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Laura DeCarli's Résumé

Game Design & Game Studies

Hello there and welcome to my résumé!

I am a game designer interested in videogames both as a creative profession and as a subject of study.

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I have completed DBGA's online course in Game Design, and I'm currently studying at the Master's course in Games (Design Track) at the IT University of Copenhagen.

Education

2022 - 2023

Digital Bros Game Academy | Online Blended course in Game

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  • Certificate:

I followed an online blended course in Game Design taught by Derek Hartin at Digital Bros Game Academy to develop more practical skills as a game designer and begin to create a portfolio of games.

  • Level 2 Group Project:

For DBGA's course in Game Design Level 2, I contributed as game designer and project manager to the development a small 2D mobile game titled Goldash with Qizue Team.

Game Programmer: Cristian Ghiorzi

Game Designers: Michele Buonocunto, Sebastiano Clon, Laura DeCarli

  • Level 3 Group Project:

For DBGA's course in Game Design Level 3, I contributed as game designer and project manager to the development of a 3D action game for PC titled Nightmare Slayer with Team Impostosaurus.

Game Programmers: Gianluca Colombo, Amiel John Hilario, Emiliano Petrillo

Game Designers: Laura DeCarli, Alessandro Protase, Fabio Secci

  • I learned:

    • about game design principles, concepts, and methodologies;

    • to write documentation for development (pitch documents, game design documents, walkthrough documents, playtesting and fine-tuning documents, bug reports, project reports);

    • to write analyses for development (mechanical analysis, level analysis, game systems analysis, player experience and progression analysis, menu analysis, competitive analysis, market analysis);

    • to create prototypes both on paper and in-engine (Unity and Unreal);

    • to use Unity (prototyping, terrain tools, cinemachine, creating level blockouts, C# basics, introduction to animations and to shaders);

    • to use Unreal (prototyping, terrain tools, creating level blockouts, Blueprints basics);

    • to use Inky to create branching dialogues;

    • about methodologies for developing games in an interdisciplinary team (divergent and convergent ideation, agile and scrum workflows, backlogs, etc.).

2018 - 2022

IULM University of Milan | Bachelor's Degree in Communication, Media and Advertising

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  • Degree:

I pursued my Bachelor's Degree in Communication, Media and Advertising at IULM University of Milan to develop a deeper knowledge of the theories, studies and history of different forms of media.

  • Thesis:

In my Bachelor's Thesis, The player as co-narrator: This War of Mine, a case study, I analyzed the player's role in the co-creation of a videogame's narrative.
Supervisor: Matteo Bittanti

Co-Tutor: Gemma Fantacci

  • I learned:

    • to do academic research, analysis and writing;

    • about semiotics;

    • about study of the history, theories, languages and production practices of different forms of media such as cinema, theater, radio, tv, journalism, literature, song and multimedia;

    • about sociology and methodology of sociological research at an introductory level;

    • about the theories and practices of advertising and psychology of audiovisual communication for advertising;

    • about public and political communication;

    • about political economics theory.

2014 - 2018

Cantonal Lyceum of Lugano 1 | High School Degree in Economics and Law

  • Degree:

For my first level of secondary education I have chosen to pursue a high school degree at Liceo Cantonale Lugano 1 in my hometown, with a focus on economics theories and methodologies and on Swiss and international law.

  • Thesis:

For my high school thesis, The Violets Have Withered, I chose to write an analysis of Ophelia’s character (from Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Hamlet) interpreted by Mariah Gale in the 2009 television film adaptation directed by Gregory Doran.
Supervisors: Michela Broggi & Vanessa Cremona Visentin

Skills & Expertise

Formal and professional education:

Spoken and written communication:

  • Italian (mother tongue)

  • English (C2)

  • French (A2)

  • German (A1)

On a bachelor's level:

 

  • Academic Research

  • Academic Analysis

  • Academic Writing

Game Design at a junior level:
  • Game Design Documentation

    • pitch documents

    • game design documents

    • walkthrough documents

    • playtesting and fine-tuning documentation

    • bug reports

    • project reports

  • Analysis for Game Development

    • mechanical analysis

    • system analysis

    • player experience analysis

    • competitive analysis

    • market analysis

  • Gameplay Design

    • single mechanic games

    • 2D mobile games

    • 3D action PC games

  • Development in Unity Engine

    • prototyping

    • cinemachine

    • terrain tools

  • Game Narratives

    • world-building research

    • writing with Inky

  • Prototyping

    • on paper

    • in Unity

    • in Unreal 4

    • iterative prototyping

  • Game Development in a Team

    • divergent ideation

    • convergent ideation

    • working in an interdisciplinary team

    • scrum and agile workflows

    • project presentations and reports

    • keeping backlogs

  • Level Design

    • walkthrough documents and layout maps

    • blockouts and implementation in-engine

  • UI Design

    • flow dyagrams

    • menu analysis

Soft skills:

Self-taught learning:

Learned during my academic education and from working on team projects:
  • Creative thinking

  • Inquisitiveness

  • Problem-solving

  • Organization

  • Time management

  • Teamwork

  • Communication

  • Listening skills

  • Self-control

Learned at a amateur level to pursue various projects:
  • Creative Writing (fiction writing)

  • Image Editing (Gimp, Krita, Paint)

  • Audio Editing (Audacity)

  • Video Editing (ShotCut)

  • Microsoft Office, LibreOffice

  • Photography (digital)

  • Graphic Design (analogical and digital)

  • Website Design (Wix)

  • Online Community Organization (Discord server)

Download Curriculum Vitae:

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