Jonathan Lessard

Jonathan Lessard is an Associate Professor at Concordia University's Department of Design and Computation Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts. He serves as a Primary Investigator for LabLabLab and holds the Behaviour Interactive Research Chair in Game Design. His research explores intersections of game design, history, and computational technologies.

• Education:
  • PhD in Cinema Studies, Université de Montréal
  • MA in History, Université de Montréal
  • BA in Arts and Humanities, Université de Montréal

Dr. Lessard's work focuses on emergent narratives, interactive storytelling, natural language interactions, and game design history, with technical expertise in 3D modeling, rendering, and computer graphics. His research spans playful technologies, possible worlds theory, and procedural dialogue systems.

Research trends in his publications reveal deep engagement with game design methodologies, narrative systems, and procedural generation. Key contributions include tools for narrative analysis, documentation frameworks for game design, and explorations of language interaction in games.

Scientific Awards:

• Behaviour Interactive Research Chair in Game Design
• Second Best Paper Award (Foundations of Digital Games, 2018)

As a thesis supervisor at Concordia University, Dr. Lessard guides students in Design (MDes), Individualized PhD Programs, and Humanities PhD Programs. His LabLabLab team develops experimental games like Chroniqueur and SimHamlet, with a focus on design research.