Some projects start from a brief, others from a bond. The board game for the 18th birthday of Rifugio Roda di Vael belongs to the second kind.
The idea was simple: turn the mountain hut into a board. Peaks and ridges become territories, local people become characters, stories told over dinner become rules.
Designing for people you know
Designing for people you know is wonderful and hard. You already know what will make them laugh, and you know they'll notice every wrong detail. Every card was a small portrait.
The best moment
The best moment wasn't handing over the box, but seeing the table full: hands moving pieces, arguments about the rules, someone recognising themselves on a card. That's when you understand that design, sometimes, is mostly about being together.
