A Case Study Tracing the Design Iteration Trajectory in a Youth Game Design Summer Camp

The case study research reported in this paper followed the iterative design trajectory of youth game designers (ages 11-17) in a week-long summer game design camp, the first is a series of camps led by the researchers. Drawing on data from daily pitch and feedback activity, the research team traced the iteration for one of the nine teams. Two design iteration trajectories are detailed: shifts from concepts to interacting systems and increased focus on player experience. These trajectories were analyzed in relation to the learning environment design framework created for this camp, explicating the ways these youth game designers engaged in practices, thinking, and dispositions important to game design.