(The) framework of systematic creation process and methods for designing novel conceptual character's appearance

Abstract

Novel conceptual characters appear in games, movies, and other virtual media related to myths, legends, and future worlds. Newly created characters have expanded functionality combining parts of other creatures, artefacts, science, and technology

and using cross-ontological synthesizing methods either consciously or unconsciously. The aim of this study is to propose a systematic process and specific methods that can be used to create novel conceptual characters. Therefore, to find the specific steps and methods required for each stage on the basis of the design process, including analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, each stage was systemized by analyzing related studies and conducting case studies, including character design implementation. First, the study in the analysis stage proposes a structure for extracting a character’s appearance components from a narrative for representing character's appearance. Second, the study in the synthesis step is performed to propose synthetic character generation strategies that can be used to create novel conceptual characters through both the analysis of virtual characters that have appeared in games and movies and the application of concept combination strategies used in cognitive psychology and cognitive science. Third, the study in the evaluation stage concerns the evaluation criteria for novel conceptual characters. The evaluation criteria of emergence, practicality, and originality were established based on creativity studies of novel concept combination and creative design output. In addition, the effectiveness of the structure and methods produced through each step was verified by a comparative t-test analysis of the case study results to design novel conceptual characters. The establishment of a systematic and specific process and methods for designing characters have been difficult to organize academically. Therefore, the creation process and methods for designing novel conceptual character's appearance produced in this study have the meaning that establishes a systematic creation process and evaluation methods for designing all types of characters.