Behind the Screens: Meet Our Team!
Behind The Screens is our way of showing you our development process with our first Meet The Team.
Step beyond the flat screens of your phone or computer and into the FlatPonies stables! Here, the only flat thing is our logo and screens — our team is made up of real, 3D-shaped humans. But each team member has a 2D pony mascot, designed to reflect their unique personality.
Giddy up! We’re excited to introduce you to our office culture, what we’re working on, and—because we know you’re curious—why each pony mascot looks the way it does!
2D artist
Laura Blicher
What’s your role at FlatPonies?
I am a “2D artist”, which means I do a variety of tasks, including UI, concept art, in-world posters and signage, promotional material, and more!
What makes a great work environment?
To work on a project that allows you to have a voice and let your ideas shine through to the final product. To have fun colleagues and a relaxed atmosphere.
What excites you most about our current project?
To work in a larger team than I have before! Having colleagues who understand what I am doing and with whom I can bounce ideas is really nice!
Also, the art direction of the game makes it really fun to come up with new ideas and designs to flesh out the world!
What’s been the biggest ‘aha’ moment in development so far?
Combining music puns, animals, and whacky 90’s product design just feels right.
When I get to work on concept art and be more loose and silly, it’s really fun to see what naturally emerges—especially on stuff like posters and soda can labels.
What’s a fun or unexpected fact about you that your teammates might not know about you?
I sang in a gospel choir for about 8 years!
We once performed an impromptu concert outdoors during a snowstorm while a group of beavers were released into the wild. It was very idyllic, with enormous snowflakes falling everywhere while we sang Christmas songs for the beavers (and onlookers).
If you could jump back in time, and play your favorite childhood video game, which one would it be and why? OR What’s a gaming moment from your childhood that you’ll never forget?
I didn’t have a lot of games growing up—back then I mostly played browser games. I did play Pokémon Ruby a whole lot though, and I miss the sense of wonder I felt when exploring the Hoenn region.
But years later, the game that got me into gaming was Portal, which is still my favorite to this day! I wish I could go back and replay Portal 1 & 2 for the first time again!
Tell us about your pony—why is it designed this way?
As the 2D artist, one of my first tasks on the team was designing my own pony! I tried to keep it as close to the ones Simon made for the rest of the team. My pony is wearing what I was on the day I made it, and holding a giant tablet stylus like the one I use for most of my work!
I have since made all pony avatars for all new team members!
Curious to meet more of our herd? Want to know more about the horsepower behind our pixels? Alright, no more horsin’ around!