I research and design digital games and other computer-supported experiences. My focus is emotion and social connection--understanding the impact of design choices on these qualities, and figuring out how to get better at making and evaluating digital experiences that have these qualities. Because I trained in both social science and design, I value data and intuition, and I don't see a contradiction in blending these modes of inquiry for best results.I'm an associate professor at New York University’s Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, jointly appointed in Digital Media and Computer Science and Engineering. I also maintain an affiliation at the IT University in Copenhagen’s Center for Computer Games Research. At NYU-Poly, I direct the Social Game Lab, am an investigator in the NYU Games for Learning Institute, and serve on the Advisory Committee of the NYU Game Center.
After completing a Ph.D. at Stanford University, where I studied Communication as well as Human-Computer Interaction, I worked in research labs in Japan, Sweden, Denmark, and the U.S., and in software start-ups and design consultancies (past clients include Microsoft, Paramount, BMW, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and others), in addition to being a research professor. Along the way, I've done two books: Better Game Characters by Design and Game Usability. Better Game Characters was nominated for a Game Developer Magazine Frontline Award.
I serve on the advisory board of the IGDA Games Education Special Interest Group, and on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Human Computer Studies. In 1999 I was selected as one of MIT Technology Review's TR100 Young Innovators most likely to shape the future of technology.
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