Carrie Heeter, Ph.D., RYS 200
Experience Designer
Professor of Media and Information
Michigan State University
carrie.heeter@gmail.com

I design and study cybermeditation and teach foundations of serious games and human-centered experience design courses. I live in San Francisco, using a wide range of technologies to “telerelate,” teach, and collaborate with my colleagues and students in Michigan and around the world.

I have studied meditation intensively for nine  years with my teacher, Dr. Marcel Allbritton, in the tradition of Sri T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar.  I am a certified Yoga Meditation Teacher.  For the last eight years I have participated in weekly meditations and bi-monthly meditation planning classes taught by Chase Bossart.

Together Marcel and I have been developing approaches to design and deliver meditation in this system of yoga and meditation. I am Founding Director of Mindtoon Lab (now also known as Yoga Mind Tools), a startup that designs Mindtoon™ cybermeditation experiences including virtual reality meditation experiences and outcome-based meditation apps for productivity, lifestyle, and well-being.   We also explore the idea of meditation as meaningful play.

Deep Experience meditations are a growing collection of 20-25 minute experiences (now more than 60) I have created, each connecting with a unique meditation object.  Check in and spend some quality time with yourself as you see what comes up for you.

I direct MSU’s fully online graduate certificate in serious games. Throughout my 40+ year career, I have designed and studied technology-enhanced experiences.  I have designed and directed development of more than 50 interactive experiences including learning and cognitive games and other technology-enhanced learning experiences, interactive learning systems, and patient empowerment software.  I have published more than 100 books, chapters, articles, and proceedings about individual and social impacts of interactive technology, gender and gaming, and playstyles and player types.

My academic degrees include a Ph.D. in Mass Media (1986) and a BA in Communication (1982), both from Michigan State University. I was founding director of the Communication Technology Laboratory (1980 to 2005) which has transformed into the thriving GEL Lab (Games for Entertainment and Learning) lead by Brian Winn.