When I explained the goal of this project to a concept art co-worker, he emphatically said “Good! Train some competent employees for me to hire!” And though I wouldn’t phrase it exactly like that, I totally agree with him. In addition to technical skills like drawing & design, I want to introduce a secret weapon: empathy. Empathy can help you imagine the player who will enjoy your game, and how your design might improve their experience. Empathy might help you resolve a creative dispute at the office. Today empathy will help you better understand the role of ‘game designer’.
This homework assignment puts you in Ryan’s shoes: writing a design brief. First off, understanding the work your teammates do is crucial. By understanding their role, you’ll have much more productive collaboration. But my real goal with this assignment is to broaden your approach to art. Even though I call myself a ‘concept artist’, I’ve dabbled a bit in animation, web design, graphic design, and I love architecture & cars. All of these skills get mixed into my approach at work, and I’m always on the lookout to learn a new discipline. Inspiration comes from strange places, so keep an open mind!
