Celia Hodent
Celia Hodent is a recognized leader in the application of user experience and psychology in video game design, and in the development of UX strategy and process in game studios. She has worked at Ubisoft, LucasArts, and Epic Games to help guide the studios toward improved user experience practices. Celia holds a PhD in psychology and her approach is to use cognitive science knowledge and the scientific method to concretely solve design problems, while reaching business goals.
Biography
After completing my Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Paris Descartes-Sorbonne in 2004, I stepped aside from academic research to work with an educational toy manufacturer, VTech, and a few years later entered the video game industry. I have worked at Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Montreal, LucasArts (San Francisco), and Epic Games (Cary, NC) to help guide the studios, and their projects, toward improved user experience practices. I'm using cognitive science knowledge and the scientific method to concretely solve design problems and make sure the player experience is always enjoyable and engaging, while reaching business goals. I'm interested in game-based learning, and how overall video games can improve people's lives, and society. I'm also the founder and curator of the Game UX Summit, which launched in Durham, NC in May of 2016, hosted by Epic Games. I have worked on many projects across multiple platforms (PC, console, mobile, and VR), including the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise, Star Wars: 1313, Paragon, Fortnite, and Spyjinx.Education
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PhD in cognitive development psychology
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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Cognitive Psychology, User Experience, User Research, UX Strategy, Education, Game-Based Learning, Video Games, Game Development.
Personal Interests
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Science, Music, Cognitive Biases, Logical Fallacies
Websites
Books
Articles
The Elusive Power of Video Games for Education
Published: Aug 01, 2016 by Gamasutra
Authors: Celia Hodent
Subjects:
Computer Game Development, Ergonomics & Human Factors, Gaming
Educators interested in using video games for educational purposes should be aware of the considerable difficulties in developing a fun and engaging game, and take into account the user experience (UX). Game developers interested in education should understand the principles of learning, and the importance of transfer of learning when creating an educational game.
5 Misconceptions about UX (User Experience) in Video Games
Published: Apr 06, 2015 by Gamasutra
Authors: Celia Hodent
Subjects:
Computer Game Development, Ergonomics & Human Factors, Gaming
User Experience (UX) is becoming very trendy albeit fairly new in the video game industry, so there are still a lot of misconceptions regarding what it is (and what it’s not). Here are the 5 most common misconceptions.
Photos
News
Game UX Summit '17
By: Celia Hodent
Subjects: Computer Game Development, Computer Science & Engineering, Ergonomics & Human Factors, Gaming
This October 4-6, Ubisoft Toronto will host the Game UX Summit ’17 in Toronto at the St. Lawrence Centre. A unique opportunity for attendees to network around our passion for UX in the game industry, the Game UX Summit (October 4-5) and Masterclasses (October 6) will be announced soon. If you want to receive updates about the summit, follow #GameUXSummit or Twitter.
Videos
Published: Jul 22, 2016
This detailed post describes all the Game UX Summit 2016 sessions, one by one. This event brought together 15 renowned speakers from various UX-related disciplines, from game studios and academia. The keynote speakers were Don Norman and Dan Ariely.