I didn’t think I was a gamer before taking this class – through the many critical plays and playtesting for other teams, I learned that play means different things for different people. There are so many different ways to experience a narrative and so many different worlds to explore through these interactions. I was especially interested in learning more about the aesthetics and the intersections between these types of fun. It was interesting to see how challenge and also tie with sensation and submission – types of fun that I didn’t think could possibly mix together. I was able to use bits and pieces of these types of fun in my work while creating Duck, Duck, Goose: Reducks and Let’s Get the Band Together!
These two projects took up most of my work time this quarter – but it is to say that they are by far, the two projects I am most proud of creating. I particularly enjoyed working with a team who was made of equally motivated individuals – though two of us are graduating and experiencing heavy cases of senioritis. Our commitment to novelty and exploring different branches of brainstorming allowed us to create very unique experiences and stories that I wouldn’t have been able to come to without my teammates.
During this class, I grew in my understanding of how I function creatively – that it’s not a process that I will ever feel is “finished” with. Despite this conflicting feeling, I also learned how to make decisions and commit to a “work in progress” state in order to test, iterate, and go back to the drawing board when necessary.
Looking into the future, I would like to be more active in the drawings and graphic design aspects of projects. I enjoyed creating concept maps and themed infographics for both games and realized that I enjoy telling stories through visuals and sketching. Aside from taking on a more art-forward role, I would also like to consider how I evaluate my own wellness through creative processes. I felt that ideation and rapid iteration required more breaks and rest in between each iteration for me to actually contribute intentionally to my team.
I didn’t see myself as a leader until I met my team and received such appreciation for the work I do – work that I’ve always seen as being “logistics” or “organizational” work. The other day, I was working in CoDa and looked through some of the books on the first floor workspace. I came upon one of Christina’s books – The Team that Managed Itself. I’ve always held the idea of learning without authority very close to my heart – and I’m really excited to crack open this book! I’ll be graduating this summer and I’ll have to say, of the 6 years I’ve been here at Stanford, CS 247G has been the class where I’ve grown most – In how I interact with others, value my own creative work, and also in how I engage in play and fun.
When I was studying painting, they said a painting is never finished, only abandoned… and when i studied writing, they said the same about novels. I think getting work up to what you hope for it is always hard. Learning to live with what’s possible while still aiming high is a good lesson. Thank you for being part of this class!