Marts 2024: Celia Zimmerman

Celia Zimmemann graduated from multimedia design in 2024. Today, she works as Head of Player Experience for SYBO. We have spoken to her about her and her time at KEA, and her career. 

Q & A: 

About KEA...

Q: In one word, how would you describe KEA?  
A: "Relevant."

Q: What was your favourite class and/or who was your favourite teacher?
A: "I met many talented and supportive teachers throughout my 2 years at KEA, yet my favorite teacher was Gullan Christensen. I clearly remember her wheeling in various arts and crafts items to get our creative juices flowing for our web design mock-ups, concepts, and more, as well as her bubbly, encouraging, curious, and kind spirit."

Q: What is your fondest memory of KEA? E.g., a funny story from your studies at KEA.
A: "I’m no good at funny stories, so I’ll go with something more wholesome. My fondest memory is cycling to KEA every morning and grabbing coffee and a bun with cheese with my girlfriends before class – it’s the little things that count. Having talented women around me who inspired me with their creative ideas, cool skills, and work ethic was key and brought a lot of joy."

Q: If you could go back in time to change one thing in your KEA studies, what would it be and why?
A: "Honestly, I had a great time at KEA, so trying to think of a thing I would change is a tough question… But if I had to change one thing, it would be spending more time at the KEA Library and Maker Lab. I never tried screen printing and should have borrowed my magazines and books for inspiration – KEA has quite the selection."

About the career...

Q: What was your first job after graduating from KEA and how did you acquire it?
A: "It was actually my KEA internship as a Social Media Intern at SYBO that also led to my full-time role as Social Media Coordinator at SYBO. In case you didn’t know, SYBO is a mobile games studio located in the heart of Copenhagen, and we’re best known for being the creators and publishers of the world's most downloaded game (4 billion worldwide): Subway Surfers. I was offered the job around the time I graduated and, therefore, also to jumpstart my career immediately after, which was my goal and dream when I initially applied and joined SYBO. I feel very fortunate and thankful for the opportunity – the rest is history!"

Q: What did you want to be when you were younger, and how does it correspond with what you are doing today?
A:  "My childhood dream was to be an artist. Despite having a lifelong passion for games, I never considered it a job path or opportunity, given how little and unknown the industry was back then. I work in a creative environment, and games are fun and playful. So, in some ways, it kind of corresponds to what I am today, yet I am not as hands-on in crafting and producing tangible ordigital art as an artist would be. I worked with video and image content creation earlier in my career. Nonetheless, I dabble in little creative projects on the side in my free time."

Q: What is a typical day like as the Head of Player Experience at SYBO?
A: "A typical day as Head of Player Experience at SYBO is, first and foremost, checking in with the team to see how they’re doing and what our priorities arefor the week or day. Priorities are important, as our days are pretty fast-paced due to the many Subway Surfers updates, releases, and social media campaigns we run yearly – they can and will change. My team and I strategize, plan, schedule, craft content for, and run all of our Subway Surfers player support and SYBO social media channels, which include TikTok, Discord, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more. Additionally, we support other community, social media, and communication-related activities such as public relations, paid partner activities like influencers, and brand partnerships and integrations. Our most impactful and important task is to connect with our Subway Surfers community, listen to them, and champion their voice at the studio."

Q: What is your favourite thing about your career?
A: "Following my passion for games has led me to an amazing group of talented people who care as much about games as I do, and that really shines throughin our work and experiences that we craft and serve our players as a team."

About you... 

Q: Can you tell us something funny/quirky about yourself and how you use it in your daily life? E.g., a skill or something only a few people know about you. 
A: "A little quirky, kind of nerdy, perhaps? I can blind type at high speed and precision at a professional/competitive level. Excellent skill to have for work and to impress a person or two on the right occasion."

Q: What is your favorite book to read or podcast to listen to?
A: "My favorite book is ‘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running’ by Haruki Murakami. I read it a little more than 2 years ago. It gave me some perspective around starting (and it never being too late) and the importance of practice and consistency, especially around habits, specifically running. I also started running, and I still do it weekly."

Q: What is your proudest accomplishment, and why?
A: "I believe we grow into what we were meant to be through what we care about. My proudest accomplishment is daring to go and pursue a career within a craft and industry that I love, despite it being a risky and scary move for me to make at the time. For context, I was enrolled at another university for some years and had to terminate my enrollment to join KEA."

Q: If you could choose to do anything for a day, what could it be, and why?
A: "Can I be the moon? Just float around. Seems peaceful."

Q: If you could share a meal with any four individuals, living or dead, who would they be and why? 
A: "I would share a meal with Björk, FKA Twigs, Yayoi Kusama, and Vivienne Westwood. All four women are incredibly talented, brave, authentic, and outof this world. I love and appreciate their voices and how they each express them."

Q: What advice would you give KEA students or fellow KEA Alumni?            
A: "Trust yourself and take chances by seeing challenges or problems as opportunities to learn and grow – go out of your comfort zone academically, professionally, personally, or otherwise. You’ll miss out if you don’t. And also, just be you."