Maike Thies

Wissenschaftl. Mitarbeiterin, FR Game Design & Bachelor Design. Lehrbeauftragte Szenischer Raum Departement Darstellende Künste und Film – Zürcher Hochschule der Künste

Zürich Metropolitan Area

About

Maike Thies is a Research Fellow at the Bachelor Specialization of the Subject Area in Game Design at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). She is passioned for bridging Game Design and Emerging Technologies with other disciplines to explore new fields of action. Her research activities focus on Interactive Theatre, Narrative Spaces, Immersive Arts and Design Trends. Maike curates and coordinates the interdisciplinary lecture series «Kein Kino» at the Toni Kino (ZHdK) with focus on «New Realities & Diverse Futures» in the Bachelor Design. Besides she is together with Prof. Dr. Christopher Salter responsible for REFRESH, an interdisciplinary, international festival/conference initiated by the Department Design and the Immersive Arts Space of Zurich University of the Arts and dedicated to Immersive Arts and the Future of Design. Maike (co-)/curated and/or (co-)/managed exhibitions, festivals and conferences in Switzerland and abroad such as Design Biennale Zurich (guest curation in 2019 on the topic «PLAY»), Expanding Immersive Design (in 2017 and 2018) or an exhibition at the Design Museum in Copenhagen during 3Days of Design in 2018 with focus on the Future of Design, Immersive Arts and Swiss Emerging Talents on behalf of the Department Design (ZHdK). She studied Media Studies and German Literature at the University of Trier, Germany and graduated in October 2010. In her master thesis, she discussed and revealed contemporary tendencies in the field of animated documentaries. During an exchange year (2008/2009) she studied at the Department of Film Studies at the University of Zurich. References: maikethies.com refresh.zhdk.ch gamedesign.zhdk.ch design.zhdk.ch showcasedesign.zhdk.ch

Experience

  • Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (15 yrs 6 mos)
    • Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin, Fachrichtung Game Design, BA-Vertiefung, Departement Design
      Feb 2011 - Present · 15 yrs 6 mos

    • Head of Communications & Public Relations Department of Design
      Aug 2023 - Apr 2026 · 2 yrs 9 mos

    • Head of Interdisciplinary Innovation, Departement Design
      Sep 2021 - Aug 2023 · 2 yrs

  • Head of Communications & Public Relations Department of Design at Zurich University of the Arts
    Aug 2023 - Present · 3 yrs

  • Conference Interactive Experiences: Visual Aesthetics and the Way We Play at Zurich University of the Arts
    Oct 2017 - Jan 2018 · 4 mos

    Götz, Ulrich; Faller, Florian & Thies, Maike (2018): Curators & Hosts Conference Interactive Experiences: Visual Aesthetics and the Way We Play. Zurich University of the Arts in cooperation with Ludicious – Zürich Game Festival. Zurich.

  • Zürcher Hochschule der Künste ()
    • Konferenz «Expanding Immersive Design» zum Thema «Storytelling in the Virtual Age»
      May 2017 - Nov 2017 · 7 mos

      Thies, Maike (Leitung), Christen, Jonas (Co-Leitung) (2017): Kuration, Koordination und Moderation der Konferenz «Expanding Immersive Design» zum Thema «Storytelling in the Virtual Age», inkl. eines umfassenden Workshopangebots. Chair: Max Rheiner. Im Rahmen des «Digitaltag Schweiz». Gesamtprojektleitung: Lesley Spiegel, Institut für Designforschung, 21. November 2017, Grosser Konzertsaal, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zürich, http://digitaltag.zhdk.ch/konferenz/info.

    • Leitung der Vorlesungsreihe Kein Kino und Kuration der Beiträge der Fachrichtung Game Design
      Feb 2017 - Jun 2017 · 5 mos

      Thies, Maike (FS 2017): Leitung und Konzeption der Vorlesungsreihe Kein Kino – Clash of Perspectives und Kuration der Beiträge der Fachrichtung Game Design zum Thema «Don't walk the line. Variations of Play». Gäste: Tobias Bühlmann, May Abdalla (ANAGRAM), Christopher Lenz (Sehsucht Berlin), Christian Mio Loclair (Waltz / Binaire), Kooperationsveranstaltung des Bachelors Design mit folgenden weiteren Beteiligten: Lervik, Olav (DMU); Zimper, Martin (DDE); Jaeggi, Martin (DKM); Woolridge, Ian Rodney (DKM). Toni Kino, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste: Zürich, http://gamedesign.zhdk.ch/news/kein-kino-fs-2017-dont-walk-the-line-variations-of-play.

  • Workshop zum Thema «Immersive Technologien für den Tanz» at Forums Tanz des Tanznetzwerks Schweiz RESO 2017
    Oct 2017 - Oct 2017 · 1 mo

    Thies, Maike; Praeti, Claudio (aiep) (2017): Workshop zum Thema «Immersive Technologien für den Tanz», Im Rahmen des Forums Tanz des Tanznetzwerks Schweiz RESO 2017 zum Thema «Moving Stages – Neue Bühnen für den Tanz, Fribourg, CH, http://www.reso.ch/media/files/170905_Einladung_final_DE_WEB.pdf.