About the Session

Individuals affected by autism often experience difficulties with social interaction and social communication, which can already be observed at a young age. These difficulties may lead to social fragmentation and negatively impact the individual’s overall quality of life. To support children with autism in learning about social initiation, researchers have been dedicating efforts to develop various intervention techniques. A promising line of research was found in the usage of game-based technology-enhanced interventions facilitating physical embodiment.

Throughout his talk Marc will discuss his experiences — good and bad — with designing and developing such mixed reality game experiences. Marc will touch on how to approach working in a reality-virtuality continuum, the impacts of embodied cognition and virtual subjectiveness, before going deeper into the particularities of autism and designing for users with autism.

About the Speaker

Marc Biemer

Digital Product Designer at Futurice

Marc is a designer with a secret affinity for soldering electronics and cracking numbers in python. His work bridges creative expression and empirical research to design emotionally meaningful experiences. Besides making ideas tangible through hard- and software at hand, he’s dedicated to inclusive and humane design. For the past five years Marc has worked on a wide range of projects within various industries as well as academic research. Along the way he shaped the design of web shops and apps, the conception of AI-based logistic processes, and the development of mixed reality games for kids with autism.