Dylan Yamada-Rice

Dr Dylan Yamada-Rice is a Professor of Immersive Storytelling at the University of Plymouth, part of the School of Art, Design and Architecture. His work bridges academia and industry, focusing on digital storytelling, games, and play for children. He holds a doctorate in Education and MA degrees in Research Methods, Early Childhood Education, and Japanese Semiotics. His research emphasizes experimental methods integrating art/design with social sciences, particularly in immersive technologies like AR/VR. He previously taught at the Royal College of Art and University of Sheffield.

Education:

• PhD in Education
• MA in Early Childhood Education
• MA in Research Methods
• MA in Japanese Semiotics

Research Interests:

• Immersive storytelling in AR/VR
• Game design for children
• Co-design with young users
• MedTech for pediatric healthcare
• Multimodal research methods

Grants & Collaborations:

• Innovate UK-funded MRI playkit project
• ESRC/AHRC Japan-UK VR network
• Collaborations with Dubit, Royal College of Art, and NHS

Recent Work:

• Developed mixed realities playkits to reduce pediatric MRI anxiety
• Explored children’s perceptions of digital surveillance
• Co-designed heritage brand storytelling with emerging tech

Labs/Teams: Leads the MA in Experience Design at Plymouth and collaborates with industry partners like Dubit and X||dinary Stories.