CHRISTINA LELON
Welcome!
BIO
Christina Lelon is a researcher, creative producer, experience designer, and entrepreneur who has been in the field of interactive technology for social good for nearly a decade. She is passionate about improving the world by enhancing the things people like to do so they do the things they need to do. Christina is the first recipient of the Media Arts, Games and Health Masters degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. There, she worked on five wellness games and co-authored peer-reviewed papers. Straight out of her Masters program, she was hired by Walt Disney Imagineering as a creative producer for the Team of Heroes Children’s Hospital Initiative. Outside of work, Christina is a member of the Harman Academy for Polymathic Studies and a dedicated USC Trojan, where she played tuba for the Spirit of Troy marching band.
MY EXPERIENCE
What I've Been Up To
WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING
CREATIVE PRODUCER
July 2018 - July 2019
DISNEY TEAM OF HEROES CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL INITIATIVE
With a team of 4, designed, developed, and launched Disney's $100m commitment to globally reinventing the patient and family experience in children’s hospitals. Specifically, provided a focus on evidence-based approaches to wellness. Conducted usability tests, interviews, and surveys for the Children's Hospital Initiative and for the Play Disney Parks app. Presented findings and design recommendations to developer teams. Collaborated with teams across the company and managed cross-department projects.
PLAY DISNEY PARKS
Leveraged scientific research to design an experience for the Play Disney Parks app.
CREATIVE MEDIA AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER
MANAGER AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
February 2016 - May 2018
A research unit between the School of Cinematic Arts and the USC Keck School of Medicine focused on the ways interactive media can improve health and wellbeing. Created wireframes, user flows, concept sketches, visual design, and rapid prototypes. Conducted usability tests, interviews, heuristic evaluations, and surveys. Collected and analyzed qualitative and quantiative data. Presented findings in published papers. Promoted to Manager. Ran center solo while Director was on sabbatical.
LUMEUM
UX/UI DESIGNER
November 2019 - Present
Lumeum was an early stage healthcare solutions startup focused on using cutting edge technology to improve wellbeing. Researched, designed, and prototyped a virtual reality exposure therapy technology.
LISTEN
CREATOR, SENIOR CONCEPT DESIGNER, SENIOR PRODUCER
June 2017 - Present
An environmental narrative game created in conjunction with the USC School of Cinematic Arts and USC Department of Psychology. Players and aspiring clinicians train to interact empathetically and skillfully in a non-didactic, story-driven way. Listen is currently in development.
KALEIDOSCOPE
CREATOR, SENIOR CONCEPT DEVELOPER
August 2017 - Present
Kaleidoscope is an immersive and educational interactive experience. Member of the Executive Committee. Led negotiations with a prominent Event Creation company for the acquisition of Kaleidoscope. Designed the individual exhibits, the interactive elements, and integrated non-didactic learning into exhibits.
EDUCATION
What I’ve Learned
August 2016 - May 2018
USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS
First recipient of the M.A. in Media Arts, Games, and Health
The goal of the curriculum is to provide integrative research and practice-based training to enable students to combine prior/concurrent education and experience toward design, development and evaluation of health- and wellness-related interventions that incorporate entertainment media experiences (film, games, virtual reality, mobile media, public interactives, transmedia and emerging genres).
August 2012 - May 2016
USC DAVIS SCHOOL OF GERONTOLOGY
B.S. Lifespan Health
The Bachelor of Science in Lifespan Health emphasizes the biomedical aspects of health from birth to death including disease prevention, detection and treatment.
Teaching Assistant
Taught a course in designing virtual reality experiences for Older Adults in nursing homes and care facilities.
August 2012 - May 2016
Completed all course work and requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.
USC DORNSIFE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
SKILLS
What I Can Do For You
CREATIVE PRODUCER
Through her work at Walt Disney Imagineering as well as her projects at USC, Christina has honed her skill as a creative producer. From generating ideas to assembling a team, to seeing the project through production, Christina knows each aspect of the production process and knows how to make things happen efficiently and effectively.
RESEARCHER
Christina is an experienced qualitative and quantitative researcher and research designer. Through her time at the CMBHC and at MIT's AgeLab, Christina has designed, directed, and conducted both quantitative and qualitative studies and published her findings in academic journals.
EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
Christina is a trained experience, interactive, and exhibit designer. During her time at USC, she specialized in themed entertainment, a skillset she then applied at Walt Disney Imagineering and in her own projects, Kaleidoscope and Black Box. As a designer, she researchers ideas and materials for an exhibit, recommends solutions for design problems, and utilizes different themed entertainment techniques to produce the desired visual effects, experience, and message.
SELECTED PROJECTS
What I've Done
DISNEY TEAM OF HEROES CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL INITIATIVE
This project focuses delivering comfort and inspiration to families with children facing serious or chronic illness. The initiative uses Disney’s beloved characters to bring classic stories to life in innovative ways that are designed to reduce the anxiety of a hospital stay and provide moments of joy during a difficult time. It encompasses a range of experiences, from reimagined public spaces that create a warm and inspiring atmosphere for patients and families; to personal moments that empower patients and build connections to caregivers and hospital staff; and engaging content that will be accessed across a variety of platforms and transformative events.
KALEIDOSCOPE
Kaleidoscope is an immersive and educational interactive experience. It focuses on teaching science in a non-didactic way, reinventing the science museum for a new generation.
LISTEN
Listen is an environmental narrative game created in conjunction with the USC School of Cinematic Arts and USC Department of Psychology. Players and aspiring clinicians train to interact
empathetically and skillfully in a non-didactic, story-driven way.
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
What I’ve Done
SKYFARER
Sponsored by the Craig Neilsen Foundation. A mixed-reality shoulder exercise game developed for individuals who are aging, manual wheelchair users. Scheduled and ran participants, collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data, conducted interviews, wrote and submitted papers.
BUTTERFLY LOVERS
Created narrative and interactions for a two player AR/VR game that teaches Asian culture while promoting empathy around issues of elder abuse. Butterfly Lovers will be displayed at the USC Pacific Asia Museum.
PARKINSON'S PROJECT
Translated clinical and research data about movement interventions for Parkinson’s Disease into a game-based, virtual reality intervention focused on slowing the progression of the disease and helping patients regain motor control.
THE BRAIN ARCITECTURE GAME
Led and moderated interactive training sessions for over a hundred medical professionals, policymakers, students, and parents. The Brain Architecture Game is a tabletop game that builds understanding of the role
early childhood experiences play on brain development.