Browsing by Author "Derek Ham"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Brand New Skin
    (05-2022) Barrett, Lucia; Tania Allen; Derek Ham
    The duality between otherness and monstrosity forms the backbone of Brand New Skin, a conceptual computer role-playing game, or CRPG, centered on the experience of being a monster— a vampire. In its current form, this project is the beginning of a production bible for what will one day be a completed game. Vampires traditionally stand as symbols of power. Brand New Skin upends this trope— vampires are rewritten as symbols of intimacy; the game revolves around the process of engaging with humans and negotiating consent to feed, likening the act to real-world sexual encounters. It will follow the player’s journey of self discovery as they learn to navigate the monstrous nuances of a parallel society as a newly-turned vampire- a fledgling- named Marin, trapped within the confines of a sleepy seaside city shackled by superstition. Gothic conventions are dissected, scrutinized, presented to the player in the form of questions: internal monologues, character interactions, poking and prodding at the game’s environment. The player takes the reins to construct meaning, to understand, to forge an intimate, monstrous identity.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Mediated Communities : A Case Study on the Relationship between User Interfaces and Online Communities
    (2021) Bulous, Najla; JMark Scearce; Traci Rider; Derek Ham; Jedidiah Gant
    Creatives face a unique challenge in using social media platforms to find online communities that facilitate learning, critique, and the sharing of work. “Mediated Communities” aims to better understand the relationship between user interfaces and online communities of practice through secondary research and a qualitative case study on the ‘Blender Discord’ group on the social media platform Discord. Members of the ‘Blender Discord’ server were surveyed and the resulting data analyzed. Since social media platforms have different user interfaces, a better understanding of how user interfaces use social affordances to influence online communities can help creatives pick platforms that are better suited to their needs. In addition, “Mediated Communities” details the author’s process and reflections on designing a case study around an anonymous online community of practice. This work shows that studying online communities in conjunction with their host platform(s) is valuable and can lead to new insights. It was developed and conducted as a part of the Masters in Art + Design program at NC State.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Mediated Communities: A Case Study on the Relationship between User Interfaces and Online Communities
    (2021) Bulous, Najla; JMark Scearce; Traci Rider; Derek Ham; Jedidiah Gant
    Creatives face a unique challenge in using social media platforms to find online communities that facilitate learning, critique, and the sharing of work. “Mediated Communities” aims to better understand the relationship between user interfaces and online communities of practice through secondary research and a qualitative case study on the ‘Blender Discord’ group on the social media platform Discord. Members of the ‘Blender Discord’ server were surveyed and the resulting data analyzed. Since social media platforms have different user interfaces, a better understanding of how user interfaces use social affordances to influence online communities can help creatives pick platforms that are better suited to their needs. In addition, “Mediated Communities” details the author’s process and reflections on designing a case study around an anonymous online community of practice. This work shows that studying online communities in conjunction with their host platform(s) is valuable and can lead to new insights. It was developed and conducted as a part of the Masters in Art + Design program at NC State.