Dr. John Sharp explores the true meaning of fun, its role in perception, culture, and society, and how embracing vulnerability and play can transform our lives. John shares his insights on game design, aesthetics, social change, and the importance of play as a humanistic act. Discover fun as a mode of experience that engages and connects.

• The relationship of fun and taste to games
• The conceptualization of fun as an aesthetic and cultural experience
• How fun compares and contrasts with beauty in art and design
• The role of vulnerability in playful experiences
• Misconceptions and resistance to the idea that fun is serious and valuable
• The importance of recognizing failure and uncertainty in play

Resources

John Sharp Parsons Profile - https://www.newschool.edu/parsons/faculty/john-sharp/

Fun, Taste, & Games: An Aesthetics for the Idle, Unproductive, and Otherwise Playful - https://ftgbook.com/

Works of Game: On the Aesthetics of Games and Art - https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262029070/works-of-game/

Games, Design, and Play: A Detailed Approach to Iterative Game Design - http://www.gamesdesignandplay.com/

Iterate: Ten Lessons on Design and Failure - https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/4324/IterateTen-Lessons-in-Design-and-Failure

Bernie DeKoven - https://www.deepfun.com/

Raph Koster, A Theory of Fun - https://www.theoryoffun.com/