designent

Designent is a portmanteau of design and entertainment, referring to a cross-disciplinary approach that investigates how design methods shape experiences in entertainment contexts. It encompasses practices aimed at integrating aesthetics, usability, narrative, and interaction across creation processes for media such as video games, film, theatre, exhibitions, live events, and consumer interfaces for entertainment platforms. Proponents describe designent as the practice of shaping audience experiences through cohesive design that blends form, function, and storytelling.

Origins and usage: The term began to appear in design and media studies in the early 2000s and has since shown up in academic articles, industry talks, and some studio practices. It remains non-standardized and overlaps with related fields such as experience design, game design, and interaction design, making its boundaries fluid in different contexts.

Key topics and methods: Designent covers experience design, narrative design, interface and interaction design for entertainment media, as well as spatial design for venues, theatres, and immersive installations. It also engages with immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality and examines transmedia storytelling. Common methods include design thinking, rapid prototyping, user testing, and cross-disciplinary collaboration among designers, artists, engineers, and producers.

Applications: Uses span video games, film and television production, live events, museums and exhibitions, theme parks, streaming platforms’ user experiences, and interactive installations in public or commercial spaces.

Criticism and challenges: Critics note the breadth of scope can blur disciplinary boundaries, and evaluating entertainment experience is complex. There are concerns about overemphasis on monetization and the need for clear, transferable evaluation frameworks.

See also: Design, Entertainment industry, Experience design, Game design, Narrative design, Interaction design.