From Concept to Gameplay: Board Game Design as Interdisciplinary Creative Practice

Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Laura Krepp

College

College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

Discipline(s)

Communication and Visual Arts, Digital Media Arts, Design, Prototyping, Playtesting, User Experience

Presentation Type

Artistic Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-30-2026

Abstract

This presentation showcases original board games created by six students enrolled in Advanced Design at Valparaiso University, demonstrating how structured design methodology transforms creative concepts into fully realized, playable experiences. Each game represents the culmination of an iterative design process encompassing ideation, prototyping, playtesting, and refinement — core competencies central to professional design practice. Board game design offers a uniquely demanding creative challenge: every visual, mechanical, and structural decision must serve both aesthetic and functional goals simultaneously. Students were tasked with developing original game concepts from the ground up, navigating the intersection of systems thinking, user experience, graphic communication, typography, and narrative. The resulting games span a range of genres and mechanics, yet each reflects a rigorous design process grounded in player-centered thinking. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the games through facilitated playtesting sessions, experiencing firsthand how design decisions shape gameplay, accessibility, and player enjoyment. Student designers will be present to discuss their conceptual frameworks, document their iterative process, and gather real-time feedback from a diverse audience — extending the feedback loop beyond the classroom and into authentic public engagement. This presentation affirms that board game design is a legitimate and demanding form of design research and creative expression, one that cultivates problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills equally relevant across design disciplines. It invites the Valparaiso University community to celebrate student ingenuity while participating meaningfully in the design process itself.

For Artistic Presentations

This would need to happen in the Center for Games and Interactive Entertainment, which is in VUCA 1412.

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