From Gizmos to Zoos: Building Better Workflows for Game Developers with Robin-Yann Storm

How do you solve problems that nobody reports? In this episode, Robin-Yann Storm, tool design director and former developer at IO Interactive, Guerrilla Games, and Apple, shares how a small usability issue with a 3D transform gizmo led to a workflow improvement that developers still use years later, saving thousands of hours. The discussion looks beyond the solution itself to examine the process of discovering the problem, understanding its root cause, and exploring how to solve it. Robin-Yann explains why observing users is often more valuable than collecting feature requests and how small UX improvements can deliver outsized returns.

The conversation also explores practical tool design principles, including how to validate assumptions, uncover root causes with the "five whys," and build systems that support creativity instead of slowing it down. Robin-Yann also introduces the concepts of gyms, zoos, and museums, frameworks that help teams test mechanics, organize assets, and make game development workflows more discoverable and efficient.

In this episode:

Why observing users reveals problems they never report

The transform gizmo redesign that improved workflows for years

Lessons from Unity, Unreal Engine, Maya, and CryEngine tool design

How to validate ideas before investing engineering time

The "five whys" framework for finding root causes

What gyms, zoos, and museums are and why studios use them

Career advice for aspiring tools and pipeline developers

Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Cold Open

[00:02:57] Meet Robin-Yann Storm

[00:03:18] From Modder to Tool UX

[00:04:06] Studios and Vision Pro Tools

[00:05:47] Why Modding Matters

[00:08:13] The Gizmo Pain Point

[00:10:38] Researching Gizmo Variations

[00:16:36] Small Fix Big Impact

[00:20:18] Flipping the Gizmo Idea

[00:22:44] Designing for Pos Neg Clarity

[00:25:24] Validating with Engineers

[00:28:13] Five Whys Framework

[00:29:30] Mechanics Mindset

[00:30:14] Shipping the Gizmo Fix

[00:30:54] ROI and Joyful Tools

[00:32:42] Build Times Kill Flow

[00:33:49] Gyms Zoos Museums

[00:37:34] Where These Came From

[00:38:57] Asset Discovery Problems

[00:40:25] Why Tags Fail

[00:42:24] Building Better Asset Zoos

[00:47:57] Workflow and Laboratory Idea

[00:49:58] Tooling Versus Shipping

[00:51:54] Advice Never Assume

[00:53:28] Explain Like Im Five

[00:57:45] Wrap Up and Links