Cheryl Platz
Author of Design Beyond Devices
Cheryl Platz is a world-renowned designer, creative director, teacher, and author whose work on emerging technologies has reached over one billion customers across multiple industries, from best-selling video games to the largest cloud platforms in the world. Past employers include Griptonite Games (Disney Friends), Electronic Arts/Maxis (The Sims franchise), Riot Games (League of Legends, VALORANT, Arcane), Scopely (MARVEL Strike Force), Microsoft (Azure, Cortana), Amazon (Alexa, Echo Look, Echo Show), Disney Parks (PhotoPass), the Gates Foundation, and MAYA Design. In 2024, Cheryl joined The Pokémon Company International as Creative Director, Game Studio, with an initial focus on Pokémon TCG Live. Cheryl’s first book, Design Beyond Devices: Creating Multimodal, Cross-Device Experiences was published by Rosenfeld Media in 2020.
As a video game director, designer, writer, producer, or voice talent, Cheryl has contributed to or supported shipped titles including The Sims: Makin’ Magic (PC), The Sims 2 (PC, DS), The Sims Bustin’ Out (GBA/Console), The Urbz: Sims in the City (GBA/DS), Disney Friends (DS), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (GBA), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (GBA/DS), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (DS), BATTLETECH (2018, PC), League of Legends (PC), Teamfight Tactics (PC/Mobile), VALORANT (PC), MARVEL Strike Force (Mobile), and most recently Pokémon TCG Live (PC/Mobile). Her popular Game Dev Diaries TikTok series was viewed hundreds of thousands of times with over 30,000 followers at @theCherylPlatz.
As principal and owner of design education company Ideaplatz, LLC, Cheryl has presented her sought-after talks and workshops to global audiences in over 15 countries and five continents.
Cheryl holds a B.S. in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University and is an adjunct faculty member of Carnegie Mellon’s Master of Entertainment Industry Management program at Heinz College where she teaches the craft of video games. You can find her on Bluesky and Instagram at @funnygodmother, follow her on Medium or LinkedIn, or learn more about all of her work at http://cherylplatz.com.
Rosenverse talks by Cheryl:
" The rise of Arcane legitimized something very important to players, showing how storytelling impacts emotional connection. "
Beyond the Console: The rise of the Gamer Experience and how gaming will impact UX Research across industries
May 17, 2024
" Customers move from one device to another often because the information density or proximity to the device changes. "
Demystifying Multimodal Design: The Design Practice You Didn't Know You're Doing
April 4, 2024
" Yes and means taking the ideas someone else gives you and building on that, not dismissing them outright. "
Merging Improv with Design
March 7, 2019
" Every problem can be solved; it’s how you justify the offers the world gives you that counts. "
Collaborative Creativity through Improv
November 7, 2018
