Playtesting and Iteration
Perhaps the most important activity that game designers engage in is playtesting and iteration. The designer produces an early version of the game and shares it with others to play and criticize. Using this feedback, the game designer reflects and redesigns the game. Again, the game is played by the designer and others, going through the cycle of playtesting and iteration. The game is incrementally improved until the game designer is satisfied with the game.
This process is one of the most powerful learning experiences for the designer as it gives him or her a chance to improve the design based upon real world experience.
To Program or Not to Program
The process of playtesting and iteration can provide profound insights to the designer even early in the game making process. Many game designers first try a new idea for a 
game on paper and share this version for the first playtesting iteration.
It is recommended not to go directly into the programming phase of a game until at least a solid preliminary design has been achieved on paper. Some game designers, however, start the design for a new game from a previous game design that has been proven successful. In this case, one might move into the programming phase faster, but it is still preferable to playtest a prototype first.
Other Elements For Game Experience
Once the core idea for the design has been identified, the next step is to identify those components that will make the game experience express the core idea. Carefully consider the following elements during this early design phase:
- graphics
- sounds
- characters
- settings, etc.
Many designers are not expert programmers. It is, however, recommendable to know at least the basics of how these tools work in order to be able to communicate with those experts in programming who can make the game become reality.