About
Hello, I’m Bill. Nice to meet you!
The power of game design has driven me to seek out collaborations where games provide playful purpose, frequent feedback, and incremental improvement.
20+ years of design experience. Expert at play, reward, and motivation
10+ years as an independent contractor. I take initiative, manage my own schedule, and craft resilient game design documents. People hire me to get things done, often when the clock is running out. I consistently deliver
2+ years with Autodesk creating fun and social prototypes that launch company-wide movements to empower users and improve learning
5+ years at MeYou Health building scientifically validated well-being interventions. As MYH grew, I also proposed, built, screened, hired, and led a new product discovery and prototyping team for behavior change apps
4+ years at Parker Brothers/ Hasbro Games inventing games that continue to delight users and achieved business results
Demonstrated ability to drive designs that launch new transformative products
Proven experience defining visions that rally leaders, teams, and companies to action
Consistently demonstrate commitment to tight collaboration with Product Design & Marketing, Engineering & Science, and Content & Design to create/align solutions that support customer needs and deliver business goals
Participate and lead in all stages of product design & development, including user research, discovery & definition, prototyping, UI design, illustration, content, and testing
Extensive experience in concept development, storyboard sketching, cross-team empathy, and the application of genuine game mechanics that drive high engagement, user satisfaction, and success
Life-long learner mindset, with the curiosity & tenacity to thrive across new industries: Exhibits, Games, Toys, Design Consultancy, Health & Well-being, Behavior Change, Web & Mobile, Social Media, Education, and Extended Reality (AR & VR)
I've evolved into a game design ambassador with a magic sketchbook, constantly seeking common ground in every partnership. I thrive in environments where game design fuses with other industries
I listen more than I speak, storyboard more than I prototype, and constantly look for ways to deliver genuine, playful learning opportunities at the intersection of industries, people, and outcomes
Above all, my communication skills fueled by my imagination are my biggest superpower
From an early age, I prepared for a degree in engineering, while winning scholarships to weekend art classes at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum and CMU. I was proficient at math and drawing, writing and performance. Pursuing a degree in Industrial Design at Carnegie Mellon University allowed me to fuse my love of world building from Dungeons & Dragons with the community service of my advancement to Eagle Scout. My most memorable design project at college was building an extra-curricular carnival booth that included a multi-level, skill-and-action game. Being an exchange student to Germany rebalanced my life and opened my eyes to differences in education, culture, and leisure. Building three dimensional solutions to human problems became the foundation for a successful career in games, well-being, and learning design. I’m always evolving.
I’ve grown from an individual contributor, to a highly specialized team member dedicated to solving the most complex design challenges: user engagement, health improvement, and staying curious. I’ve led and built design teams to deliver cost-effective product solutions and prototypes for new markets and emerging technologies. I listen more than I speak, separate ideas from the people who hold them, and build bridges of understanding with customers, teammates, and C-staff. I’m a design ambassador.
In 2016, Autodesk Education Experiences hired me as a contractor to inspire users to dive deeper into their 3D modeling tool, Fusion 360. Our solution was so successful that the education team reorganized their course offerings around our research discoveries, created a role for a full-time position, and hired me as the team’s first remote employee. Working with groups in San Francisco, Toronto, and New York, I continued this learning design work as we developed a data-driven v2.0 prototype that had another successful debut at Autodesk University in 2017. This work continued after I left the company, and was launched in 2019 as The Autodesk Learning Engine. Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost said it best, “It’s an amazing experience to have play put into what you do every day!” I am a visionary.
After years as an independent in the electronic and board games industry, I reached out to MeYou Health when I saw their job listing posted on 4/1/10. I thought it was an April Fool’s Day prank. Days before, I’d been telling friends at PAX East that I craved something more than just the occasional learning game client. I attained a profound sense of purpose at MeYou Health fusing genuine game mechanics with behavior change theory to create scientifically validated, data-driven web and mobile products. We grew by leaps every year, expanding to a suite of 5 well-being products that were sold to insurance companies and large corporations. I mentored each product designer and spoke about game design thinking at the Game Developers Conference, Games for Health, and The White House. I give back.
Work
Level Ex, Remote in Chicago IL
Principal Game Designer
2021 - present
Bill Sabram Design, Lynn MA
Independent Game Designer
2000 - present
Autodesk Education, Boston MA & Remote in San Francisco, CA
Principal Learning Designer
2017 - 2018
MeYou Health, Boston MA
Lead Game Designer
2010 - 2016
MAYA Design, Remote in Pittsburgh PA
Senior Product Designer
2003 - 2005
Hasbro Games, Beverly MA
Senior Game Designer
1996 - 2000
ExhibitGroup / Giltspur, Avon MA
Exhibit Designer & Animator
1993 - 1995
Complete list of 30+ commercial games
