5 questions to Fredrik Borg, Game & UX Designer student at Futuregames Skellefteå

Fredrik Borg is a first year student at Futuregames in Skellefteå. Here, he talks about why he picked the Game & UX Designer education and how much fun it is to study in Skellefteå!

What motivated you to pursue the Game & UX Designer education at Futuregames?

– Games have been a passion of mine for my whole life. However, I always assumed it was too difficult for me to actually work with games since I’m quite poor at math. But then I saw the SVT documentary “Det Svenska Spelundret,” which made me realize that making games is just a big collaborative effort, where different people with different skills are needed. So, I started researching and realized that game design was probably the right choice for me since I am a team player, but I also like to come up with ideas, plan stuff, and decide on ideas.

– I applied to different game vocational schools since I knew they had internships which seemed like a good way to break into the game development bubble. I got into multiple ones, but I chose Game & UX Design, which only Futuregames has. The reason for this was that in my game design education I found myself asking a lot of questions when designing my games or giving feedback like: What makes this fun and for who? How will the player feel about this? And so on.

– I also have an interest in psychology and neuroscience. And there is probably nothing I hate more in games than overly complicated ones with poor onboarding. So that’s why I chose Game & UX Design at Futuregames!

What is the best aspect of the Game & UX Designer education?

– The good thing about this education is that you get to try a lot of different things, from coding and learning game engines to level design and user research. So, if you are unsure about what you want to specialize in, you can find out here! Another advantage is that you are not just learning game design, which is applicable in the games industry. You are also learning UX design, which is a way of thinking and working that is applicable to all products humans interact with. So, there are lots of opportunities for you, even outside of the games industry.

What do you think is the major advantage of an education that incorporates both elements of game design and UX?

– The best aspects of the game and UX education, in my opinion, are the elements mentioned above, such as the variety. Additionally, the fact that you get to learn a role and perspective in game development that is quite new and not fully explored yet is quite exciting. Another aspect I really like is that user experience is a way of thinking. Whatever you decide to pursue in your career, what you learn in this education will almost certainly benefit you in some way or another.

What is it like to study in Skellefteå?

– Studying in Skellefteå is great because you have a whole campus of game developers here! The student life is fantastic. There are plenty of subsections you can join and lots of fun activities almost every week, year-round. The city is also quite cozy and has pretty much everything you need. And if you are lucky, you might spot some aurora borealis during the snowy winter.

What are your plans for the future?

– I’m hoping to get an internship that will hopefully lead to a job at a game company whose games I really enjoy, like Arrowhead, Hazelight, or Criterion Games, for example. I am also planning on applying for internships outside of Sweden, since Futuregames makes that possible and I think it would make for quite the adventure.

Read more about the Game & UX Designer Education and how to apply here!