To develop Gossip Tarot, I conducted community research using participatory workshops, surveys, and ethnographic observation. In the workshops, players co-created narratives based on tarot cards, experimenting with different formats and prompts. These sessions revealed how people naturally gravitated toward playful, improvised storytelling, and how the structure of the tarot helped spark creative gossip. The collaborative setting encouraged spontaneity and humor, which shaped the tone and mechanics of the game.

Surveys helped me gather a broader range of feedback on what made the game enjoyable or confusing, while ethnographic observation—watching groups play in informal settings—highlighted subtle dynamics, like how people built off each other’s stories or responded to specific cards. Together, these methods provided a well-rounded understanding of how Gossip Tarot functioned as a social experience, and informed the development of a version that is both intuitive and engaging across different groups.