To introduce my game design challenge, I focused on the process of creating an immersive environment that supports both gameplay and storytelling. My game, The Nordic Kingdom, is an action role-playing adventure centered on a Viking warrior named Helga, who must reclaim her kingdom through exploration, combat, and character progression. While the narrative and mechanics are important, my main design challenge was developing a believable and interactive world using Unreal Engine 5.
Through this project, I discovered the significance of environment design in influencing gameplay and storytelling. Besides focusing on technical design, I incorporated interdisciplinary research to strengthen the realism and impact of my game environment. I utilized historical and cultural studies of Viking societies to create the setting and mood of The Nordic Kingdom, making sure that the world seemed genuine instead of just ordinary.
To introduce my capstone project, I focused on designing a retail concept inspired by the Betsy Johnson brand, emphasizing creativity, bold fashion, and customer experience. The project explores how store layout, visual merchandising, and branding work together to create an engaging shopping environment. As shown on page 1, the concept centers on a vibrant and expressive brand identity, while later pages highlight elements like window displays, fixtures, and floor plans that enhance customer interaction.
My capstone project demonstrates my technical skills in retail and visual merchandising design. I used digital tools like PowerPoint and Canva to plan store layouts, create floor plans, and design visual displays that align with brand identity. For example, I developed window displays, fixture arrangements, and signage on page 7, to enhance customer engagement and improve the shopping experience, as shown in my layout and merchandising plans.
I did not possess any other technical skills that I have acquired here at ODU, so I included this reconciliation Excel spreadsheet to demonstrate the technical skills as a reconciliation accountant. In this project, I conducted a financial reconciliation of fund accounts (2100 and 2200) using Microsoft Excel. The goal was to verify balances, spot discrepancies, and assess if reclassifications were needed for precise financial reporting. The final sheet is where the data was collected. I employed advanced Excel features, such as PivotTables to summarize financial data by fund and account, and XLOOKUP paired with IFNA to find and manage missing values across various datasets. These tools allowed for effective comparison between general ledger reports and supporting schedules, skills that are directly relevant to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting positions.