SYS // BOOTING

Patrick
Branigan

Workweek Founding Product Designer A custom tooling and AI system anyone can build and ship products and features from.
OPEN
Chaotic Games Head of Product Design A browser-based AAA game engine that was adopted by 3 studios in 12 months.
OPEN
Ribbon Home Staff Product Designer A cash offer app that helped grow revenue to $38M and led to acquisition.
OPEN
Moonfallen Lead Designer – Game, UI & Level A browser-based stealth FPS that secured studio adoption of Chaotic Engine.
OPEN
2026.04.15 — Entry 020

First post incoming

Working on a newsletter about navigating the world of games as an adult — for those who need to but don't want to become experts. Not expecting any of the shit I write to land, but it's a space to try.

20 entries logged
2026.04.15 — Entry 020

First post incoming

2026.04.08 — Entry 019

The myth of the casual gamer

2026.03.30 — Entry 018

Systems that teach without tutorials

2026.03.22 — Entry 017

Why I stopped reading design Twitter

2026.03.14 — Entry 016

Friction as a feature

2026.03.05 — Entry 015

The design system nobody asked for

2026.02.25 — Entry 014

On shipping scared

2026.02.17 — Entry 013

Game UI is ahead of product UI

2026.02.08 — Entry 012

The newsletter problem

2026.01.30 — Entry 011

Designing for people who don't read

2026.01.22 — Entry 010

What speedrunners teach us about UX

2026.01.14 — Entry 009

The courage to delete features

2026.01.05 — Entry 008

First-principles vs. best practices

2025.12.28 — Entry 007

Side quests are the real game

2025.12.19 — Entry 006

Why I prototype in code

2025.12.10 — Entry 005

The inventory problem

2025.12.02 — Entry 004

Taste is just pattern recognition

2025.11.23 — Entry 003

Designing alone vs. designing in public

2025.11.14 — Entry 002

Loading screens as design opportunities

2025.11.05 — Entry 001

Why I started writing

8
Battlefield 6
PC
5
Resident Evil Requiem
Switch
2
Pokemon Pokopia
Switch
Library
185 owned 59 completed
PC
28/87
Switch
12/45
PS5
11/32
Steam Deck
8/21

Pressing Pause

Sign up to receive thoughtful letters on how video games fit into adult and family life. Not reviews, not panic, not hype. Just calm, cool, collected thinking to enhance your perspective on video games.

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