Heather Kemp

Accessibility-Focused Gameplay Programmer & Software Engineer

About Me

I'm Heather Kemp, a software engineer and game developer. I received my Master's degree in computer science from the University of Iowa in 2019, and am currently working at Microsoft. My passion for programming started when I made a simple calculator in Java for some basic statistics in the Kingdom Hearts mobile game. It was such a simple program, and yet it really helped to ease the burden of daily tasks in my guild. Throughout my career, I've since learned that I could not only simplify work with technology, but also expand possibilities and empower others to do things they never could before. Ever since then, I've taken several courses in accessibility and worked on projects like a virtual reality game for people who are blind or with low vision and WCAG compliant reports and webpages for my university and workplace. I'm thrilled to be working alongside my peers as we all work together to empower everyone and build a more inclusive tomorrow today.

Games

I've made games in Unity and UE4. I've participated in multiple game jams, and have experience building VR applications.

Web

I've worked on projects using React, TypeScript, Electron, and more. I'm also experienced in tools like webpack, Enzyme, and Jest.

Accessibility

I have experience with developing a variety of accessible UX's, with a focus on vision and mobility accessibility.

Data Analytics

I've created impactful and efficient dashboards and reports for thousands of data points from databases like Kusto, Cosmos, Mongo, SQL, and Postgres.

Games

Accessible VR Showdown
January 2019 - Current

an accessible virtual reality Showdown using a Kinect and Nintendo Switch Joy-con

Refactored codebase and Kinect SDK to have atomic objects and use game state logic while fixing various bugs

Improved performance of game and cut loading times in half

Utilized Microsoft voice recognition technologies and Nintendo Switch SDK to allow for interaction with game away from the keyboard

C#UnityVirtual RealityAccessibilityKinect 2.0 SDKNintendo Switch SDK
Human Nature
March 2019

a Mother Nature God-like Simulation game

Implemented player movement within a grid system using keyboard and mouse controls

Developed three unique player powers with varying cooldowns and effects based on game modes

Created menus and loading screens for the game

C#UnityTrain Jam
BugHunters 2
January 2018 - May 2018

a VR experience in which you pilot a spaceship

Implemented motion controls, movement system, and shooting mechanic

Worked closely with 3D assets to implement realistic physics constraints

Extended several components in the SteamVR interaction system

C#UnityVirtual Reality
Odyssey of the Zephyr
March 2018

an RPG in which your goal is to bring happiness to each car on a train

Created dialogue and quest system for NPC characters

Created 2D icons for NPC interactions

BlueprintsUnreal Engine 4Train Jam
Werewolf
September 2017 - December 2017

an iOS version of the popular game Werewolf utalizing multipeer connectivity

Developed the systems for voting, using abilities, and both creating and joining a game lobby

Setup Multipeer Connectivity API, allowing games to be played locally through peer-to-peer networks

Managed issue tracking, bug fixes, and testing of the application

SwiftXcode
Tony Birb: Pro Sk8er 2003
October 2017

an infinite runner in which you're a birb who's shaped like a friend

Programmed gameplay mechanics, including jumping between twigs and scoring based on distance to the edge of the twig

Utilized bullet pool system to reuse and dynamically place twigs for infinite gameplay

C#UnityEPX Jam

Other Projects

DM Tools
January 2019 - May 2019

a cross-platform Dungeons and Dragons 5e tool dedicated to assisting DMs

Created dynamic and reusable React components used across the application

Perform all DevOps and Scrum Master related tasks for team of 5 developers, including biweekly releases

Maintained application wide documentation for developers and end users

JavaScriptTypeScriptElectronDockerNode JSReact
HoloScribe
October 2018

a tool for real-time transcription and translation

Collaboratively developed API using Google Cloud Platform to transcribe images in the form of binary JSON data to text

Set up HoloLens device for Unity deployment and established pipeline for team

JavaScriptUnityMixed RealityAccessibilityC#HoloLensGoogle Cloud PlatformHackathon
NAO Robot Eyebrows
January 2018 - May 2018

a 3D printed headset to allow acting robots to easily express more vibrant emotions

Redesigned and prototyped more robust variations of headsets for eyebrows

Refactored undocumented codebase for controlling eyebrows with servos

C++Python3D PrintingArduinoNAO Robots
SafeSwarm
August 2017 - December 2017

an Android app which deploys a drone to a user’s location and follows them until it’s dismissed to return to its base

Developed frontend of Android application allowing for seperate user views of drone

Collaboratively developed and debugged code for autonomous drone take off and landing

JavaAndroidDJI Drone SDK
Internet of Followers
September 2017

a VR experience in which you fly through your Twitter network

Collaboratively developed Python script to export Twitter follower data from a given user node

Implemented spring-based 3D node placement algorithm

C#PythonUnityData VisualizationVirtual RealityHackathon

Contact Me

I'm always interested in collaborating on new projects! Feel free to reach out via one of the links below: