New Faculty Member Q&A: Andrew Augustin

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Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Andrew Augustin, Assistant Professor of Practice
Andrew Augustin, Assistant Professor of Practice

Andrew Augustin the School of Design and Creative Technologies faculty as an assistant professor or practice. Augustin is an award-winning 2D illustrator, game designer, and founder of Notion Games LLC. His gaming portfolio includes designing the characters for The Sims 3 Pets video game. He’s the creator of his own line of video games as well, including Super Ubie Island 1 and Super Ubie Island 2, Up Up Ubie REMIX, Sheep Herder Nay, and Team Notion. One of his current projects is working with Microsoft to bring Super Ubie Island to Xbox. 

Tell us about the classes you’ll be teaching this year.

Level Design is a course I’m teaching that takes a deep look at what makes a good level in video games. Students will learn to analyze and break down the design philosophy behind games and incorporate the techniques in their own projects.

Design & Interactivity is a course I am co-teaching with Michael Baker and Honoria Starbuck which is an introduction to proven techniques for creating engaging interactive experiences paired with an exploration of the historical, contemporary, and future contexts of design practice.

What attracted you to the School of Design and Creative Technologies and The University of Texas at Austin?

I am really excited to see The University of Texas at Austin give aspiring game developers a program to discover, practice and hone their skills for a potential career in the industry. UT’s rich history in academia is something that I have always admired and truly feel that being a part of the program would not only give me the opportunity to share the knowledge I have gained from more than 15 years in the creative tech industry, but also allow me to learn from the next generation of creative dreamers.

How did your professional pathway lead to your focus?

I’ve been an artist at heart for as long as I can remember. Drawing, animating, writing, programming, and more have all become parts of my overall creative identity. I started Notion Games, LLC after working on the Sims 3 Pets (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) and began creating and developing my own characters, comics, and games. That has led to many opportunities and publications including a full scholarship to the Denius-Sams Gaming Academy at The University of Texas at Austin, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and even being able to run the video game design program at Andy Dekaney Highschool in Spring, TX.

What’s something that students and colleagues should know about you?

I want my students and colleagues to know that I am always interested in learning and discovering new ways to expand and implement my skills in various creative mediums. Collaborating and discussing old and new design philosophies all while having fun in a laid back and inviting atmosphere is what I’m all about.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not teaching/researching/working?

Creating is just a part of my identity. I’m always either watching content that can inspire me or in my home studio drawing, animating, or programming.

Taking my passion and growing it into something bigger than even myself is my ultimate goal and what has been a main motivation in life. Being able to teach others has been the greatest part of this entire journey.

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Faculty School of Design and Creative Technologies College of Fine Arts

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