I stumbled onto this document by Bruce Shelly and I thought it was insightful especially since I was designing a game for this project. It can also be a useful resource to refer to later on if I get the chance to design and develop games again. http://www.gamasutra.com/features/gdcarchive/2001/shelley.doc

Here is an outline on what was covered in that document.

1. Introduction
2. Reach for a Broad Audience
3. Differentiate and Innovate, Don't Imitate
4. Prototype early
5. Design by Playing
6. Interesting Decisions = Fun
7. Provide a great first 15 minutes of easily accessible play
8. The player should have the fun, not the designer, programmer, or computer
9. Create epic games that can launch/extend a franchise
10. Set Production Values High
11. Interface Goals: Intuitive, Easy to Use, & Minimize Frustration
12. Provide Multiple Gaming Experiences within the Box
13. Player Investments
14. Facilitate Consumer Content
15. Replayability
16. Story
17. Quality vs. Budget and Schedule
18. Gameplay vs. Realism or History
19. Polish the game