Game Designer, Author, Educator
Hi, I'm Ioana!
Generalist game designer with a special love for anything that can be played with others.
My generalist approach means I am not afraid to get into the details of every aspect of a game, and my varied experience means that my design thinking expands beyond just games to incorporate all types of interactive experiences.
In my 8+ years of professional design experience, I have worked in collaboration with a host of platform partners to create playful, social experiences, curated to match their audiences.
Why Hire Me
I am a multi-skilled designer with comprehensive knowledge of games and digital experiences
Versatile
My professional experience offered me the opportunity to acquire a multitude of design skills, applicable to games and interactive experiences of all types.
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Effective Communicator
I am an educator, and used to working in small teams. I am dedicated to making design accessible to everyone, and I adapt my communication style to whatever suits the people I'm working with.
Creative Problemsolver
I approach any problem with an open mind, aiming to find the best solution for the product and audience, even if sometimes it challenges traditional design norms.
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Efficient & Organised
I am an independent and self driven professional who aims to make the most out of everyone's time.
What Can I Help With?
I offer digital design expertise with a flair for fun playful interaction
Aimed at studios or individuals that have a concept idea for a game and require some additional design support to make it all come to life.
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I'll support you from concept to prototype. I will turn your ideas into concrete pillars and loops and provide you with market research to help correctly position your product.
We'll collaborate closely on establishing a solid foundation for future development and prepare a pitch that you can take to investors. ​
Aimed at studios or individuals that already have a solid second-to-second game loop and want extra help with mid-to-long term player progression systems.
I will offer you a full analysis of the game as it stands and outline its mid-to-long term player progression opportunities.
I will then model the systems for you, and assist in planning how to implement and test the features in order to ensure they have the desired result on your KPIs.
Aimed at studios or individuals looking for a specialist to assist them with the social and multiplayer components of their game.
I will offer my social and multiplayer expertise, adapting it to whatever stage your project is in. I will analyse your target market and offer you a series of social and multiplayer features to consider. I will then assist in the prototyping and user testing of those features to make sure they meet your goals.
Aimed at studios and companies who desire to take user engagement in their app to the next level by incorporating playful interaction and game progression features.
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I will offer a full analysis of your app as it stands, highlighting all the potential gamification opportunities it offers.
I will then establish UX prototypes to help you envision the way these features will fit into the app, and assist with user testing to make sure the features bring the desired results.
Aimed at studios and companies that desire to include social systems in their apps or games and want to invest in team-wide education for long term in-house expertise.​
I will build a personalised workshop for your team where I go in-depth into the how and why of social game design, and how it applies to your specific situation.
I will deliver this either online or in person in a 1 day long masterclass format.
None of the packages sounds like what you are looking for? Feel free to reach out anyway, I might still be able to help.
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Tell me about your project! I will craft a specialised offer for your, or I will refer you to other designers in my network that would be better suited for your project.
Video Game Showreel
Projects I have worked on in collaboration with large platform partners, often as the sole designer or part of a very small team
Snapchat
Discord
Ready Chef Go!
A multiplayer team-versus-team cooking game made to be played on the go.​
Designing Games Meant for Sharing
My book is the culmination of my experience as a social game designer, backed up by extensive academic research.
It talks about the history of games as social interaction, from board games to arcades to social-media games, and explores the ways in which they use design to encourage different kinds of social connection.
It encourages the reader to consider the role of games and play in any social framework, from small friend groups to society at large.
Wanna Hear Some of My Thoughts?
Here's a selection of podcasts, webinars and articles
Got More Questions?
Here are answers to some frequently asked ones
Where are you based? Can you work on site for us?
I am based in the South East of the UK and I work predominantly remotely. Travel to location may be possible for certain types of activities or over short distances if we reach an agreement beforehand.
What kind of contract work do you offer?
Contracts are flexible and negotiated individually. I can offer you:
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Hourly rates for short one off consultation sessions.
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Day rates for longer term project support.
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Classes that are priced individually based on number of attendees and complexity.
What is the process for hiring you?
You can reach out to me either by booking a consultation or by sending me an email. We will get to chatting about what you need and I will tell you how I could help you. The consultation is always free of charge and I will sent you a tailored offer that will suit your needs.
What tools can you use?
I have used a host of standard and non-standard game dev and prototyping tools. I am comfortable with using new tools and I'm a fast learner. I can adapt to whatever tools you are using provided I have some time to familiarise myself with them.