David Lightbown

ME IN A FEW WORDS

I want TO IMPROVE THE quality OF games BY IMPROVING THE quality of life FOR game developers. 

Like a fitness trainer, but for video game developers. Games industry advocate. Public speaker and author. User experience specialist. Dad to two awesome kids.

MY ROLES AND ACCOLADES

User Experience Director at Ubisoft
15+ Years of Game Development Experience
Autodesk Master Award Winner

WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING

Presentations and Conferences

Ten Tools Tips: How Ubisoft uses human biology to design better tools at CEDEC 2018 in Yokohama

Organized and spoke at the UX Microtalks at GDC 2018 (Part 1) (Part 2)

Co-organized Tools Day at GDC 2018, the first full-day summit dedicated to game development tools

"Introduction to the UX of Game Development Tools" at the Game UX Summit 2017

"How UX professionals are driving the games industry forward" in Zurich, Switzerland

"How UX professionals are driving the games industry forward" at GamesCom 2017

"Designing for the UX of Game Development Tools" at FMX 2017

Speaking at the Women in Games meetup in Malmö, Sweden

Participating in a Tools Panel at the first Capital Gaming Expo 2017

"Getting Productivity from Play" at GDC 2017

"Designing the UX of Game Development Tools" at the IGDA Ottawa

"Hiding in Plain Sight" at GDC Europe 2016

"Hiding in Plain Sight" at the Game UX Summit 2016

Keynote Speaker at the Canadian Game Industry Tour in Tokyo and Kyoto

"Tools Development at Ubisoft" at GDC 2015

"The User Experience of Game Development Tools" at GDC Europe 2013

"The Art of Creating Efficient Tools" at MIGS 2013

"Empire of the Fun" at Clarkson University

"Under the Surface" at MIGS 2008

"Caution: Wet Surface" at GDC Paris 2008

Moderating a Panel on Next-Gen Content, Montreal Game Summit 2007

Moderating a Roundtable on Procedural Content at the IGDA Montreal

"Modeling with Math" at Siggraph 2006

Montreal Game Summit Advisory Board, 2006 & 2007

"Modeling with Math" at GDC 2006

Invited speaker at the Alias booth, GDC 2005

Games Industry Speaker at the Alias Rated 'P' for PLAY Tour in Chicago, Seattle, and Vancouver

"Advanced Modeling and Mapping" at MIGS 2004

Interviews and Mentions

Tips for building game dev tools and UX from Ubisoft's David Lightbown - Gamasutra

Ubisoft tech UX director David Lightbown explores the history of Unreal Engine - Gamasutra

GDC Europe 2016 Presentation Preview - Gamasutra

Making game design more efficient - AlphaBeatic

Investing in creative tools - Canadian Business

Improving Productivity at Ubisoft - IGDA Webinar

My job is still a niche topic - Making Games

GDC 2015 Presentation Preview - Gamasutra

Usability Hangout - Discussion on game tools UX, with Mike Acton and others

Interview on my Autodesk Master Award Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Maya, MotionBuilder, and Kynapse in Game Development - Autodesk

This IS Python! - D4mations

Technical Director Interview - Autodesk

Mentioned in an article in IEEE Spectrum

Interview about WET by EDGE Magazine

Interview about WET by Watch Mojo

Interview about WET by Electric Playground

 Game on - Montreal Mirror

My model used as an example of UV mapping in the book "Texturing: Concepts and Techniques" by Dennis Summers

Head modeling - Flay.com

Lightwave WinAmp Skin - Flay.com

Writing and Training

My interview with Tim Sweeney about UnrealEd 1.0

My interview with John Romero about the TED Tile Editor

My book "Designing the User Experience of Game Development Tools" is released

Autodesk Masterclass Trilogy, Part 3 - Augmenting with Audio

Autodesk Masterclass Trilogy, Part 2 - Transforming Through Textures

Autodesk Masterclass Trilogy, Part 1 - Modeling with Math

Game Design Workshop for Autodesk Montreal and Autodesk Toronto

Autodesk Learning Channel Videos - Generating a Forest with ICE Modeling Part 1 Part 2

Primary author and editor of the "Maya for Games" training manual and exercise book

Autodesk Learning Channel Videos - Creating a Zombie Simulation

Autodesk Learning Channel Videos - Creating Procedural Terrain

Maya Podcast - Creation Cannon Part 1 Part 2

Maya Podcast - A Tribute to Attributes

Review of 3ds max 6 - CG Channel

Review of Character Studio 4 - CG Channel

Review of 3ds max 5 - CG Channel

 

CONTACT ME