Meet Xingyao(Shira) Wu | Game Designer & Creative Technologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Xingyao(Shira) Wu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Xingyao(Shira), how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am a game designer and creative technologist from China. I believe stories are transformative through multiple media, and I seek to explore how ‘play’ forms beyond screens. Starting in 2018, I dived into interactive media while studying Digital Media Technology at the Communication University of China, where I realized I yearned for more than just creating games for entertainment; I wanted to leverage this powerful medium to make a meaningful impact. This desire has guided me to continue my academic journey at the University of Southern California, where I have just completed my MA degree in Cinematic Arts (Media Arts, Games, and Health).

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
“Play” is a natural instinct shared among all human beings despite the diversity in regions, cultures, and languages. I believe that “play” is more than just an experience; it is a wordless language capable of creating a meaningful impact on those who engage with it. My research centers on the meaningful impact of interactive media, while a big part of my practice revolves around experiences that can be emotionally accessible to a broader audience.

My most recent individual work, Green (《送你一片绿草地》), was created as a gift to my friends and teachers. It involves finding a four-leaf clover in a digital meadow. The clover represents a shared cultural symbol of luck in both the United States and China. I hope it can bring joy, confidence, and courage to those who play it.

Beyond on-screen interactions, I am keen on experimenting with different technologies to enhance immersion and engagement.

My other individual work, Before Flight(《飞行之前》), was an interactive experience that immerses one on a flight while using eyes as a transformation method between scenes using a Webcam and OpenCV. It was a recreation of a flight I took, reflecting the emotional journey from frustration to a transcendent realization of flying. Interactive media has the strength to work as an “empathy machine.” While blurring the boundaries between reality and the virtual world, it creates a unique space for self-expression.

The love I felt with this medium can keep me talking for hours. Gradually(《じょじょに》) is a game that I contributed to encourage people to slow down. Daydream Fantasy(《白日狂想》) is a meta-game where players reach “into” the screen using gesture recognition to face a series of witty puzzles presented by an old computer. Please feel free to check out my website and itch page to explore and play around.

Personally speaking, the challenges I met on the journey came from interdisciplinary work. Interactive Media and Games are such interdisciplinary and collaborative fields where people with different backgrounds and knowledge thrive and contribute ideas. Even though everyone uses English in the workplace, the specialized languages of their respective fields can vary, making it challenging sometimes to foster positive team dynamics. Generally speaking, it is also a part of treating people with empathy, which is the key to creating a good experience for everyone.

In an individual work setting, stepping out of my comfort zone is the biggest challenge. I must push myself beyond the boundaries and experiences I have set for myself and keep absorbing new ideas and techniques. Interdisciplinary work means work that can’t be easily categorized by myself, requiring continuous learning and creativity.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Several places have inspired me and brought me mindfulness. I would like to take them to Long Beach for whale watching. Visit the Griffith Observatory to gaze at the stars and converse across time with our ancestors who also looked up at the sky. Ascot Hill Park would be our spot to watch the sunset. And if there is a foggy night, we would drive along Mulholland Drive to experience how surreal the places where people live can be.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Thomas Brezina: The author of The Tiger Team series, my childhood favorite. I read almost all the published series, and they left a deep impression on me. One of the main characters dreamed of traveling the world, and as I read about their adventure, their dream became mine.

Marientina Gotsis, my graduate program advisor, is a wise, strong, and empathetic person. She picked me up among the beautiful shells on the beach, listening to and mentoring me. The two years I spent in the program provided not only valuable career experiences but also helped me find my way to becoming myself.

My cohort, a group of fantastic human beings who are supportive, empathetic, and extremely talented. Thanks to them, I was in such a friendly and welcoming environment to navigate a whole new world as an international student who studied abroad for the first time. I learned from them how to support and critique in a helpful, respectful, and insightful way, which turned out to be essential in a collaborative, creative environment.

My friends and family back home. “I am rooted, but I flow. ”― Virginia Woolf, The Waves
They are my roots and my strength to flow on this planet.

Website: https://shirawu.space/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xingyaowu_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xingyao-wu/

Other: Creations can be played online or downloaded at:

https://shira-wu.itch.io/

Image Credits
Nian Chen