Swipe This!. The Guide to Great Touchscreen Game Design

Want to design your own video games? Let expert Scott Rogers show you how! If you want to design and build cutting-edge video games but aren’t sure where to start, then the SECOND EDITION of the acclaimed Level Up! is for you! Written by leading video game expert Scott Rogers, who has designed the hits Pac Man World, Maximo and SpongeBob Squarepants, this updated edition provides clear and well-thought out examples that forgo theoretical gobbledygook with charmingly illustrated concepts and solutions based on years of professional experience. Level Up! 2nd Edition has been NEWLY EXPANDED to teach you how to develop marketable ideas, learn what perils and pitfalls await during a game’s pre-production, production and post-production stages, and provide even more creative ideas to serve as fuel for your own projects including: Developing your game design from the spark of inspiration all the way to production Learning how to design the most exciting levels, the most precise controls, and the fiercest foes that will keep your players challenged Creating games for mobile and console systems – including detailed rules for touch and motion controls Monetizing your game from the design up Writing effective and professional design documents with the help of brand new examples Level Up! 2nd Edition is includes all-new content, an introduction by David “God of War” Jaffe and even a brand-new chili recipe –making it an even more indispensable guide for video game designers both “in the field” and the classroom. Grab your copy of Level Up! 2nd Edition and let’s make a game!

The classic guide to creating great advertising now covers all media: Digital, Social, and Traditional Hey Whipple, Squeeze This has helped generations of young creatives make their mark in the field. From starting out and getting work, to building successful campaigns, you gain a real-world perspective on what it means to be great in a fast-moving, sometimes harsh industry. You'll learn how to tell brand stories and create brand experiences online and in traditional media outlets, and you'll learn more about the value of authenticity, simplicity, storytelling, and conflict. Advertising is in the midst of a massive upheaval, and while creativity is still king, it's not nearly enough. This book is an essential resource for advertising professionals who need up-to-date digital skills to reach the modern consumer. Turn great ideas into successful campaigns Work effectively in all media channels Avoid the kill shots that will sink any campaign Protect your work Succeed without selling out Today's consumer has seen it all, and they're less likely than ever to even notice your masterpiece of art and copy, let alone internalize it. Your job is to craft a piece that rises out of the noise to make an impact. Hey Whipple, Squeeze This provides the knowledge to create impressive, compelling work.

The Definitive Resource for Up-and-Coming 3D Game Artists Alias' award-winning Maya 3D animation and effects software continues to lead the industry in technological innovation and is being adopted by more and more console and computer game developers. The Game Artist's Guide to Maya is an official introduction to creating 3D game art and animations with Maya, brought to you by Maya Press, a publishing partnership between Alias and Sybex. Written by a production artist at a prominent game company, this detailed book focuses on the skills real game artists use daily to create stunning characters and environments. By following the discussions and tutorials, you'll bring a concept through the entire game art development pipeline, learning everything from modeling, texturing, rigging, and animation, to special effects. You'll also glean insights from industry professionals and see how Maya has been used in popular games. If you're a 3D game artist, or looking to become one, this book will help you master the skills and techniques you'll need to excel in the competitive games industry. Inside, you'll learn how to: Create a game model using a concept image as your guide Model with predetermined real-time polycount limitations in mind View martial arts videos on the book's CD to animate your character more realistically Prepare a model for texturing with UV mapping and layout techniques Create different kinds of textures Master the rigging process, from setting up a skeleton to preparing blend shapes Practice techniques for creating animation clips to work with in the Trax Editor Use particle effects, such as sprites and animated geometry, to add pizzazz to your model

The definitive, behind-the-scenes guide to mastering information design Finally, in one usable format, here's your single-volume resource for designing clear projects that really work for your audience. The Practical Guide to Information Design provides all the tools, resources, and best practices that designers need to create highly successful print and digital information design projects. A brilliant combination of practice and theory, this highly visual book covers the principles of design, perception, and usability, complete with step-by-step examples that feature the work of today's leading professionals. Comprehensively illustrated with hundreds of valuable graphs, maps, tables, line drawings, and photos, The Practical Guide to Information Design features: * Complete descriptions and comparisons of various formats * A range of helpful exercises to reinforce covered material * Handy summary boxes, bulleted lists, captions, and examples * A wealth of useful resources for professionals and students

Landing a job in graphic design or multimedia starts with the creation of a portfolio that showcases a student's best work. With sample portfolios, interviews with leaders in graphic design and advertising industries, and step-by-step instruction for creating professional print and digital portfolios, this book helps students successfully transition from design student to design professional. Now fully updated, it is the only guide to creating job-winning print-based and digital portfolios specifically for graphic designers.

A Guide to Online Course Design offers faculty and professional staff a practical and easy-to-follow model for creating exceptional online courses that focuses on quality standards in instructional design, transparency in learning outcomes, and learner persistence. A comprehensive resource, the book includes effective, research-based instructional strategies to motivate online learners and help them become more self-directed. A Guide to Online Course Design emphasizes quality standards and removing barriers to learners’ persistence, which ensures online courses meet the needs of online learners as well as distance education initiatives. “All faculty members and course designers, regardless of experience level, content background, or technology skills, can benefit from applying the approaches defined in this book. The authors have imparted a wealth of knowledge that can improve the quality of any online class and I highly recommend this book for all those involved with online learning.” – Anton G. Camarota, faculty, University of Denver “Anyone involved in developing online courses should read this book! Packed with great insights and the research to back them up, Stavredes and Herder guide readers with practical information that will support online course development.” – Brenda Boyd, director of professional development and consulting, Quality Matters Program “The blend of theory and application makes A Guide to Online Course Design and indispensable resource for any professional seeking to create high quality, outcomes-based learning experiences. I loved the action steps that close each chapter, as they lead the reader through the entire process of course design from analysis to implementation.” – Kathe Kacheroski, dean of curriculum and instruction, Rasmussen College

"Steve Bull is a true expert in his field. Anyone interested in winning will profit from his experience and knowledge." —Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff «Steve Bull’s ideas and techniques will equip anyone in business with a game plan for acquiring the winning edge.» —From the Foreword by Michael Vaughan Mental toughness goes hand in hand with success and yet it is often misunderstood. True mental toughness is about preparation, resilience, control, risk management and above all execution. So, how do you utilise this elusive but critical attribute? By starting with a “game plan.” The Game Plan is about winning. More importantly, it’s about you winning. It’s about how you can create a personal performance environment that enables you to deliver at the crucial times. The Game Plan explores different types of mental toughness and examines how each one can give you the platform for significantly increased levels of self-confidence and resilience. Learn the easy-to-apply lessons that have created an environment of success for a host of world-beating performers in the business world and beyond. Imagine being able to apply a winning performance mindset to everyday work situations such as: Making presentations razor sharp Wowing new clients Being in control during performance appraisals Staying cool during even the most hectic and pressurized days Maintaining your self-belief even when things go wrong Making the right decision at the right time. Read and learn from The Game Plan and you will have at your fingertips a robust strategy to give you the edge over your closest competitors and the very best chance of success.

The irreverent guide to investing, Boglehead style The Boglehead's Guide to Investing is a DIY handbook that espouses the sage investment wisdom of John C. Bogle. This witty and wonderful book offers contrarian advice that provides the first step on the road to investment success, illustrating how relying on typical «common sense» promoted by Wall Street is destined to leave you poorer. This updated edition includes new information on backdoor Roth IRAs and ETFs as mainstream buy and hold investments, estate taxes and gifting, plus changes to the laws regarding Traditional and Roth IRAs, and 401k and 403b retirement plans. With warnings and principles both precisely accurate and grandly counterintuitive, the Boglehead authors show how beating the market is a zero-sum game. Investing can be simple, but it's certainly not simplistic. Over the course of twenty years, the followers of John C. Bogle have evolved from a loose association of investors to a major force with the largest and most active non-commercial financial forum on the Internet. The Boglehead's Guide to Investing brings that communication to you with comprehensive guidance to the investment prowess on display at Bogleheads.org. You'll learn how to craft your own investment strategy using the Bogle-proven methods that have worked for thousands of investors, and how to: Choose a sound financial lifestyle and diversify your portfolio Start early, invest regularly, and know what you're buying Preserve your buying power, keeping costs and taxes low Throw out the «good» advice promoted by Wall Street that leads to investment failure Financial markets are essentially closed systems in which one's gain garners another's loss. Investors looking for a roadmap to successfully navigating these choppy waters long-term will find expert guidance, sound advice, and a little irreverent humor in The Boglehead's Guide to Investing.

A practical approach to better customer experience through service design Service Design for Business helps you transform your customer's experience and keep them engaged through the art of intentional service design. Written by the experts at Livework, this practical guide offers a tangible, effective approach for better responding to customers' needs and demands, and provides concrete strategy that can be implemented immediately. You'll learn how taking a design approach to problem solving helps foster creativity, and how to apply it to the real issues that move businesses forward. Highly visual and organized for easy navigation, this quick read is a handbook for connecting market factors to the organizational challenge of customer experience by seeing your company through the customers' eyes. Livework pioneered the service design industry, and guides organizations including Sony, the British Government, Volkswagen Procter & Gamble, the BBC, and more toward a more carefully curated customer experience. In this book, the Livework experts show you how to put service design to work in your company to solve the ongoing challenge of winning with customers. Approach customer experience from a design perspective See your organization through the lens of the customer Make customer experience an organization-wide responsibility Analyze the market factors that dovetail with customer experience design The Internet and other digital technology has brought the world to your customers' fingertips. With unprecedented choice, consumers are demanding more than just a great product—the organizations coming out on top are designing and delivering experiences tailored to their customers' wants. Service Design for Business gives you the practical insight and service design perspective you need to shape the way your customers view your organization.

The path to business success is an open road and you'd better be ready for anything! What do businesspeople and entrepreneurs have in common with bikers? More than you'd suspect. The freedom of hitting the open road is a concrete extension of the need for freedom that encourages entrepreneurs to start businesses. The desire to succeed in business by doing it your own way is no different than the desire to hit the road and plot your own course on two wheels. The Biker's Guide to Business explores these parallels and offers hard-won business wisdom specially suited for Business Bikers who do it their way-whether out on the highways or in the corporate boardroom. Introduces DeVille's Navigation Process that helps you develop your own action plan for achieving your own unique vision of success Shows you how to tailor a road map to guide your personal journey from where you are now to where you want to be tomorrow Uses biker terminology, analogies, and parallels to communicate real business wisdom Though written to appeal to bikers, the book is a handy business guide for anyone willing to take the ride Whether or not you're a biker, the passion to ride is the same passion that pushes people to succeed professionally by taking their own path. Hop on, rev up, and succeed.