HI THERE!
I’m Elena
Flores
I’m a Product Specialist with 9 years of experience. I’m passionate about art, design, technology, UX, and video games—fields that have shaped both my life and my career
A BIT ABOUT MY WORK
Everything I did brought me here
I’m currently working as Head of Product & Publishing Director at Raiser Games, an international publisher based in Spain. I’ve loved video games since I was a child, which led me to graduate in Game Design and Development. However, most of my experience comes from UX design, product design, business development, strategic consulting, and project/team management. This diverse background allowed me to transition directly into a production role in the video game industry, where my broad, multidisciplinary experience has played a key role.
1. I wanted to be a Game Designer
I’ve always been a passionate, self-taught designer. Digital design and game design are the two areas where I’ve become strongest, as I aspired to be a concept artist or game designer.
2. I fell in love with Product and UX
The gaming industry in Spain is quite unstable. A few years after I started working, I had to transition to technology consulting. Although video games were no longer part of my professional life, I discovered my love for digital products and UX.
3. I discovered my management skills
One of the big three strategic consulting firms offered me the opportunity to lead the digital vertical of their design studio. I managed stakeholders, clients, teams, and the production of complex, cutting-edge projects for Global 2000 companies around the world.
4. I jumped into Games Production
My expertise in managing products across all roles in the chain allowed me to join video game publishing production, eventually growing into my current role. This involves leading, developing business models, and overseeing the creation of new IPs, among other responsibilities.
WHEN HOBBIES AND PASSION CONVERGE
I’m a fidget brain
I’ve always loved learning and experimenting with new things when it comes to art and design: drawing in different styles and techniques, designing apps to track my gaming progress, trying out new design software, taking pictures of things that catch my attention, sewing and crafting my own cosplays, modding consoles, sculpting my own figurines… Creativity plays a key role in my life, and I can’t imagine living without it.
I’ve been practicing weightlifting for over 5 years (I lift 1.5 times my body weight in squats and almost twice my weight in deadlifts
), and I love going on long walks through cities and nature. Becoming a more active and healthier person has been one of the most important changes I’ve ever made. It has made my body stronger, but also my mind!
My previous years of experience as a designer have been surrounded by multiple NDAs, but you can still check out the artist portfolio I created when I completed my Video Game Design and Development degree. There’s also an SNES manual-inspired CV I made, which helped me land my first job in the games industry! (I even got interviewed about it in the newspaper).
GROW BY GROWING OTHERS
I love sharing what I know and learning from others
I believe that learning from others and from human relationships is the best way to grow both as a person and as a professional (which is why I really enjoy managing teams and projects). This is one of the main reasons that motivated me to start giving talks, attending podcasts, and sharing what I know and what I’m passionate about. I’m also mentoring several indie studios and helping them with publishing and production.
Some of the latest talks I’ve given
Annual publishing masterclass (U-Tad)
Launch day: the beginning of the end (Gamelab)
The success equation: publishing + dev (IDD Barcelona)
A new paradigm: UGC & games for GenZ (IDD Madrid)
Some of the latest podcasts I’ve been on
FROM MIND TO PAPER
Writing is another great way of sharing
My first experience with the professional world of video games (outside of internships) was through journalism. I’ve always loved writing about the games I play and sharing news I come across. I started writing for AkihabaraBlues, covering industry events and reviewing new releases. Driven by an interest in video games not only as entertainment but as a cultural product, I joined the independent publisher GameReport, where I’ve written several articles and created illustrations for both print issues and web articles. I also maintain a personal blog where I occasionally share my thoughts. Additionally, I enjoy creating Twitter threads to share my insights on game design, UX, and publishing (some of which have even been covered by newspapers too!).
WANT TO GET IN TOUCH?
Feel free to drop me a line 🙂
If you’d like to receive additional materials, such as my CV or recommendation letters, learn more about my consulting services, invite me to give a talk, or if you’re curious about anything else, feel free to send me an email!