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In this course, students will learn about designing and developing multi-dimensional and engaging characters and creatures, ranging from animals to humans to completely alien, for games and other forms of media. The development of character begins with history, backstories and narratives, to provide context to a character’s motives, behaviours and actions. This narrative leads to the design of the visual aesthetics of a character, from their physical forms and distinguishing characteristics, to how this impacts their dynamic movements and animation, and the clothes that they wear and the accessories that they use. Students will bring these characters to life in 2D and 3D, building on the tools and techniques they have learned in PROD142, and expanding into motion and movement through rigging, animation, and motion capture. Throughout the course, students will look at famous examples of character and creature design for Maori and other cultures in both modern media portrayals as well as history and mythology.
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:1. Develop and iterate an original character concept using research, sketchbook exploration, and visual storytelling to communicate personality, function, and world context.2. Apply core character design principles (shape language, silhouette, proportion, costume, and readability) to make intentional, effective design decisions.3. Demonstrate sustained design practice by maintaining a sketchbook of studies (gestures, anatomy/clothing/hair studies as applicable, and exploratory iterations) that supports the final character outcome.4. Use course specified digital design application confidently within a production workflow to generate thumbnails, refine designs, and produce a fully rendered 2D character with clean organization and professional file practices (layers, naming, exports).5. Create modeling-ready 2D character sheets, including turnarounds and expression sheets, that clearly communicate form, construction, and design details for 3D translation.6. Translate a 2D character design into a 3D model, maintaining design fidelity while adapting forms for three-dimensional structure and build feasibility.7. Construct clean, animation-friendly topology, demonstrating purposeful edge flow, appropriate mesh density, and organization that supports future rigging and deformation needs.8. Model and refine key character elements (primary forms, anatomy, clothing, and hair) with attention to clarity of form, structure, and production readiness.9. Explain character pipeline considerations for games/animation/film at an introductory level, including how design and topology choices impact downstream production stages.10. Analyze and discuss character design examples critically, drawing from historical and contemporary references, course text, documentaries, and guest speakers to articulate what makes designs effective and market/industry ready.11. Engage with cultural reference responsibly, particularly when studying Māori and other cultural influences, demonstrating research awareness and respectful visual decision-making in design development.12. Present work professionally by producing portfolio-ready images, a printed final 2D character render, and webpage(s) documenting process, decisions, and lessons learned.
PROD142
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Nikki Dunsire
Alison Lowery
Quiz: Course Expectations - Acknowledgment - Pass/FailAttendance - 10%Participation (in-class activites) - 15%Mastering the Tools - Photographic Fictional Character/Creature - 15%2D Character Concept (Full) - 15%3D Character - 15%Sketchbook - 15%Final Presentation: Character Portfolio Booklet + Web Publication + Print - 15%
Domestic fee $1,190.00
International fee $6,488.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see School of Product Design on the departments and faculties page .