How is the job of a game designer?

Considering all fundamental elements within game development, the game designer will be present in all stages of game production.

Pre-production:

The game designer in this phase will define the game concept with the team and start researching the game, such as its niche, by researching similar games, brainstorming and capturing some crucial ideas and points that the game needs to have. Then the game designer will start creating the documentation (GDD) and will score each game feature. The amount of information within the document will depend on the game's complexity and size. It is essential to talk to the team to understand their limitations and to really be able to produce what was stipulated. Therefore, knowing the team is essential.

Some key points in pre-production are the definition of the niche, concept, genre, art style, engine, essential mechanics, and market analysis.

Production:

This is where everything in the game creation begins. It is where the production of art, interface, sound, code, and game mechanics begins. The game designer will collaborate with the team to ensure that everything is being created as defined in pre-production, making adjustments and refinements. The game designer will also be thinking and creating concepts that can be inserted later in the game and making changes that will make the game better and more enjoyable.

Testing:

In the testing phase, the game designer must pay close attention to capture if the game is really offering what it was supposed to offer, taking into account the testers' feedback, if it is too punitive or too easy, and making adjustments to improve the player's experience.

Release:

After the game is released, it is very interesting to analyze how the game is doing in the market, make some comparisons in the game's projections, and see if the players are satisfied.

Post-production:

Here, the game designer can create new content to be released in the game or make some improvements to the game. If the game is an MMORPG, this phase is crucial to the game and will always be in constant development.

I tried to explain a little about how the game designer works, but surely it goes beyond what I have put here in this post. I tried to make a summary in general so that the understanding can be better absorbed, and surely if you study game design, work in the field, or are a fan of games, you will be able to understand a little more about the game development process.

Cover artist: https://www.artstation.com/felixortiz