Kars Alfrink  - is a Dutch interaction designer passionate about the playful, social and tangible user experience. He currently lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark, offering his services freelance to companies and agencies in web and mobile. He also teaches mobile game design at the Utrecht School of Arts' comprehensive Game Design and Development course. [Photo by: Alper Çuğun]

Typically, interaction designers focus on making things useful, whereas game designers are concerned with fun. The idea that usefulness and playfulness are not mutually exclusive has gained some traction recently, as evidenced by the serious games movement. In my work, I try to straddle the line between both fields. 

I believe one fruitful area of exploration is data visualization. We can create interactive information displays that tap into complex phenomena - social, environmental, etc. - and allow for playful exploration. By experiencing complexity firsthand, people can be equipped with a level of understanding that allows them to change their behaviour for the better.

In this talk, I'll briefly introduce the field of interaction design, show examples of recent and not so recent work in data visualization and finally sketch some ways I think this area can be moved forward. The session should be of interest to game- and interaction designer alike, particularly those who are focussed on doing more with play than 'just' entertaining people.

  The serious side of games
  The design of games
  The offline side of games