Constructivist Art Games
step into the creative logic of artists by playing like they did

The How-To-App series was developed as part of Coding da Vinci 2020 and has since been expanded into three funded editions. The apps allow users to engage with historical artistic positions by imitating key aspects of their creative processes using their own smartphones. Each edition translates artistic methods into an interactive digital format—designed for use in school contexts and by art-interested audiences.

As Co-Designer, I was responsible for the overall user experience, the interface framework, and the visual design of the app series. Working in close collaboration with a multimedia designer—who developed the games—and two art historians from the Institute for Contemporary Art—who provided content and conceptual direction—I created a consistent and accessible design system tailored for mobile use.

The underlying concept explores how smartphone features can be reinterpreted as tools for art education: the camera becomes a way to approach constructivist photography; AR is used to experience an unrealised 25-meter sculpture in real space; generative interactions reflect early computer art. The UI framework I developed allows these modules to be reused and extended across app editions while maintaining a coherent user experience.

Each app guides users from a short introduction into a creative task, leading them to produce and publish their own artworks in a shared gallery. This loop—play, create, reflect, share—is designed to foster curiosity for the original work. Studies in digital learning environments show that this form of hands-on interaction increases user motivation and prompts a deeper interest in the cultural context afterwards.