Transformational play
I have my dream job: designing and studying transformational play experiences, teaching game design, and training some truly amazing students (two of whom are shown here!). My workday might include writing, advising my doctoral students, teaching, research planning, playtesting a new game, or consulting with our non-academic partners. What I love most about my job: watching people play something I've made, and hearing back how it affected them. What's most frustrating about my job: the current political climate, in particular how it is affecting my students and my team. You don't have to be in academia to work on transformational play, which is good because American academia is in crisis. I have colleagues in industry, the non-profit world, and (formerly) government. You do, however, need to develop both your play literacy and your taste in games. It's easy to fall into the trap of "let's add points, badges, and levels" when you're designing a playful transformational experience. Your job is to think harder and dig deeper than what's on the surface; a good grounding in cognitive psychology, social psychology, and sociology will help.
My cat Reuben
I’ve fostered cats for more than twenty years, and he is my one and only foster fail. The sweetest, most communicative cat I’ve ever met. When he taps my hand with his little paw and then chirps to get my attention, I melt inside.
(Responsibly) Leaving Civilization Behind to Catch Up On Yourself
I go on retreat to the woods a couple of times a year. I bring a notebook, a pile of books, my favorite snacks, and occasionally my cat. I walk, think, read, build fires, and smell trees. It's incredibly good for the soul. When I'm in the woods, I get a break from being a professor, a parent, and even a partner. I just get to be alone with myself and experience myself as a person.
The gift of prototyping
If you want to give a great gift, but you aren't entirely sure what will work for the other person, you can give the gift of prototyping! Pick several small, cheap options for your gift for them to test. (Think samplers, travel sizes, or dupes.) Once they've tried all the options, let them tell you all about what they thought. Then use that information to get them the full version that's best for them. Bonus points for any of the following: - Add photos of the final gifts you're considering - Choose an entirely unreasonable number of prototypes to create a sense of abundance - Include a pretty notebook for them to record their thoughts - Invite them to a coffee date to hear about their testing - Offer to recycle or repurpose any unwanted prototypes for them
