Game Design

Maike Thies is a Research Fellow at the BA Major of the Subject Area in Game Design at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). She is responsible for the courses «Game Business» and «Berufs– und Mastervorbereitung» and teaches in the Minor «Digital Play». As Head of Communications & Interdisciplinary Innovation of the Department of Design (ZHdK), she envisions and curates various internationally targeted formats in the intersection of Arts– Design – Technology. Maike is passionate about bridging Game Design and Emerging Technologies with other disciplines to explore new fields of action. Since 2024, she has been a guest lecturer at the Department of Performing Arts and Film (ZHdK) with a specialization in Scenography. Her research focuses on Interactive Theatre, Narrative Spaces, Immersive Worlds & Play and Future Design Trends.

Maike curates and coordinates the interdisciplinary lecture series «Kein Kino» at the Toni Kino (ZHdK) with a focus on «Design Realities & Future Technologies» in the Bachelor of Arts in Design. Besides, she is responsible for REFRESH, an interdisciplinary, international festival initiated by the Department of Design and the Immersive Arts Space of Zurich University of the Arts dedicated to Immersive Arts and the Future of Design. Since 2021 she curates the yearly exhibition REFRESH X Fantoche focussing on the intersection of games, animated film and immersive productions. Maike (co-)/curated and/or (co-)/managed exhibitions, festivals and conferences in Switzerland and abroad, including the very successful and acknowledged exhibition «Game Design Today» at Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Design Biennale Zurich (guest curation in 2019 on the topic «PLAY»), Expanding Immersive Design (in 2017 and 2018), and an exhibition at the Design Museum in Copenhagen during 3Days of Design in 2018 with focus on the Future of Design, Immersive Arts and Swiss Emerging Talents on behalf of the Department of Design (ZHdK). In 2020, Maike was listed as a «Digital Shaper» and Category «Creatives» – an initiative of the Handelszeitung, BILANZ Wirtschaftsmagazin and digitalswitzerland, presented by Credit Suisse.

She studied Media Studies and German Literature at the University of Trier, Germany and graduated in October 2010. In her master dissertation, she discussed and revealed contemporary tendencies in the field of animated documentaries. During an exchange year (2008/2009) she studied at the Department of Film Studies at the University of Zurich.

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maike.thies@zhdk.ch
+41 43 446 3263