Biografie
Florian Faller is a Swiss designer. He coordinates the Digital Play minor and teaches as a lecturer in the Department of Design at the University of the Arts Zurich, Switzerland (ZHDK). In the Game Design program, he is responsible for the Game Visuals teaching series and leads modules on Gameplay, Player Experience, Art Direction, Style Exploration, Environment Design and Scenography, Character Design, and Animation.
In his teaching, research, and design practice, Florian emphasizes a holistic, transdisciplinary approach that seeks fresh and comprehensive perspectives at the intersection of different design disciplines, consciously expanding the aesthetic boundaries of games. Through the Digital Play minor, he explores the vast yet largely uncharted territory of playful interactions that go way beyond conventional games, manifesting in digital experiences, interactive installations, playful experiments, emergent systems and immersive exhibitions.
Florian’s extensive work as a designer includes internationally award-winning projects across independent games, serious and applied games, commercial game productions, interdisciplinary media, and playful installations. He is co-founder and Creative Director of the studio Bits & Beasts and part of the artistic leadership of Svizra27. Additionally, Florian curates exhibitions and conferences and publishes on games and play. Before dedicating himself to game development and the design of play, he studied German literature at the University of Basel, composed electronic music in Berlin, and worked with various digital media.
Publikationen / Diskografie / Ausstellungen / Werke
Preise & Auszeichnungen
2021 Svizra27 The Swiss National Exhibition, CH, Winner Competition (with F. Hoelzel, C. Meier, M. Becker & C. Weber)
2016 SGDA, CH,Winner – Swiss Game Award
2015 GDC Play, San Francisco, USA, Winner – Best in Play
2013 Alexander Clavel Foundation, CH, Winner – Culture Award
2011 Swiss Game Design Award, CH, Winner – Call for Projects
2011 Rehab Week Zurich, CH, Winner – Best Poster Award
2010 European Innovative Games Award, DE, Winner – Innovative Application Methods & Environment
2010 Fantastic Fest Arcade, Austin, USA, Second Audience Award
2010 Fantastic Fest Arcade, Austin, USA, Winner – Exciting World of Metrics Award
2009 Independent Games Festival, San Francisco, USA, Nominated for Excellence in Visual Arts
2008 Unity Awards, Kopenhagen, DK Winner – Best Overall Game
2008 Unity Awards, Kopenhagen, DK Winner – Best Visual Design
Ausstellungen & Festivals
2023 Voluptas, Department of Architecture ETH, Zurich CH
2022 Voluptas, Department of Architecture ETH, Zurich CH
2020 Refresh, Experimental Futures & Immersive Experiences, Zurich CH
2020 Ludicious Festival, Zurich, CH
2019 A MAZE Festival, Berlin, DE
2019 The Missing Link, Theater am Neumarkt, Zurich, CH
2019 Design Biennale Zürich, Zurich CH
2019 Ludicious Festival, Zurich, CH
2018 A MAZE Festival, Berlin, DE
2018 Ludicious Festival, Zurich, CH
2017 A MAZE Festival, Berlin, DE
2016 London Design Fair, London, GB
2016 Pax South, San Antonio, US
2016 Ludicious Festival, Zurich, CH
2016 Animierte Wunderwelten, Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich, CH
2016 A MAZE Festival, Berlin, DE
2015 GDC, Game Developer Conference, San Francisco, USA
2015 RTX, Austin Texas, USA
2015 Kill Screen, New York, USA
2015 Grafik15, Zurich, CH
2015 Help CAT, Kuala Lumpur, MYS
2015 A MAZE Festival, Berlin, DE
2014 AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, New Delhi, IN
2014 Game Lounge swissnex, Bangalore, IN
2014 A MAZE Festival, Berlin, DE
2013 New York University, Deutsches Haus, New York, USA
2013 Fei Gallery, Guangzhou, CHN
2013 Animafest, World Festival of Animated Film, Zagreb, HR
2013 Villa Wenkenhof, Alexander Clavel Foundation, Basel, CH
2013 Ars Electronica, Linz, AT
2013 CMoDA, China Millennium Monument Museum of Digital Arts, Beijing, CHN
2012 Swiss Game Lounge, House of Switzerland, London, UK
2012 German Game Days, Computerspielemuseum, Berlin, DE
2011 FILE, Electronic Language International Festival, Rio de Janeiro, BR
2011 MARGS, Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul Ado Malagoli, Porto Alegre, BR
2011 Fantoche, International Animation Film Festival, Baden, CH
2011 Realidades Virtuais, Goethe Institut, Lisboa, P
2011 Next Level Health, San Francisco, USA
2011 Jung von Matt, Zurich CH
2011 Playtime: Swiss Game Arcade, San Francisco, USA
2011 NIFFF, International Fantastic Film Festival, Neuchâtel, CH
2011 House of Electronic Arts, Basel, CH
2010 Fantastic Fest, Austin Texas, USA
2010 FILE, Electronic Language International Festival, Sao Paulo, BR
2010 Plug.In, Art and New Media, Basel, CH
2009 GDC, Game Developer Conference, San Francisco, USA
2009 IGF, Independent Games Festival, San Francisco, USA
2009 Tokyo Designers Week, 100% Design, Tokyo, J
2009 Fantoche, International Animation Film Festival, Baden, CH
Publikationen
Leuthard, Doris; Schmid, Kurt; Huwyler, Jost; Heuberger, Beat; Meier, Claudia; Froböse, Frerk; Faller, Florian; Gentinetta, Katja; Christian, Aeberli; Nöthiger, Patrick; Ziegerer, Daniel; Huber, Johanna; Rapp, Martina; Canonica, Marco; Hartmann, Maja; Zahno, Philippe Maag; JonasSichi, Leonore (2023): Svizra 27 – Landesausstellung der Nordwestschweiz. Machbarkeitsstudie. Aarau: Verein Landesausstellung Svizra27.
Faller, Florian (2021): Procedural Dreams. Videospiele als Traummaschinen. In: The Missing Link: Traumstationen – Geheimagent Traum. Zürich: Scheidegger & Spiess 2021, S. 102-107.
Faller, Florian (2021): Mechanics of Inspiration. A Recursive Play of Reflections in Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. In: Suter, Beat, Bauer, René and Mela Kocher (eds.): Narrative Mechanics. Strategies and Meanings in Games and Real Life. Bielefeld: transcript 2021, S. 197-209.
Christen, Markus; Faller, Florian; Götz, Ulrich; Müller, Cornelius (2013): Serious Moral Games. Analyzing and Engaging Moral Values Through Video Games. Zurich: Zurich University of the Arts, Institute for Design Research.
Christen, Markus; Faller, Florian; Götz, Ulrich; Müller, Cornelius (2013): Serious Moral Games in Bioethics. Proceedings of the Workshop on "Ubiquitous games and gamification for promoting behavior change and wellbeing", Trento: Chi Italy, S. 18-24.
Christen, Markus; Faller, Florian; Götz, Ulrich; Müller, Cornelius (2012): Serious Moral Games. Erfassung und Vermittlung moralischer Werte durch Videospiele. Institut für Designforschung: Zürich.
Götz, Ulrich; Bauer, René; Faller, Florian; Spoerri, Reto et al. (2011): A Virtual Reality System for Robot-Assisted Gait Training Based on Game Design Principles. Poster Publikation im Rahmen der International Conference on Virtual Rehabilitation (ICVR). Rehab Week. ETH Zürich.
Müller, Cornelius; Bauer, René; Spoerri, Reto; Götz, Ulrich; Faller, Florian (2011): Applied Games in der Medizin. Gabarello: Ein Roboter als Game Controller. In: Making Games. Bd. 01/2011. IDG Entertainment Media GmbH: München, S. 64-67.