Brian Winn

Brian M. Winn is a distinguished figure in game design education and interactive media development at Michigan State University, where he serves as a Full Professor, Associate Chair in the Department of Media and Information, and Founder-Director of the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab. His innovative approach to "meaningful play" combines gaming with purposeful objectives like learning, health, and motivation, formalized through his "Design, Play, Experience Framework." His academic journey includes notable achievements as an Apple Distinguished Educator (2001) and Lilly Teaching Fellow (2005), and he pioneered MSU's game design curriculum in 2000, which has since evolved into a top-ranked program. His entrepreneurial spirit led to co-founding Will Winn Games, developing the award-winning Plunder Panic. Beyond teaching, he leads the Coursera Specialization in Game Design and Development, founded the International Conference on Meaningful Play, serves on the Michigan Film and Digital Media Office Advisory Council, and mentors the MSU SpartaSoft student game developers group. His award-winning work in interactive media has gained international recognition, demonstrating his significant impact on both academic and practical aspects of game design