Kealani Teofilo

Hello!

My name is Kealani. I grew up in Las Vegas for the first eleven years of my life before moving to O'ahu in 2012. I received my HiSET certificate at Waipahu High School in 2019, and I transferred from Leeward Community College with an Associate degree in Liberal Arts. If I were an artistʻs tool, I would be a 4B pencil, because I like to make bold strokes while also leaving room for change and adjustment.

Research Topic: Flow Theory in Video Games

Research Question: How are video games designed to evoke principles of Flow theory?

Abstract:

The psychological concept of Flow describes a state of heightened experience that can lead to enhanced focus, greater skill, and increased enjoyment as pertaining to a given task or activity. Video games are a vector for invoking Flow states, enrapturing the player in such a way that time passes without notice. This paper investigates the role of Flow in designing optimal video game experiences. Research was conducted through reviews of empirical studies on factors that lead to Flow experience both psychologically and in game design. Case studies were also conducted on certain game titles that have been stated by players to evoke a Flow state. Multiple factors contribute to the Flow experience, including both the internal experiences of the player and certain mechanics and experiences designed into the video game. Flow in video games generally entails a positive experience for the one that plays them, and many video games incorporate the principles of Flow theory into their design in order to deliver an engaging experience.

Capstone Project: Video Game

Project Title: The Disciple

Capstone Proposal:

CREATIVE PROCESS:

The concept of creativity has come a long way. The Old Greeks would call those creative forces muses, other religions referred to them as God. Today people still mostly treat creativity as an aha moment outside the area of influence. However, just by looking at the creative process one can tell, that creativity and creative work is more than just that one "Aha-Moment" (insight). It is clear that generating ideas demands planning and preparation, identifying something of interest like a problem, an opportunity or a challenge, doing research. This then leads to thinking of a solution, allowing time to incubate and iterations before arriving at something “complete.” Students learn that hard work is what makes their ideas come to life and sticktuiveness is what helps them get better.

DELIVERABLE:

For her senior capstone, Kealani designed and built an original video game as a way to test the principles of Flow theory— the psychological state of deep focus, skillful engagement, and intrinsic enjoyment. Drawing from her research on the factors that contribute to Flow in both players and game design, she examined how mechanics, pacing, difficulty balance, and player feedback loops influence the ability to enter this highly immersive state. By creating her own game, Kealani put these concepts into practice, experimenting with how design choices could enhance or disrupt Flow. Her project demonstrates how theory and creation can work together, using game development as a tool to better understand the psychology of optimal experience.

Go and check it out!

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