►
From YouTube: Keynote: Game Design Thinking + Social Justice - Ashlyn Sparrow, Assistant Director, Weston Game Lab
Description
Keynote: Game Design Thinking + Social Justice - Ashlyn Sparrow, Assistant Director, Weston Game Lab at University of Chicago
Games are the largest cultural and entertainment forms of our time. Pre-Covid, thousands of players would gather in parks to play Pokémon Go, or in large stadiums to see international teams play a game of League of Legends. These numbers have continued to grow with games like Animal Crossing: New Horizon, selling more than 26 million copies since March 2020, and over half a billion users playing Among Us in November 2020. Games have consumed much of our time, attention, and capital. Games are so popular, that they have begun to influence our everyday lives. The practice of “gamification”, using game mechanics in traditionally nongame activities, is all around us. Fitocracy, Fitbit, and MyFitnessPal, Nike+ have gamified exercise, Khan Academy gamified education and learning, while consumer rewards programs, have even gamified loyalty. The language of competition, leaderboards, and points have taken over mundane aspects of our lives. But, can we use games and game design thinking to shift our relationship to the world and design a more just society?
In this session, Sparrow will reorienting the affordances of games and invite participants to think critically about how our society has been designed, who it’s been designed for, and who it’s been designed by.
A
Hello:
everyone,
my
name
is
ashlyn
sparrow,
I'm
the
assistant
director
of
the
westin
game
lab
at
the
university
of
chicago.
I
am
a
game
designer
an
experienced
designer
and
basically
a
person
whose
trajectory
in
games
has
been
the
road
less
traveled.
And
honestly
I
that's
it.
You
know
that
in
itself
has
allowed
me
to
think
about
interaction,
design
and
frameworks
in
a
way
that,
I
think,
is
a
little
bit
more
playful.
A
But
before
we
get
started,
let
us
define
our
terms.
We
must
answer
the
question.
Why
games
right
games
are
a
huge
cultural
phenomenon
and
so
much
so
that
there
is
1.82
billion
self-identified
gamers
out
there
in
the
world
and
games
are
one
of
the
fastest
growing
cultural
forms.
97
percent
of
teens
play
games,
the
average
age
of
a
gamer
is
37
and
43
percent
of
american
women
are
gamers
and
just
in
2020
alone,
the
games
industry
has
grossed
139.7
billion
dollars.
A
A
A
League
of
legends
is
now
one
of
the
most
popular
pc
games
in
the
world
with
gamers
logging,
over
1.3
billion
hours
of
gameplay
and
games
are
moving
beyond
the
screen
and
permeating
other
artistic
and
cultural
forms.
Riot
games
has
tapped
into
the
k-pop
industry
and
has
actually
created
a
group
called
kda,
which
is
what
you
see
here
with
their
music
video
pop
stars.
It
imagines
four
of
the
characters
as
a
critically
acclaimed
k-pop
group,
when
the
video
first
dropped
on
youtube.
A
It
exceeded
20
million
views
in
the
first
four
days
and
reached
number
five
on
the
apple
music
pop
charts
in
the
us
performing
better
than
any
other
league
of
legends
music.
Video
and
note
there
are
quite
a
few
bands
that
riot
has
produced,
and
so,
as
you
can
kind
of
see,
games
are
all
around
us.
They
are
permeating
our
music,
our
phones,
everything
so
much
so
that
we
are
actually
also
seeing
a
huge
movement
in
terms
of
gamification
and
gamification
is
when
you
take
game
elements
and
use
them
for
non-game
purposes.
A
So
when
we
think
of
fitbit
or
nike
plus
how
they're
there
they
give.
You
points
that
they
give
you
stars
and
achievements
for
things.
Khan
academy
gives
you
badges
for
watching
certain
videos
and
taking
tests
and
doing
those
things
right.
So
any
time
you
see
those
elements
you're,
probably
in
a
gamified
system
and
so
they're
so
popular
right
that
now
it's
like
well
games
are
everywhere.
A
Games
are
everything,
but
we
have
to
also
ask
this
question:
what
is
a
game?
There
are
multiple
definitions
of
the
game,
but
my
personal
favorite
definition
comes
from
jasper
yules
in
his
book.
Half-Life
a
game
is
a
rule-based
system
with
a
variable
and
quantifiable
outcome
where
outcomes
are
assigned
different
values,
the
player
exerts
effort
in
order
to
influence
the
outcome.
A
The
player
feels
emotionally
attached
to
the
outcome
and
the
consequences
of
the
activity
are
negotiable,
and
so
this
definition
has
no
mention
of
a
medium
right,
because
games
are
transmedial,
there's
no
single
game
medium.
There
are
multiple
game
media
each
with
its
own
kind
of
strengths.
Right,
there's
the
computer.
There
are
board
games
and
card
games.
A
You
can
also
think
of
the
real
world
as
a
game
platform
to
be
used,
and
so
that's
the
one
reason
why
I
love
this
definition
and
also
the
fact
that
it's
so
broad
they're,
basically
only
six
elements
to
a
game
right.
The
fixed
rules
that
have
to
be
really
well
defined
right.
The
number
of
arguments
that
you
probably
get
into
with
people
when
you
start
to
play
uno,
it's
probably
insane
right.
You
have
to
have
clear
rules.
How
are
you
going
to
play
your
game
of
uno
versus?
What's
your
house
rules?
A
What's
the
actual
rules,
et
cetera,
et
cetera
right,
the
games
have
a
variable
and
quantifiable
outcome
right
for
the
game
to
work.
The
game
should
provide
different
outcomes
right
you
do
this,
you
get
outcome
a
you
do
something
else.
You
get
outcome
b,
there's
a
valorization
of
the
outcome.
That
means
that
some
of
the
outcomes
are
better
than
others
right,
that's
how
you
get
winning
or
losing,
or
maybe
with
games
that
you
just
complete.
There
are
good
endings
that
that
endings
are
better
endings,
etc.
A
A
Players
are
also
attached
to
those
outcomes
right
they
care
about
them.
It's
a
psychological
thing
and
then
the
consequences
are
negotiable.
There's
a
degree
of
separation
from
the
rest
of
the
world
following
the
consequences
of
the
game,
they're,
all
negotiable,
but
but
that
that
that
separation
is
the
thing,
that's
negotiable
right.
Where
you
could
play
a
game
of
poker,
you
could
bet
real
world
money,
and
you
know
your
bank
account
goes
negative
or
you
can
not
bet
reward
money
right
and
that
consequence
right
there
is
based
off
of
what
the
player
actually
wants.
A
A
You
know
we
have
to
exert
effort
into
everything
that
we
do
we're
attached
to
our
outcomes
and,
depending
on
what
it
is
that
we're
doing,
the
consequences
really
are
negotiable,
and
so
I'm
really
interested
in
thinking
about
how
we
can
take
the
games,
game,
design,
principles
and
use
them
in
the
real
world
and
start
making
it
more
equitable
and
just
system.
So
a
design
question
that,
I
might
say
I
might
ask,
is
how
might
play
in
game
design
influence
our
social
cultural
systems.
A
A
The
way
that
I'm
gonna
describe
it
to
you
is
gonna
sound,
very
much
like
a
game
that
there
is
an
anonymous
person
known
as
q,
who
has
managed
to
find
secrets
about
the
deep
state
that
contain
information
about
a
group
of
democrats
and
hollywood
actors
who
are
conducting
violence
on
children
and
the
only
person
who
can
save
them
and
save
us
all
is
donald
trump.
How
does
that
work?
A
A
There's
a
group
of
people
online
who
are
trying
to
decode
that
message
and
try
and
figure
out
what
it
all
means.
It
operates
like
what
we'd
call
as
an
alternate
reality
game
right,
where
it's
a
conspiracy
that
you're
trying
to
follow
and
trying
to
figure
out
and
uncover
the
mystery
right.
There's
an
investigation,
they've
managed
to
gamify
research,
if
only
they
managed
to
gamify
research
for
social
good.
A
What's
interesting
with
this
group
is
that
they
like
good
gamers,
understood
the
rules
of
engagement,
they
understood
the
stock
market
and
they
decided
to
play
wall
street's
game
but
use
their
same
energy,
but
use
it
against
them
right
and
because
of
this,
there
are
quite
a
few
companies
that
went
under
because
you
know
they
sh.
They
had
to
sell
back
their
stock,
which
is
kind
of
fascinating
to
me.
So
I,
like
the
energy
of
wall
street
vets.
A
I
would
like
to
see
them
do
things
for
again
social
good,
imagine
what
we
could
do
with
climate
change
with
the
same
energy
that
wall
street
has
so.
This
leads
us
nicely
to
games
and
social
impact,
and
the
types
of
games
that
I'm
gonna
specifically
focus
on
are
what
we
call
serious
games,
and
these
are
games
that
are
designed
for
a
purpose
outside
of
entertainment.
A
The
games
are
really
good
at
providing
player
agency
right
players
must
exert
effort,
which
then
means
games
are
really
good
at
providing
players
agency
right
players
know
when
they
can
or
cannot
do
something
when
they
can
make
change
to
something
or
when
they
cannot
right
and
that's
really
really
powerful
and
really
really
important.
There
are
a
lot
of
times
where,
in
the
real
world,
people
don't
feel
like
they
have
agency,
they
don't
feel
like
they
have
choice
or
power
right.
A
So
how
could
we
start
thinking
about
changing
some
of
our
systems
in
the
real
world?
To
make
sure
that
people
do
have
power
do
have
agency
do
have
choice?
Games
are
really
good
for
trial
and
error.
Right,
like
you,
can
try
something
you
can
fail.
You
can
put
on
a
different
strategy
and
it's
totally
fine
right.
A
game
tells
you
you've
lost
or
you've
failed
or
you've
died,
not
to
punish
a
player,
but
to
really
say
hey
what
you
just
did
didn't
really
work.
Maybe
you
should
try
again
right,
which
then
means
it's
just
pick.
A
A
space
for
safe
failure
can't
fail
tests
in
school
multiple
times.
Right
like
there
are
too
many
negative
consequences
for
that,
and
there's
no
safety
net
after
that
and
they're
really
good
at
depicting
systems
like
extraordinarily
well
like
you
can
build
galaxies
and
universes
in
games
which
is
kind
of
cool
one.
Other
thing
that
we
talk
about
in
terms
of
game
are
called
it's
called
procedural
rhetoric.
This
is
a
term
from
the
game
theorist
eric
zimmerman,
which
mainly
talks
about
how
games
can
persuade
people
through
rule-based
representation
right.
A
So
in
the
wor
in,
for
instance,
we
have
the
written
word
and
we
have
rhetoric
there
and
how
we
can
persuade
people
with
our
words
and
how
we
write
games,
make
their
persuasive
arguments
through
the
rules
right,
and
so
maybe,
if
we
started
thinking
about
the
systems
that
we
interact
with
and
the
rules
that
we
have
to
engage
in,
that
they
actually
do
make
meaning
behind
them.
Right
who
are
the
types
of
people
who
get
tech
jobs
right?
A
A
A
A
Let's
take
voting
for
instance
voting.
Is
it
a
game
I
think
not,
but
maybe
kind
of
is.
If
we,
if
we
look
at
gerrymandering,
for
instance
like
we
know
that
you,
depending
on
where
you
are,
if
you're,
if
you're
you
know,
identify
as
blue
or
red
that,
depending
on
how
the
district
lines
are
drawn,
that
it
can
change
the
vote.
A
If
I
view
this
as
a
game
that
doesn't
seem
fair,
it
doesn't
seem
equitable
in
order
for
it
to
be
fair
and
to
be
equitable.
You
would
want
to
do
exactly
what
you
see
in
on
in
version
one.
It's
a
perfect
representation.
This
the
numbers
are
equal
across
all
districts.
The
districts
are
all
the
same
size
right
and
then
you
can
count
based
off
of
the
majority
here.
You
see
blue
wins.
A
The
second
version,
while
blue
does
win
it's
compact
and
unfair.
Why?
Because
it's
not
equitable
about
the
number
of
red
that
that's
in
the
same
space
right
and
then
three
is
not
equitable
either.
That's
not
a
fair
game
if
we
think
less
about
ourselves
as
individuals,
the
way
that
a
lot
of
politicians
do,
and
we
think
more
about
our
players,
our
constituents,
our
gamer
or
like
our
gamers
right-
and
we
want
to
make
sure.
But
again
it's
not
it's
not
just
one
type
of
gamer.
A
A
A
And
again
none
of
these
designs
are
innate,
but
unfortunately
they
all
have
real
world
consequences.
So
again,
how
might
we
redesign
systems
with
a
focus
towards
the
future?
How
can
we
use
the
knowledge
of
game,
design
and
game
design,
thinking,
making
things
sure
that
are
fun
or
engaging
or
fair
and
equitable
easy
access?
The
onboarding
process
is
really
nice
and
that,
regardless
of
like
your
immutable
qualities
that
you
still
have
a
fair
chance
of
navigating
said
system,
there
are
so
many
different
things
that
a
game
designer
thinks
about
right.
A
Maybe
they're,
maybe
you
can
focus
on
your
own
biases
and
say
like
is
that?
Do
I
surround
myself
with
the
other
people
who
just
look
like
me
is
my
company
full
of
people
who
only
look
like
me.
How
can
I
go
and
find
people
who
are
different
and
talk
to
them
right
because
it
all
starts
with
self-awareness.
A
It
also
means
that
you
need
to
seek
different
perspectives,
just
like
a
good
game,
designer
a
game
designer
tests,
their
game
with
multiple
people,
and
not
only
people
who
are
experts
at
the
game,
but
people
who
are
not
experts,
that's
why
difficulty
levels
exist
right
and
one
thing
that
game
designers
do
all
the
time.
Is
they
ask
the
question
why?
A
Why
do
you
feel
this
way?
Why
do
I,
as
a
game
designer
feel
this
way?
When
I
hear
maybe
negative
comments
about
my
game,
why
do
I
feel
uncomfortable?
Why
do
you
feel
uncomfortable
right?
It's
really
important
to
start
to
diagnose
that
and
then
think
about
ways
that,
like
what
happens,
if
you
swap
out
the
individual
for
a
different
person
or
a
one
problem
for
another,
do
you
still
feel
the
same
way
if
you
don't
feel
the
same
way?
A
Why
is
that,
if
we
focus
on
your
community,
if
we
focus
on
your
company
right,
you
can
think
about
diversifying
your
team.
Like
an
rpg
right,
you
have
a
wizard,
you
have
a
sorcerer
which
is
technically
different.
You
have
a
a
warrior
right,
a
bard
right.
What
does
your
team
look
like
right?
What
skill
sets
does
your
team
have?
What
background
does
your
team
have?
A
I
think
you
have
to
listen
and
trust
the
most
marginalized
people,
the
people
on
the
edge
cases,
because
those
are
the
people
who
you're
excluding
the
most.
Those
are
the
people
who
might
actually
be
able
to
provide
you
more
insight
in
the
experience
that
you're
ultimately
designing
and
making
sure
that
it's
fair
and
equitable
for
everyone
right.
A
So
I
encourage
everyone
to
think
like
a
game
designer
make
sure
that
you
know
you're
going
out
talking
changing
your
perspective,
interacting
with
new
people
and
don't
be
afraid
to
say
you
know
what
I
don't
know
or
oh
I'm
wrong.
I
will.
I
will
actually
change
things
to
make
sure
that
you're
included,
because
I
care
because
you
want
a
fun,
inclusive,
enjoyable
experience,
it's
not
all
a
competition,
it's
not
all
a
zero-sum
game.