• Serious Games • Immersive Learning • Human-Centred Systems

    I design experiences that help people think differently, feel more deeply, and navigate complex human environments with greater understanding.

Immersive Experience Architect

  • Designing emotionally intelligent learning, simulation, and storytelling systems through art, interaction, and emerging technology.
  • I create human-centred experiences that sit between serious games, immersive learning, behavioural design, and visual storytelling.
  • My work spans defence, humanitarian, leadership, and public sector environments, combining systems thinking with handcrafted creative direction to build experiences people don’t just complete, but remember.

I’m an award-winning creative director, serious games specialist, and immersive learning designer with over 20 years of experience designing human-centred interactive experiences.

My work combines systems thinking, narrative design, handcrafted visual storytelling, behavioural learning, and emerging technologies to create experiences that people don’t just complete, but remember.

Serve to Lead

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Narrative-driven leadership simulation exploring judgement, responsibility, and human decision-making for newly commissioned British Army officers.

Award-winning serious game recognised internationally at the I/ITSEC Global Serious Games Awards.

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Police Stop & Search

Behavioural Reflection & Empathy Simulation

An interactive serious game exploring communication, authority, and emotional consequence within frontline policing encounters.

Designed to encourage reflective thinking through perspective-based storytelling and consequence-driven interaction.

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CALP

Humanitarian Leadership Academy / CaLP

Award-winning humanitarian learning experience using narrative illustration, branching scenarios, and inclusive storytelling to make complex operational systems more accessible.

Winner of Silver at the Learning Technologies Awards for Public & Non-Profit / NGO Sector.

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Approach

I believe people learn best when they emotionally connect with the experience.

Whether designing serious games, simulations, digital learning, or narrative systems, my work focuses on creating environments where interaction feels meaningful, reflective, and human.

My process blends:

  • systems thinking
  • narrative design
  • handcrafted illustration
  • immersive interaction
  • behavioural psychology
  • traditional artistic practice
  • emerging creative technologies

The goal is never technology for its own sake.

It’s creating experiences that help people think differently, feel more deeply, and engage more meaningfully with complex subjects.

Recognition

  • Gold — I/ITSEC Global Serious Games Awards
  • Silver — Learning Technologies Awards
  • LPI Learning Awards Gold
  • Award-winning work across humanitarian, defence, and public sector learning environments

© Copyright Austen Shand 2022