Hello everyone! My name is Yasmin and I am currently an Associate Technical Designer at Creative Assembly. My team and I are working on Alien Isolation and Halo Wars 2.

A tech designer bridges the gap between developers and designers. I communicate with various technical teams and ensure that the designers’ vision is understood by everyone. Communication is therefore a significant part of my job. I need to identify where problems might arise during the project, talk to those facing difficulties, and find solutions for them.

I love the multiple roles I get to play as a tech designer. I try to stay updated on the technical side of the project to ensure coordination with designers and artists. I’m always asking questions and learning new things, there’s no typical day.

Since I was little, I’ve loved books, poetry, and theater, but I quickly developed an interest in programming, which opened many doors for me to express my creativity. Video games allow us to experience stories and experiences in a much more intimate way than any other passive medium, such as books or movies (although I love those too). It’s this technical freedom that led me to the video game industry.

Since I was little, I’ve loved books, poetry, and theater, but I quickly developed an interest in programming, which opened many doors for me to express my creativity. Video games allow us to experience stories and experiences in a much more intimate way than any other passive medium, such as books or movies (although I love those too). It’s this technical freedom that led me to the video game industry.

I’ve always known I wanted to work in this field, but it really started after high school when I went to study video game design: that’s where I wrote my first lines of JavaScript and created a small game! Then I couldn’t choose between studying Cinema or video game development, so I eventually decided to defer my university entry and moved to London, where I did an apprenticeship in digital media at an advertising company. After that, I became a full-time “Front End web developer” (a professional in IT and/or web design capable of producing websites using their knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript).

Then I joined Farnham UCA University, where I graduated in video game art. At university, I created a game based on my own insecurities, which I called Perfection. This game was set in a “horror movie” atmosphere, causing a few jumps for players and offering various narratives.

This game also allowed players to engage with the narrative, as it was based on a universal insecurity, the desire to become someone subjectively better than oneself. After releasing this game on itch.io, I was surprised to see so many people download it, and that it was played by YouTubers such as Jacksepticeye and Markiplier, and described by Kotaku as a “horror game that is also a personality test.” Nothing made me happier than interacting with those who reached the end of the game, discussing their experience of wanting to be perceived as “perfect” and realizing that perfection is never achieved.

I think my exploration phase before going to university greatly helped me develop my programming skills and my professional experience. I wouldn’t be in this position today if I hadn’t worked as a web developer at the start of my career.

I have also participated in hackathons in the past, which opened my eyes to new ways of thinking, both technically and artistically. However, the most challenging thing for me is mathematics and very advanced programming. I am self-taught in programming, so I still have a long way to go before learning the best practices and methods.

I wish I had studied programming or computer science in a school environment, but there were no courses on that when I “was in” school. I am very happy to see that children today have the opportunity to learn this at a very young age. It will be a great help for any future technical position if they learn to have fun coding from a young age.

When I was still in school, a teacher asked me why I wanted to study video game design because it was a “course for boys.” I was the only girl in this class, but I got the best grades, which proved to myself and this teacher that there are no “courses for boys.” There have been other occasions where I was questioned about my path, but remembering the reasons that led me to this field, you realize that these people are not worth listening to. Fortunately, they are only a minority, and since working in the video game industry, I have always felt welcomed.

About 20% of my colleagues are women, which is consistent with the rest of the video game industry. However, Creative Assembly recognizes the need to improve and reduce the barriers that many women feel in the sector. Thus, Creative Assembly focuses both on education and career development internally. In recent years, many women have joined Creative Assembly, progress is slow, but things are improving!

It’s understandable to be apprehensive about working in a male-dominated industry. I encourage you to reach out to women who are in the sector, as it will help you gain an insider’s perspective. Participate in game jams and hackathons, join Discord servers. Also, know that being surrounded by people you identify with is very inspiring!

As video games have become more inclusive of all genders, it has opened the door to new types of games, representing a greater variety of characters, and offering diverse narratives and subjects. Like any other medium, the more a team includes a diversity of gender and culture, the better it will be able to represent them. There are still many stories to tell and worlds to explore.

Outside of work, I run a YouTube channel : YagmanX, which I use as a personal creative space. For several years, I’ve maintained an online community built around the projects I’ve led, on scenarios, game development, reviews, and live streaming. Through this channel, I hope to inspire others to pursue their dreams and give them a good dose of positive energy.

I also love playing guitar, writing, and singing!

Article written by Hélène G.