Accessibility isn't a side quest: How HCD makes it the main story

The Game Dev Group is a chilled, friendly place for anyone interested in game development to meet, learn and collaborate together.

The speakers for this event are Natasha S. den Dekker and Dr. Christopher Wilson.

Natasha is the founder of LUX - Leamington UX, a community based in Leamington Spa to create a space for UX professionals to get together with peers to chat. Natasha is currently a Lead UX Researcher working in financial services. Her role is focused on developing the ongoing UX Research strategy for her team, as well as supporting global research initiatives. Outside of work, Natasha is most likely to be found planning a holiday, hanging out with her dog Goose, practising BSL or lifting weights (not necessarily in that order!).

Chris is a user research professional with a decade of experience in the automotive industry. His automotive experience spans from body engineering, CAD, and project management to ergonomics, HMI, and UX. In 2023, he earned his PhD in Autonomous Vehicle Ergonomics from Loughborough University in collaboration with Nissan. Since then, he has continued to contribute to the industry, focusing on Autonomous Vehicle HMI and User Research.

Accessibility isn't a side quest: How HCD makes it the main story

There are estimates that there are up to 1 billion gamers globally with disabilities who are currently not represented within the existing market. We’ll explore and share why accessibility isn’t a niche, post-launch compliance issue, but why it’s a key part of early game development. Our session will go over the key concepts of UX and HCD alongside interactive elements with aim to providing practical takeaways for the audience.

Structure:
6:30PM - Doors Open - Bar Snacks, Drinks, Networking/ Chatting
7:00PM - Introduction and Talk Begins
8:30PM - Talk Finishes, More Chatting, More Snacks, More Drinks
9:30PM - Last Orders

Please let your game dev friends and colleagues know about this group too. We hope to build it into a great resource for the community over the coming months and years.

1 Mill Street is the incredible home of TheGDG, a place designed to blur the lines between work and play. For more information about the co-working facilities, podcast studio or event space, check out their website.

Maverick Games is a UK-based independent video game studio, focused on creating premium open-world AAA titles for consoles and PC. The studio champions a developer-first culture that encourages creativity, bold ideas, and risk-taking to craft innovative gaming experiences.

Playground Games are an award-winning studio based in the heart of Leamington Spa. They have built one of the biggest franchises on Xbox with Forza Horizon, and are currently building one of the most highly anticipated games of the decade: Fable. They are recruiting across both teams, so check their website to see if there is a role for you!

Code Wizards Group – Code Wizards and Multiplayer Wizards – help studios build and run games that players love. Their company specialises in video game consulting services for backend elements, powering up gaming projects with expert gametech, esports-tech, and LiveOps services for game dev professionals and studios.

Rebellion is an independent video games studio that also produces books, comics, TV, Film, board games, etc. They make great games such as the genre-defining Sniper Elite series and Zombie Army, and before 2010 have worked on multiple amazing external projects including the likes of Aliens vs Predator and Star Wars Battlefront.

Creare Capital is a financial platform dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and freelancers in the creative industries by connecting them with tailored grants, loans, and investment opportunities. Their mission is to bridge the gap between finance and creativity, offering inclusive, flexible funding solutions that help creative businesses grow and thrive.

[Sorcery.gg] is a jobs platform built by game devs, for game devs. The platform is one of the biggest in the industry, with over 15,000 roles listed. Sign up for an account and start your hunt.

Black Cat Entertainment is an indie studio focused on supporting junior game devs get their chance in the industry.

In order to show appropriate respect to the organisers, speakers, and your fellow community members, please ensure you attend if you RSVP!

See you there!

A disclaimer:
This event is intended for an audience of people aged 18+ and alcohol will be present. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.