ART DIRECTION: FINAL COMPILATION AND REFLECTION

WEEK 1 - WEEK 14
DAVIES ANNIKA ANGELA/ 0362108
ART DIRECTION
Bachelors of design in creative media/ Innovation and technology faculty
FINAL COMPILATION & REFLECTION

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LECTURES

WEEK 1

We were told what Art Direction is all about and also saw projects of previous students work in regards to changing the art direction of among us mainly.

WEEK 2 

This week was really fun and we got to play among us with one another in class and there was a lot of nostalgia of playing the game during covid times. We were also briefed on next task which was to give the Pros and Cons of among us as well as doing the same for our own chosen game 

WEEK 3

This week I was not feeling well but I was briefed on an exercise that was done regarding placing different games on a positioning Map and Artistic Target 

WEEK 4 

We worked on our Task for Submission 1

WEEK 5 

In this week, we decided on having Fun Run 4 for our game redesign. We decided to have a dark horror theme and we then had a meeting where we put our different references 

WEEK 6

After gathering our references we then put them in our presentation slides.

WEEK 7

We presented our slides for the proposal and got feedback from Mr Fitri.

WEEK 8 - WEEK 14

Consultation

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INSTRUCTIONS 

TASK 1: OBSERVATION STUDY

• Choose a game you like and Analyse it and put that analysis in a presentation.

I decided to choose the game Geometry Dash:Sub Zero which is a game I play whenever I do not have internet on my phone and its free.

Below is my presentation

Game observation by Davies Annika Angela by ANNIKA ANGELA DAVIES

TASK 2: POSITIONING MAP

In this exercise we had to place games on a positioning map and artistic target as well

 

Positioning Map

Y-axis: Artistic target — from Fantastic to Believable

X-axis: Time/stylization — from Pre-Historic to Futuristic

Geometry Dash SubZero would be in the bottom-right:

 Futuristic and Fantastic — due to its neon, abstract, music-based world.

Artistic Target

Y-axis (Artistic Target): How emotionally artistic or expressive a game looks

X-axis (Stylization): How stylized vs realistic the visuals are

Games on the top-right are highly stylized and artistic (like Cuphead), while those on the bottom-left are realistic and not very artistic (like Call of Duty).

Geometry Dash SubZero would fall in the bottom-right quadrant – it’s very stylized and vibrant, but not deeply artistic or emotional. It focuses more on rhythm, clarity, and game-feel.

TASK 3:The Redesign 

Objective:

• Take an existing game and reimagine its art direction
• Can be treated as a sequel or a completely new version

Scope:

• Redesign only the crucial screens
• Optionally expand the game's lore

Expected Outputs:

1. Environment design
2. Character design
3. Game UI/UX

We were to redesign Iman's proposed game Fun Run 4.F

Iman's game Analysis

For our Redesign we decided on the Theme to be Horror, The Genre is a Racing game and we had the idea of having a dark creepy forest or town

Our storyline would be that the characters were Kidnapped and were made to race each other for the pleasure of Kidnappers and the characters only had scrap paper in the place they are being kept.

Click here for the mood board

Moodboard 

We then Finalised our design idea and split the work 

Hana and I were to focus on Environment design. 

We then made our presentation slides.

                                                  

Final proposal slides 

TASK 4: THE EXECUTION

We continued on our progress and I generated some sketches of what assets to include in the street environment which were 

1. Street lamps
2. Street signs 
3. Trash cans 
4. Trees 
5. Fencing

I looked each of these assets in a Victorian style and began doing my sketches.

STREET LAMPS 

After analysing the victorian lamps I then listen key features of the lamps and began to do my sketches

• Ornate designs with curls, swirls, and decorative patterns
• Multiple lantern heads, often in symmetrical clusters
• Tapered glass lanterns with pointed or crown-like tops
• Tall and elegant with a strong vertical shape 

SKETCHES

Sketch of street lamp 

I then went on to place this sketch into illustrator and vectorized it 

Vectorised street lamp

I then designed another variation of a street lamp

Sketch of street lamp 2 

I then added it to illustrator to vectorise it 

Vectorised street lamp 2

STREET SIGNS 

street sign inspiration

After analysing the victorian street signs I then listen key features of the lamps and began to do my sketches.

• Hanging signboards in various shapes (oval, shield, rectangle)
• Tall decorative poles with finials
• Bold, clear lettering for visibility
• Vintage or antique look

Some signs show multiple directions

Sketch street sign 1

I then put it in illustrator to vectorise it.

Vectorised street lamp 1

SKETCHES 

Sketch street sign 2

I then vectorised it in illustrator.

Vectorised street lamp 2 

TRASH CAN

Trash can inspiration

Sketch of Trash can

Then on to make it a vector.

vectorise trash can 

FENCE

Fences inspiration

• Pointed finials and vertical iron bars
• Decorative scrollwork and curls
• Arched or crested top designs
• Made of wrought or cast iron for a historic, elegant look

Sketch of fence

Then I went on to vectorise it.

Vectorised fence 

TREES

Tree inspiration

• Twisted, gnarled branches
• Bare and leafless
• Dramatic, stylized shapes

Sketch of Tree

Vectorised tree

RENDERING 

I used the colours from our colour palette and use 2 colours for asset. 

Colour palette 

Rendered street lamp 1

Rendered street lamp 2

Rendered tree

Rendered trash can

Rendered fence

Rendered street sign 1

Rendered street sign 2

I then sent the assets to Iman for her to add them to the world build.

Rendered background 

Then we had our presentation.

Art Direction Final Presentation 

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REFLECTIONS

For the first four weeks of this assignment, everything was genuinely enjoyable. I found myself really engaged in learning about the depth and detail that goes into selecting an art direction for a game. It wasn’t just about choosing a visual style—it was about understanding the mood, target audience, gameplay experience, and emotional tone that the visuals need to support.

I also appreciated how we explored a broader understanding of games through exercises like the positioning map. That task helped me see games not just as entertainment but as carefully crafted experiences, each with its own place in terms of style, tone, and artistic intent. It taught me how to classify games more thoughtfully—whether they’re stylized or realistic, futuristic or fantastical—and gave me a better appreciation for how design decisions reflect deeper creative strategies.

Overall, this part of the module really opened my eyes to how much intention and planning goes into art direction and how crucial it is for shaping a player’s journey. It made me more observant and thoughtful about game visuals and deepened my respect for the creative decisions behind them.

For Week 5 to 7 I feel like I did not participate as much do to being sick and some other personal problems but the process was quite interesting and I think our idea is good and would be a fun redesign since its a polar opposite of the initial design of the game.

From Week 8 to Week 14 we just progressed with our work and completed our parts and the design process was actually fun and working with the group was okay. The communication wasn't great in the group. I hope in future I can communicate better with the group and be a better group mate. I would like to thank Hannah as she was my partner in the environment design she helped me understand the kind of style we were going for. Iman was an amazing group leader throughout the semester. I would like to thank Mr Fitri for all his feedback and guiding us through the semester.