April 14 | 5-6pm
EAE Grad Lab Bldg 72(RM 250)

User experience (UX) is still a very new mindset to the video game industry, and has specific challenges considering that games need to be fun and engaging. As former director of UX at Epic Games and 14-year+ veteran in the game industry, Celia Hodent will explain her UX framework, which was used on Fortnite. More specifically, after explaining the main brain limitations to take into account when designing a game, the talk will break down game UX in two main pillars: usability and “engage-ability”, offering a list of ingredients for game developers to create their own successful game recipe.

Masks are required to attend!

Bio: Celia Hodent is recognized as a leader in the application of user experience (UX) and cognitive science in the game industry. Celia holds a PhD in psychology and has over ten years of experience in the development of UX strategy and processes in video game studios. Through her work at Ubisoft, LucasArts, and as Director of UX at Epic Games (Fortnite), she has contributed to many projects across multiple platforms, from PC to consoles, mobile, and VR. Celia is also the founder of the Game UX Summit, advisor for the GDC UX Summit, member of the Foresight Committee at CNIL (National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, an independent French administrative regulatory body). She currently works as an independent consultant, helping studios increase the likelihood of their games to be engaging and successful. Celia also provides guidance on the topics of playful learning, ethics (founder of ethicalgames.org), unconscious bias, and inclusion in tech.
Celia is the author of The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can Impact Video Game Design (2017), The Psychology of Video Games (2020), What UX Really Is: Introducing a Mindset to Great Experiences (2021), and co-editor of Game Usability: Advice from the Experts for Advancing UX Strategy and Practice in Videogames (2022).
Twitter: @CeliaHodent
Blog: celiahodent.com