Forms, Uses, and Trends in Undergraduate Student Game Design Sketchbooks

The results of a 3-semester-long study of game development classes in which I assigned my students to keep a design sketchbook. Results include findings of the content that students use their books to create (uses) and the form that those entries take (text, images, etc.)

1. Forms, Uses, and Trends in Undergraduate Student Game Design Sketchbooks Christopher Totten – Kent State University Animation Game Design

2. Introduction and background 2022 – Paul Gestwicki , Jennifer Coy, and David Largent – “Forms and Uses of Undergraduate Game Design Logs” Qualitative study on having students track their design decisions in logs Findings reinforced theme of “good process is more likely to produce good result” Based on Daniel Cook – Game Design Logs Daniel Cook’s Game Design Log methodology Meaningful Play 2022 proceedings

3. Above: Students sketching on a study abroad trip to Rome (Credit – The Catholic University of America School of Architecture) Right: Pages from the final notebook of architect Louis Kahn

4. Introduction and background “This reads like research designed to encourage and promote fundamentals within art and design processes. It is not innovational or anything new, but it is a reminder that these traditional processes are still essential.” Sketchbooks – uses and methods Used in fine arts, architecture, graphic design Record observations Visualizing design ideas Visual prototyping Build foundational skills and artistic “eye” Build ability to understand visual, spatial, material relationships Record design precedents (previous works in a field that inspire new work) By architect Eric Jenkins

5. Why sketchbooks? Artists and designers use sketchbooks to record elements that transcend singular game studies methodologies Formal aspects “physical” aspects Structural aspects Cultural/human use aspects Sketches by level designer Tommy Norberg, the Quif Studio architecture blog, and architect Matthew Frederick

6. Classroom implementation 3 courses – lecture/lab format, each producing at least 1 game project AGD 23030 – Game Prototyping (n = 13) AGD 33030 – Games for Education (n = 32 across 2 sections) AGD 33095 – Special Topics: Level Design (n = 16) For Game Prototyping and Games for Education, students had to produce 1 page/week of sketchbook content, that could consist of: Design analysis diagrams recording existing works of design that the student is using for inspiration (i.e. existing video games or artworks) Design sketches for class project work, such as level designs, interface designs, storyboards, concept art, etc. Text notes and analysis Samples from my book given as examples Level design sketches from my sketchbook for the game Kudzu

7. Method First semester - Games for Education (n=32): Sketchbooks analyzed to determine: How students used books (what info recorded) Forms of entries (Drawing? Text? Blended?) Second semester - Game Prototyping (n=13): Uses and forms as before Whether students had previous experience with art (“established artists”) Third semester - Level design (n=16): First project in the class was more rigorous training in analytical sketching Results compared to books from previous semesters Design pattern sketches for Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends from my sketchbook

8. Findings: use analysis First semester - Games for Education (n=32): Identified 3 use types: In-class project planning Analyzing existing games or works not encountered in class (precedent analysis) Drawings (concepts or practice) Identified books with these types of content: Multimodal (used multiple use types - 66%) In-class planning only (16%) Analysis only (13%) Drawing only (5%) Student sketchbook

9. Findings: use analysis Second semester - Games Prototyping (n=13): Smaller group – more nuanced analysis 5 general use categories identified: In-class project planning Precedent analysis Concept art for ongoing projects Personal drawing practice (more exploratory) Class notes Use modalities in books Multimodal Only planning Only analysis Only concept art Only drawing practice Only notes Student sketchbook

10. Findings: use analysis Second semester - Games Prototyping (n=13): “Established artists” – shown to have previous experience with fine art principles 62% of the students (8 of 13) No generally preferred modality More likely to use multiple modalities 6 of the 8 used at least 3 modalities

11. Findings: Form analysis First semester - Games for Education (n=32): Identified 3 forms of entries: Primarily images (over 50% images) Primarily text (over 50% text) Blended images and text Primarily images: 38% Primarily text: 12% Blend of images and text: 50%

12. Findings: Form analysis Second semester - Games Prototyping (n=13): Among “established artists (8 of 13): 5 students (63%) made entries with blended forms 2 (25%) favored images 1 used primarily text Among non-artists (5 students) 2 favored text 3 favored images 0 blended

13. Findings: Form analysis Second semester - Games Prototyping (n=13): All students that used blended forms (5 students) also used at least 3 use types All non-artists only did in-class planning except 1 student who specifically set out to hone their drawing skill

14. Classroom implementation Level Design had the same general sketchbook, but also a specific level analysis project where they had to produce architectural plans, sections, axonometric, and 3 experiential diagrams of chosen levels Plan Section Axonometric From student sketchbook analysis of the first part of the Distillery District in Dishonored

15. Findings: Form analysis Third semester – Level Design (n=16): Specific sketchbook assignment 1 plan, 1 section, 1 axon, 3 diagrams of chosen level Analyzed: Whether student analyzed a 2D or 3D level Drawing type used as the basis of the 3 diagrams Students went above and beyond in drawing types! Plan (P) Section (S) Axon (Ax) Abstract (Ab) POV (point of view sketch) Student sketchbook analyses Of Jedi Survivor and Persona 5

16. Findings: Form analysis Third semester – Level Design (n=16): 14 students (88%) analyzed 3D levels Assumption was that students would favor plans in analysis based on previous semester drawings WRONG! Only 5 students used only plan drawings (and one of these was because they chose a flat level)

17. Conclusions and future work Initial anxiety about required sketching Worries about whether artistic skill would be judged Include a disclaimer that it is not! Overall constructive Correlations between established art skill and multimodal analysis and documenting formats Guidance in analytical drawing practices suggests development of multimodal methods that are valued by good designers Future studies Connections between sketching and design outcomes? Sketchbooks as communication aid among teams? Student attitudes? Student sketchbook analysis of Dark Souls 3

18. Thank you! E-mail: [email protected] BlueSky: @totter87.bsky.social Threads/Instagram: @ctotten87 Website: www.LittleNemoGame.com COMING SOON!