5 Design Tips To Step Up Your Game

Make your games stand out for all the right reasons.

 

Want a quick way to get more plays and followers?

We gathered 5 design tips that are sure to boost your game’s discovery and plays.

 

Boost discovery with the right cover

Your game’s cover is also the thumbnail that will represent it in the TinyTap market. It gives your audience an idea of what’s inside the game, and will determine if they play it or not.
On TinyTap, your main audience is 2-6 year old kids that play on phones, so it’s important to keep a few things in mind when designing your cover:

• Your thumbnail should look great large and small (as your game’s cover page and as a thumbnail in the market)
• Avoid text-based thumbnails for young learners (especially those who can’t read)
• Make sure the cover gives an idea of what’s inside the game

The cover you choose can completely transform the players’ expectation. Think about how these two thumbnails can change a child’s perception of the game:

 

 

Gridlines are guidelines

Ever notice those gridlines that show up when you design your slides?  They’re here to help!

 

 

Use the grid to center your images, align multiple choice boxes and structure your slides.

While you create your game on an iPad, remember that it will be played on smaller screens (such as iPhones).

Always keep all of your text and images within the bold dotted border.

 

Be consistent

To make your lesson more cohesive, it should have the same visual language throughout.
Decide on your font, background and colors ahead of time, and stick with them for every page.

 

 

Keep in mind that when you import images from the web search some will come with a white background. You can double tap the image and select ‘Remove White’, or add ‘png’ to your search query (which is likely to bring up images with a transparent background).

 

 

 

Less is more

Cliché as it sounds, less is more.
Keep your players focused on the content of your game and avoid over-crowding it with clip art and text (remember that a lot of them can’t read yet). Prefer to use clear and short audio instructions instead.

The cleaner and less busy the game looks, the more fun and effective it will be.

 

 

Use padding

Give images and text room to breathe.

Make sure to give each element on the page the space it deserves.
When used correctly, padding brings visual clarity and helps you focus your players on the right elements.

Notice how the image on the right has just the right amount of space.