is there something that we can add to existing features
● Can we solve the problem by simple tuning of existing
systems

15. Thinking Outside of the Box
Brainstorming
● Useful when we know what we want to achieve on the high
level but don’t know how
● Useful when we want something new

16. Will
What should we do?
● Steps that we decide
● Roadmap
● Action plan
● Task breakdown

17. Prioritizing
Choosing the best options
● Evaluate impact: associate value from 1 to 5
● Evaluate implementation cost: associate value from 1 to 5
● Plot all option on a 2D graph
● Evaluate in the context of the roadmap
● Sometimes less optimal option is better in the long run

18. The Framework
REALITY
Timeframe,
resources,
infrastructure,
tools
GOAL
Vision, concept,
KPIs
OPTIONS
Solution ideas,
possible actions
WILL
Backlog,
roadmap, draft
design, task
breakdown

19. THANKS!