Training Future Leaders with Game Design
Client: Hasbro
Role: Project Lead, Game Designer
DESIGN CHALLENGE
What if there was a better, more immersive way to train the future leaders of the worlds biggest companies?
How might game-based learning help business leaders at Hasbro make both smarter and bolder decisions?
RESEARCH + DESIGN PROCESS
As project lead, I shaped the design program and led client workshops to align on scope and ambition.
I then led a multidisciplinary team through two cycles of research and design, creating an immersive leadership game that challenged players to navigate the real strategic dynamics, opportunities, and crises shaping their industry.
As project lead and relationship owner, I was accountable for both the quality of the work and the partnership—ensuring we exceeded client expectations and set their team up to successfully bring the concept into production.
The research and design program was built for speed: design, build, test, learn, repeat—quickly reaching the depth and complexity envisioned by Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks.
The challenge: in just eight weeks, our three-person design team had to create a fully playable strategy game that simulated complex market dynamics and felt credible to toy-industry veterans.
We prototyped and playtested with Hasbro leadership from week one, aligning on the core game mechanics with the CEO by week three.
OUTCOME + IMPACT
Our human-centered design process enabled Hasbro to pilot the game live with top leadership and gather real-time feedback.
Leadership greenlit the experience for further development, ultimately rolling it out for company-wide leadership training and recruiting at universities with top MBA programs.
The story of Toy Tycoon has been picked up by the Wall Street Journal - learn more here!
Big thanks to the team, and everyone at IDEO who contributed to bringing this work to life!
