The space around us is so important to how we work. Our desks are a place where we can express ourselves and feel at home - and that’s definitely the case here at Tag.
We love seeing our teams furnish their desks with toys, decorations, mementos and other knick-knacks. It brings character and colour to Tag workspaces, making them more creative, inspiring and fun places to be. But importantly, giving our teams the freedom to establish a working environment that suits and reflects them means happier staff.
So we asked our staff to share the objects that surround their working spaces, and the reasons they keep them close at hand when they help us make great games.
Jock MacDonald, Programmer
What is the toy and where did it come from?
Well, I keep lots and lots of puzzles on and around my desk area. People mostly see the ones on the bookshelf behind me when I am in Zoom calls. TBH I’ve been slowly accumulating puzzles my entire life, I’ve always loved solving them. Each new puzzle brings its own kind of problems I need to find a solution to, it’s a really great feeling when I've finally solved it. It's a pretty safe bet to get me any kind of puzzle for a present.
Why you chose this toy as something to live on your work desk?
I keep them around my desk because sometimes, if I’m working on some code at work, I can kinda get a little lost with what I’m doing and by solving one of my puzzles for a couple minutes it sorta gets my head away from the problem for a little bit so I can go back to it with fresh eyes.
I also usually have manga that I’m reading around my desk for my lunch breaks. I just got the 25th anniversary deluxe edition of Ghost in the Shell. It’s been a really great read so far, they’ve added a bunch of new colour pages which I appreciate!
Lara Bendoris, Artist
What is the toy and where did it come from?
I have a bit of a toy addiction - especially to stuffed animals. My penchant for collecting plushies became a bit more extreme when I discovered an online claw machine game that allowed you to win Japanese plushies by virtually controlling real claw machines in Japan. I now have an embarrassingly large collection, some of which have crept onto my desk at Tag Games.
Why you chose this toy as something to live on your work desk?
As a game artist, I love to surround myself with inspiration. I really love the Japanese 'Kawaii' design aesthetic, especially how graphic and simplistic the character designs tend to be. One of my favourite plushies that I managed to win was created by Japanese graphic designer Mori Chack. His character 'Gloomy Bear' now takes pride of place on my desk at work.
Kerri Targett, Artist
What is the toy and where did it come from?
I normally have loads of toys on my desk but they got all packed up when we started working from home, so the only one I have on my desk at the moment is The Child figurine (aka Baby Yoda, aka Grogu) from the Star Wars Mandalorian series. I got this as a birthday present.
Why did you choose this toy as something to live on your work desk?
I love the Mandalorian series and, like a lot of people, found The Child adorable and wanted one for myself.
Jason Hall, Art Manager
What is the toy and where did it come from?
The toys are 1:10th scale electric off-road radio control cars. I collect Maverick and Tamiya and they came from all over the place, Maverick is a UK based RC company and Tamiya are Japanese.
Why you chose this toy as something to live on your work desk?
I love driving, racing and building RC cars. I also restore older collectable RC cars, some date back to the 1970's. It's a relaxing way to refocus the mind.
Omar Khalil, Game Designer
What is the toy and where did it come from?
It’s a Texas Instruments Speak & Spell computer. It was a present from my dad for my sixth birthday.
Why you chose this toy as something to live on your work desk?
It sits on a shelf, above my monitor and is a constant reminder of my childhood, especially my time in Junior School. It's not in the best condition and the battery panel is missing from the back. I love the bright colours, the noises it makes and the ridiculous robotic voice.
Also, I like to brag about the fact that E.T. used a Speak & Spell to phone home!