DESIGN 265 B: Topics in Design

ART265B_GameDesignSU2018.pdf

The world works the way it works because of how people interact with constraints (like
gravity or their physiology) and rules (like laws, social conventions, or latent prejudices),
while pursuing their desires (some physiological, and some psychological). Designers
often want to change people’s behavior. One way to do this, is to mix new rules in with
strategies for satisfying desires. In other words, making a game.

We'll start the quarter with a variety of readings and visits from outside professionals to explore what makes games fun, why games can be a beneficial alternative to "real" interactions, and how game mechanics may enable tackling really tricky problems: sustainability, ethics in design, minority inclusion, and others.

Students will be challenged to develop 3 game-based solutions to “problems” posed by
the professor over the course of the class. Problems may be solved simply, or in complex
ways, and it is up to the student team to determine the best solution. Each subsequent
challenge will build on the previous one.

Students can use a variety of media to complete challenges, including (but not limited
to) mailboxes, facebook, twitter, cellphones, answering machines, newspapers, printed
pages, projectors, UV paint, modified objects, etc.