While not a 3D artist myself, I worked closely with a group of 3D artists to craft a process focused on efficiency and consistency. I wore multiple hats for this project including supporting process creation, aiding in creating tracking and documentation methods, art research, art direction and oversight to ensure the overarching vision was captured. I even had the opportunity to explore work out of my comfort zone like concept sketches and mapping landscapes.
Skills: Project Management, Art Direction, Art Research, preliminary illustrations
The challenge
With a project that relied heavily on 3D artwork including large landscape areas as well as animated animals and other natural elements we needed to figure out the best way to create all pieces by our deadline while keeping the style consistent and visually stunning across the entire project.
Concept Artwork by Erin Hardacre
The process & tools
Working together with the 3D team, I helped refine a suggested idea to play to everyone’s strengths by assigning each person a piece of the process to engage with over the course of the project. This reduced context switching for the team, increased speed and ensured consistency across the produced artwork.
Utilizing tools like Jira and creating tracking spreadsheets, we were able to ensure each member of the team knew when it was their turn to step into their role on a specific object or landscape all while reporting progress to key stakeholders in the project. This also allowed everyone to work in parallel, keeping several items in progress at a time.
Skills: 3D Consulting, Brainstorm Session Leadership, Project Management
Tools: Google Sheets, Jira
Reviews
Once we had some test visuals complete and ready for review, I met with a group of users to showcase the artwork, gathering their input and feedback of how it catered the range of students that would be using it. After review, the team revisited the style with a plan to show the updated versions to the users that provided feedback.
Skills: Focus Group Facilitation, Project Management
Tools: Custom 3D Texture Software testing, Jira
Production Solutioning
Once a style was defined, and it was time to begin production, I spent time assessing time to completion across various parts of the process. Through this assessment, I identified that the concept artwork stage was going to take far longer than the timeline for the project.
Identified Process
In-house illustrators create full color and detailed concept artwork for:
- Level color stories
- Activity Selection world view
- Each Activity area
- Overhead level map of where activity areas live in the level world
Adjusted Process
Product Designers create sketches rather than concept artwork for some of the screens:
- Illustrators create level color stories
- Illustrators create Activity Selection world view
- Product Designers create sketches of each Activity area
- Product Designers create sketches of overhead level maps
Skills: Product and Project Management, Problem Solving, Roadmap Planning, Sketching
Tools: Google Sheets, Adobe Fresco
Results
Below are some of the activity area and level map sketches I created as part of this project
