Focus Group
Immediately after the session, when everyone has gone, sit down and write a short reflection about what happened; note any ideas or insights that emerged. It's best to do this while the experience is fresh.
"Ashley": The Gaming Enthusiast
"Beth": The Undecided Undergrad
"Cindy": The Career-Changing Mom
Less than a quarter of global game developers are female. Why do you think more women aren't in the gaming industry?
What experiences have made you consider joining the gaming industry? What has held you back?
What would convince you to join the gaming industry?
If you could have done something different with your career path, what would it be and why?
Why should women not join the gaming industry?
(The gaming industry specifically refers to gaming production and development.)
After the session, I felt like new concepts were introduced to me that I hadn't considered before, such as how to introduce women to the idea that gaming development can be a career. Many participants do not have a clear idea of where to start when it comes to making games, though most have considered joining the industry at one point or another. None of the participants have experience when it comes to making games. I believe this shows me that women need some sort of introduction on how to make games, such as a crash course online or summer camp class.
Pretty much everyone agreed that they have played an inspirational game in their lifetime and thought about how "cool" it would be to make a similar game. Answers ranged from Mario to Bayonetta. Some people have thought about joining the career more seriously than others. For example, Ashley "entertains" the idea whereas Cindy is highly considering it.
Something that has held people back was receiving harassment as a kid. Beth said that growing up, boys would find her "weird" for liking games. It had hurt her self-esteem. This had directly impacted her ability, or rather inability, to make a career decision, for she does not want to face the same harassment if she were to join the field. I believe this means that the project needs some way to give women emotional support while they are pursuing the career, and even while they are in it.
However, some participants argued that we should treat the problem before it even starts, like teaching people to be more accepting of a woman’s interest in gaming. This seems like a separate issue entirely that I may need to do more research on to see if this is something I should implement in the project. At the moment it seems promising because preventing the issue sounds like a much better solution than treating it. Figuring out how to do this, though, is the challenge.
Cindy wished that she could have chosen a gaming development-related career early on in life because she has a kid to support, and having a stable job would give her peace of mind. All participants are artistically driven in some way, whether they are in a design career, or are just doing art as a hobby. This makes me think that in order to make this project appeal to my primary audience (female gaming enthusiasts), I will need to find ways to encourage their creative abilities.
Some participants agreed that a woman shouldn't join the industry because it is highly likely that she will face harassment from male coworkers, and it might not be worth the emotional turmoil. The question was raised: What if you were the person that inspired a little girl to be a gaming developer? This seemed to sway people’s opinions. This makes me think that if the project were to focus on the impact we will have on the future, then it would be more convincing. We then talked about how if enough women join, then perhaps harassment wouldn't be a problem. This project aims to be a part of that movement.
Describe what you did.
I used Yu-Gi-Oh cards as my vernacular for inspiration because this card game is recognizable in the gaming industry. This game also deals with strategy, and the strategy of my project is to convince women to create games so that women may have better representation in video games.
Describe what was successful.
I believe I followed the vernacular just enough so that it takes elements of the card game without being mistaken for the original. I changed the graphics to fit my project better. For example, I used a photograph of coding as the background because coding ties to creating games.
Describe what was unsuccessful and could be improved.
I manipulated the photos of the personas in a way that attempted to look like the art style of Grand Theft Auto, a popular video game. Unfortunately, the details are very small, so it’s difficult to notice the manipulation from afar.
Describe anything new or interesting you learned.
During my focus group, I learned that although many gaming enthusiasts have considered joining the industry at some point, they do not fully commit because they are not sure where to start. This shows me that women need to be introduced to creating games somehow, such as with a summer camp or online crash course.
Another thing I learned is that if women are intimidated by the male-dominated field, they may be swayed if they think about the future of gaming.
You may add any additional comments or ideas that you feel are appropriate in your presentation (optional).
Much thought was put into revising the audience because it is more beneficial to convince women to join the industry rather than to cater to those already in it.
Revised Target Audience:
Primary: Female gaming enthusiasts. These people are passionate about gaming and may consider creating games, but are unsure where to start.
Secondary: Women in the process of choosing a career. Individuals who are undecided may look at the project and decide if this career path is meant for them.
Tertiary: Aspiring female developers and producers for video games. Because these women are already in the industry, they are not primary. However, they can still benefit due to their interest in games.
Stakeholders: Gaming companies. These companies who advocate for gender equality in the workplace will be paving the way for other companies, perhaps even outside of the gaming industry. Some may believe these companies might be putting their resources and reputations at stake.