John Blau

Design Director

I solve ambiguous problems to
heighten user expression

4+ years of experience developing
for games franchises and emerging interfaces

I Expect You to Die Series

Lead Designer– I Expect You to Die 3, I Expect You to Die 2

We Created a Clear Call to Action for Side Objectives

Games 1 and 2 in the series relied on obscure and cerebral hints like “You’re Toast” or “Plane to See” to guide players towards endgame achievements. Many players didn’t understand these clues, and chose not to engage! For Game 3 we chose to make your optional objectives clear with clues like “Extinguish Fire without Safety Equipment.”

We Made Players say “I Want That!”

Giving rewards dedicated places to live, like the Agent’s Gadget Wall or Vending Machine, provided a “fill-in-the-blank” template for players who, in previous franchise titles, may not have known that rewards existed!

I Crafted a Tutorial that was Meaningful for Franchise Fans, and Engaging for New Players

Resolved the action at the end of Game 2 for veteran players, while providing an onramp to the franchise for new players. Pictured: A number of affordances I designed including clandestine radio buttons, garage doors, and handles.

I Refined Assets and Affordances for Nonlinear, Expressive Gameplay

I finalized this clipboard for Backstage Pass, which was originally a long list of instructions players needed to follow sequentially. The clipboard shown here works within the overall structure of the level while allowing the player to complete tasks nonlinearly as they explore the VR environment.

Among Us VR

Lead Designer– Among Us VR Live Year 2

I Translated Fan-Favorite 2D Features into Virtual Reality

Designed highly requested user features like new rooms, new minigames that make more use of VR’s depth and presence. Content yet to be released!

Hand Tracking Prototypes

Design Director– Unreleased Client Projects, Internal Prototypes

I Created Interaction Language for New Input Methods

I worked with some of the world’s largest companies to define language and interaction best practices for Hand Tracking, within a tight set of brand guidelines. Most of my work is under NDA, but showcased is what I can share.

Character and Contextual Environment Interactions

This prototype showcases design centered around user-chosen expression. The player is able to point with one, two, or no fingers, and shake their head “no” instead of using a thumbs down gesture to reply to the vendor.

Summoning and Puppeteering Exploration

The snake bodies in this prototype provide responsiveness without relying on a camera’s finger tracking precision. Designing with computer vision limitations in mind bridges the gap between virtual and real hands for the player.

GDC Talk on Hand Tracking

Presenter– GDC 2022 alongside Brian Schwab

I Presented a Talk for Devs that Set Expectations for Hand Tracking

This talk discusses various implementations of hand tracking, from more physics based models to UI-based interfaces. Main takeaways from the talk include “building your hands to suit your experience” and the importance of “assuming intent” when players attempt to interact.

Reach Out To Me!

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