Character Design is the process of creating the final, model-ready visual appearance of every character, prop, and vehicle in the story. This involves multiple iterations, exploring various silhouettes, color palettes, and stylistic choices until the design effectively communicates the character’s personality, role in the story, and emotional arc. These designs must also be practical for rigging and animation.

Parallel to this, Visual Development (VisDev) artists define the overall aesthetic, mood, and world-building of the project through concept art, color keys, and lighting studies. VisDev dictates the architectural style, environmental textures, and emotional lighting used throughout the film, ensuring a consistent visual language that supports the narrative tone—whether it’s dark and gritty or bright and whimsical.

The output of the design phase is the Character Model Sheet and the Style Guide. The model sheet provides orthographic views (front, side, three-quarter) of the character, facial expression guides, and mouth charts for lip-sync, acting as a technical reference for 3D modelers or 2D animators. The Style Guide ensures that all artists adhere to the approved aesthetic standards throughout the entire pipeline.