Alex Mitchell teaches interactive media design in the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore, where he also leads the Narrative and Play Research Studio. Alex's current research investigates various aspects of computer-based art and entertainment, focusing in particular on interactive stories. This work involves creating digital and non-digital interactive storytelling systems, using these systems to develop creative works, and observing how people respond to the resulting pieces. It also involves theoretical work to understand what is happening in and around this process. Current funded projects include "Exploring 'Literary Devices' for Poetic Interactivity" (AcRF Tier 1 grant) and "Communication Strategies in Real-time Computer-Mediated Creative Collaboration" (HSS Seed Grant, with A/P Lonce Wyse and Dr. Jude Yew).

Before joining NUS, Alex was a lecturer at the School of Interactive Digital Media, Nanyang Polytechnic, where he taught and developed projects in interactive media and games. Alex has also worked as an interaction designer at IDEO's London office, and as a member of research staff at I2R in Singapore. He has a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Toronto, and completed his PhD at the NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, where he was attached to the Partner Technologies Research Group.

His creative work has been shown at Graphite 2004 (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore); the Creative Curating Lab (Singapore Art Show 2005); the Displacements exhibition (13 Wilkie Terrace, 2013); Passports: Through the Red Dot Into Other Worlds (Lorong 24A Shophouse Series, 2013); Seni Mini (Mi Casa Su Casa, 2014); Print Lab (Grey Projects, 2014); and Interstitium (Lorong 24A Shophouse Series, 2015). His fiction has been published in Dark Tales, Balik Kampung 2, and in several issues of the Twenty-Four Flavours series, a collection of flash fiction published by Math Paper Press.

Academic publications

ORCID iD iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7849-7262

Refereed Journal Articles

  • Mitchell, A., Kway, L., Neo, T. and Sim, Y.T., "A Preliminary Categorization of Techniques for Creating Poetic Gameplay", in Game Studies, 20 (2), 2020. Freely available online here.

  • Neo, T., and Mitchell, A., "Expanding Comics Theory to Account for Interactivity: A Preliminary Study", in Studies in Comics, 10 (2), pp. 189–213. Published version (requires subscription).

  • Chew, E., and Mitchell, A., "Bringing Art to Life: Examining Poetic Gameplay Devices in Interactive Life Stories", in Games and Culture, online first, 2019. Published version (requires subscription).

  • Chew, E., and Mitchell, A., "Multimodality and Interactivity in 'Natively' Digital Life Stories", in Poetics Today, 40 (2), 2019. Published version (requires subscription).

  • Mitchell, A., "Monstrous Weathered: Experiences from the Telling and Retelling of a Netprov", in Electronic Book Review, Feburary 2019. Freely available online here.

  • Chew, E., and Mitchell, A., "How Is Empathy Evoked in Interactive Multimodal Life Stories?", in Concentric: Literary and Cultural Studies, 42 (2), September 2016, p. 125-149. Freely available online here.

  • Chew, E., and Mitchell, A., "The Impact of Interactivity on Truth Claims in Life Stories", in DIEGESIS, 4 (2), 2015. Freely available online here.

  • Mitchell, A, "Defamiliarization and Poetic Interaction in Kentucky Route Zero", in Well Played Journal, 3 (2), ETC Press, 2014, p. 161-178. Freely available online at ETC press.

  • Mitchell, A. and McGee, K., "Writing in Style: Pattern Languages and Writing Short Fiction", in Storyworlds: A Journal of Narrative Studies, 3, University of Nebraska Press, 2011, pp. 139-160. Published version (requires subscription).

  • Mitchell, A., "Narrative Production and Interactive Storytelling", in Refractory: a Journal of Entertainment Media, 13, 2008.

Invited Journal Articles

  • Mitchell, A, "Rereading as Echo: A Close (Re)reading of Emily Short's A Family Supper", in ISSUE: Art Journal, 2013, volume 2, p. 121-129.

  • Mitchell, A., "Blogs and Collaborative Learning", in Experiments in Pedagogy, 2, 2007.

Refereed Conference and Workshop Proceedings

Book Chapters

Conference and workshop presentations

  • Mitchell, A., "Surface Tensions: Exploring the Boundary Between Narrative and System in Electronic Literature", Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2019, Cork, Ireland, 15-17 July 2019.

  • Mitchell, A., "'Come Again – In the Summer': Creating an Auto/biographical Hypertext", Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2019, Cork, Ireland, 15-17 July 2019.

  • Mitchell, A., "The (Eventual) Sense of an Ending", Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2018, Montreal, Canada, 13-17 August 2018.

  • Mitchell, A., "(Re)Writing the Internet through Collaborative Storytelling", Writing the Internet: Internet Lore in Asia, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 8-9 March 2018.

  • Mitchell, A., "Anti-Mimetic Rereading and Defamiliarization in Electronic Literature", Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2017, Porto, Portugal, 18-22 July 2017.

  • Mitchell, A. and The Cloud Farmers, "Monstrous Weather: Cross-platform Retellings of a Networked Improvisation", Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2017, Porto, Portugal, 18-22 July 2017.

  • Mitchell, A. "Using Theme to Author Hypertext Fiction", Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2016, Victoria, B.C., Canada, 10-12 June 2016.

  • Chew, E., and Mitchell, A., "Life storytelling as interactive documentary in Southeast Asia: A survey of the field", Locating Lives: The Inaugural Conference for the IABA Asia-Pacific Chapter, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, 1 Dec 2015.

  • Chew, E., and Mitchell, A., "Empathy creation in digital interactive life stories", Life Writing and/as Empathy: A Symposium on Narrative Emotions, Institute of Culture and Society, University of Navarra, Navarra, Spain, 15 - 17 Oct 2015.

  • Mitchell, A., and Neo, T. "Beneath the Surface: System Representation and Reader Reception in Electronic Literature", Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2015, Bergen, Norway, 5-7 August 2015.

  • Chew, E., and Mitchell, A. "Transmitting the Subjective Experience in Interactive Life Stories", Winter School ‘Mediality and Multimodality across Media’, Graduate School of the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, 28-30 January 2015.

  • Cheong, K., and Mitchell, A. "Helping the helpers: Understanding family storytelling for domestic helpers in Singapore", Maneouvering Through Physical and Vritual Spaces: Mobility and New Media in Asian Cities, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, 4-5 August 2014.

  • Mitchell, A. "Rereading and the SimCity Effect in Electronic Literature", Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2014, Milwaukee, WI, 19-21 June 2014.

Workshops

  • Mitchell, A., Spierling, U., Hargood, C., and Millard, D. E., Authoring for Interactive Storytelling Workshop 2018, ICIDS 2018: 11th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, 8 December 2018. Workshop website.

  • Hargood, C., Mitchell, A., Millard, D. E., and Spierling, U., Authoring for Interactive Storytelling Workshop 2017, ICIDS 2017: 10th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, 14 November 2017. Workshop website.

  • Chen, F., Kampa, A., Mitchell, A., Spierling, U., Szilas, N., and Wingate, S. Exploring New Approaches to Narrative Modeling and Authoring, ICIDS 2016: 9th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, 15 November 2016. Workshop website.

  • Mitchell, A. Introduction to Interactive Digital Storytelling, Words Go Round (Singapore Writers Festival) 2016, March 2016.

  • Short, E., and Mitchell, A. Introduction to Interactive Digital Storytelling, Singapore Writers Festival 2014, 8 November 2014.

  • Spierling, U., and Mitchell, A. Story Modelling and Authoring, ICIDS 2014: 7th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, 6 November 2014. Workshop website.

Dissertations

  • Mitchell, A. Reading Again for the First Time: Rereading for Closure in Interactive Stories, Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2012.

  • Mitchell, A. Communication and Shared Understanding in Collaborative Writing, Unpublished Master's Thesis, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, 1996.

Others

  • Baecker, R.M., Glass, G., Mitchell, A., and Posner, I.R., "SASSE: the Collaborative Editor", 8 minute refereed video tape presented at CHI '94; also published in SIGGRAPH Video Review 97, 1994.

Teaching

National University of Singapore

(2005-present, links to most recent version, where available)

Nanyang Polytechnic

(2001-2005)

  • DN2301 Graphical User Interface Design (with Eric Tan)
  • DS2371 Web Design I (with Soh Choi Yin)
  • DN2380/IT2932 Principles of Game Design (with Allan Simonsen)
  • DN2463/DN3363 Web Design 2
  • DN3364 Interaction Design

Exhibitions

Group exhibitions

  • " 'Don't don't don't don't don't... call me call me baby' (reach out and touch someone)" (with Karen Mitchell), I.D. (The Body's Still Warm), 42 Cambridge Road #07-07, Singapore (October 2018).
  • "Monstrous Weather'd", Writing the Internet: Internet Lore in Asia, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore (March 2018).
  • "Re-collection", Petri #4: Repurposing Nostalgia, 42 Petain Road, Singapore (January 2016).
  • "Surrender", 50 Obsessions, LaSalle-SIA College of the Art, Singapore (December 2015).
  • "This Place Meant", Interstitium, Lorong 24A Shophouse Series, Singapore (March 2015).
  • "This Place Meant", Print Lab at Singapore Art Book Fair, Grey Projects, Singapore (November 2014).
  • "This Place Meant", Print Lab, Grey Projects, Singapore (May-June 2014).
  • "Confinement", Seni Mini, Mi Casa Su Casa, Singapore (April 2014).
  • "Listen to the Story II", Passports: Through the Red Dot Into Other Worlds, Lorong 24A Shophouse Series, Singapore (August 2013).
  • "Listen to the Story" (with Karen Mitchell), The Displaced, Arts House, Singapore (July 2013).
  • "No Due Date" (with Karen Mitchell), Displacements, 13 Wilkie Terrace, Singapore (June 2013).
  • "Passages" (with Ng Wen Lei and Patricia Lim), Singapore Art Show 2005, Citilink TickleArt showcase, Singapore (October 2005).
  • "PixelTouch" (with Ng Wen Lei and Lee Wee Na), Graphite 2004 Digital Art Show, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (June 2004).

Published fiction

  • "Fascination", in Twenty-Four Flavours: Chicken Rice, Math Paper Press, Singapore, 2014.
  • "This Favour Cannot Be Returned", in Twenty-Four Flavours: Duck and Salted Vegetable Soup, Math Paper Press, Singapore, 2014.
  • This Place Meant: Stories from 13 Wilkie Terrace, self-published book, Singapore, 2014.
  • "Forgotten", in Balik Kampung 2A: People and Places, Math Paper Press, Singapore, 2013.
  • "Enclosure", in Twenty-Four Flavours: Dolphin Meat, Math Paper Press, Singapore, 2013.
  • "Century Egg", in Twenty-Four Flavours: Century Egg, Math Paper Press, Singapore, 2013.
  • "Kaiten", in Twenty-Four Flavours: Sushi, Math Paper Press, Singapore, 2013.
  • "The Pillowcase", in Dark Tales, National Library Board, Singapore, 2013.