Character Design

Term from Illustration industry explained for recruiters

Character Design is the art of creating unique and memorable characters for various media like animation, games, books, and advertising. It's similar to how fashion designers create clothing, but character designers create complete personalities through visual appearance. They decide how characters look, what they wear, and how they express emotions. This role combines artistic skills with storytelling to make characters that audiences can connect with. You might see this term used alongside "Character Artist" or "Character Concept Artist" in job descriptions.

Examples in Resumes

Created 20+ Character Designs for a mobile game project

Led Character Design development for an animated children's TV series

Developed Character Design style guides for marketing mascots

Collaborated with teams to refine Character Designs and Character Concepts for video game characters

Typical job title: "Character Designers"

Also try searching for:

Character Artist Character Concept Artist Visual Development Artist Character Illustrator Concept Designer Animation Character Designer

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you manage a character design project from start to finish?

Expected Answer: Should explain their process of receiving briefs, research, concept development, feedback rounds, and final delivery. Should mention team leadership and client communication experience.

Q: How do you ensure character designs work across different media platforms?

Expected Answer: Should discuss adapting designs for different uses (animation, merchandise, print), understanding technical limitations, and creating flexible design systems.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you approach creating a character style guide?

Expected Answer: Should explain how they document character features, expressions, poses, and proportions to maintain consistency across projects.

Q: How do you incorporate client feedback into your character designs?

Expected Answer: Should discuss their feedback process, how they handle revisions, and balance creative vision with client needs.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is your process for starting a new character design?

Expected Answer: Should describe basic research, sketching, and reference gathering process, showing understanding of fundamental design principles.

Q: How do you ensure your characters are unique and memorable?

Expected Answer: Should explain basic character design elements like silhouette, color theory, and personality traits in simple terms.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic drawing and digital art skills
  • Understanding of color and composition
  • Simple character turnarounds
  • Basic digital art software knowledge

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Strong artistic style development
  • Character expression sheets
  • Adaptation to different art styles
  • Client communication skills

Senior (5+ years)

  • Project management
  • Team leadership
  • Style guide creation
  • Complex character design systems

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No portfolio or poor quality portfolio
  • Unable to work in different styles
  • Poor understanding of anatomy basics
  • No knowledge of industry standard software
  • Inability to accept and implement feedback