Danmarks Designskole – Production design – 2009
Final project
”Limbo, Life at risk”, a strategic game with a social intent.
Introduction:
My final graduation project is both strategic methodology design, including dramaturgic, social and didactic innovation and the conceptual sketchup of a strategic game with a social intent, asking the questions below.
..If games are formal abstract systems the human brain seek to recognize as patterns (David Bordwell, Raph Koster), can these patterns portray human condition and include social intent? Thus, can human conditions be altered by experience through interactive (game)design?
Such games would be social and didactic innovation combined in a Mechanics of Change.
..But can ”an interesting series of meaningful choices” (Sid Meier) in gamemechanics
exist in a strategic gameplay including social intent? Will a strong intent kill the player´s experience of freedom of choice?
..What if the gaming platform is viewed as a topology that has to be discovered? And is this similar to the hero´s object in actionfilms? The hero needs to know the city (gamespace) as a mental map in order to conquer enemies. Thus, can ludology and narratology be bridged satisfyingly in a conceptual sketchup in an analogue strategic game offering no chance of shifting perspective, montage or linear plot that a digital platform would offer. If not to mention amorph topologic opportunities.
Strategy:
Games are defined by ”a fixed set of rules, a variable outcome, negotiable consequences” (Jesper Juul), qualities that distinguish games from real life. Games also appoint a Winner/Loser, a distinguishing trait for games as opposed to play, this Winner/Loser hierarchy seems not to be a distinguishing trait between (game)system and (system)life anymore, according to Bauman moral tales today promote the idea of a Winner/Loser hierarchy as seen in reality-TV.
Life is a game!
The strategic starting-point is thus the critique of human condition, formulated by Goffman, Durkheim and Bauman: unreflected luxury consumption replacing real freedom, moral tales of Winner/Loser systems, and national graphs for suicides indicating levels of a society´s social integration levels or lack of same due to failing to meet a society´s norms/values.
All summed up by Habermas as the System (money and power) gradually occupying all of Life´s spheres.
Innovation:
The answers to the abovementioned questions were conducted in an experiental manner developing and experimenting with methodology in several parallel experiments; transforming analysis of existing games into fixed abstract patterns.
Then the reverse method, using fixed spatial patterns as platform for developing gamemechanics in addition to the development of little game-mechanics developed over intended social topics related in a modular plot.
And the reverse method using dramaturgical tools (dramaturgic innovation) for spacial narration, defining the object for change.
Last, gamemechanics iteration through p&p and user-involvement.
Experience:
Both design processes led to the conceptual strategic game ”Limbo, life at risk”, where a player throughout the game in an Artificial reality must deduct his/her own cost-benefit analysis as to whether it´s worth risking and paying with your life for all the status-artefacts that a player can both offer and buy.
Thus, in Limbo life is a game, portraying how life in moral tales today is presented as Winners/Losers. Losers go off of course, since systemsociety´s values are the only values that matter. The most essential trait of a total asylum, attaining smaller priviledges/artefacts, is the only culture that matters in Limbo.
The series of choices have been narrowed down in this conceptual sketchup, the player´s life being visible on a common indicator of life-span including death in both ends, either as suicide or as result of stressfull status-hunting. Trying to break the game´s rules will lead to suicide, and aiming directly for the prestigious Win through the buying of the right status-objects ahead of player opponents will shorten the life of the player drastically.
Hence, you win but you lose!
Se klip fra projektet på Youtube
Fields of ineterest
Concept design
Multidisciplinary approach using a combination of competences in design, architecture, and social science.
Research
Strategic design/ methodology i.e. experiental innovation
Experience design including gamedesign
Spacial narration, i.e looking for ways to bridge the gap between Performance and Story, i.e. worldbuilding in fiction combined with mechanics in games.
Project management
User involvement
To be continued…
Contact
Sanna Choe Lund
110 Greenwich street, 10006 NYC, NY.
USA
Cell: +1 347 484 1208
E: Sannachoelund@gmail.com
Web: www.linkedin.com, www.facebook.dk, own webpage soon to some
And links to usability testing of game mechanics with kleenex-users soon to be uploaded.
CV
Education2007 – 2009: Master´s degree production design, Danish School of Design
2003 – 2006: Bachelor´s degree production design, Danish School of Design
2002 – 2003: Copenhagen Technical School, painting course
2002 – 2003: Roskilde University, Social Science
1998 – 2000: Royal Academy of Architecture, City, Building and Technology
1998 Krabbesholm Højskole, design studies
1997 A -levels in design and philosophy, selfstudy HF
1996 Linguistic focus, college graduation, selfstudy. A- levels
1993 Wyomissing Area High school graduation, Blue Ribbon, PA
Qualifications
Concept design
Multidisciplinary approach using a combination of competences in design, architecture, and social science.
Strategic design/ methodology i.e. experiental innovation
Experience design including gamedesign
User involvement
Research
Spacial narration, i.e looking for ways to bridge the gap between Performance and Story, worldbuilding in fiction combined with mechanics in games.
Project management
Adobe CS 3
Final Cut
After Effects
Internship
2007: MAX part 1, broadcast on DR1, awarded best Danish TV series for children 2007.
Work experience
2008: Art directing musicvideo-production Blackout by Veto
2008: Production designer at documentary shortfilm Ballerina, Nimbusfilm
2008: co- Art director at Teitur concert, Roskilde Festival (creating visuals)
2007: Production designer at shortfilm, Ensom er noget man er for sig selv, Nimbusfilm
2007: Production designer at No One, developing sales pitch for featurefilm manuscript
2007: Production designer at Tæt på billedet, shortfilm by Nimbusfilm
2007 Assistant-art director, showroom Sirius Ligthing
2006: Art director at Selvhad, Filmschool Super 16 penneprøve
2006: Production designer at Superhelt, shortfilm by Zentropa
2006: Production designer at The Danish Film School´s Midtvejsfilm
2005: Production designer at Et barn, shortfilm, Shoutingcow.productions
2004: Art director at The Danish Film School´s Penneprøve 1 and 2.
01-03: Operational manager at Fundraisinggruppen, the largest professional
fundraisingcompany in Scandinavia working with Non-Governmental Organizations as Red Barnet, Red Cross, Unicef, Folkekirkens Nødhjælp, Nepentes (many more) supporting education, vaccine programmes etc.
2001: New Biz developer/ account manager at Nordic Net TV, stream technology
2000: Art director, Multigraph advertising agency
Languages
Danish
English
French
German
Other
1st prize in two poster competitions including one for Den Danske Bank, has also worked with visual identity/logo for Helsestedet and J.D and Partners Law firm, PA.
