Phase 2: Sketches

These sketches were iteratively drawn by participant-collaborators during design activities that encouraged them to try to address, or re-imagine issues they saw in video game character creation and representation. Participants were instructed not limit their designs by technical or programming constraints. Instead, they were encouraged to simply explore and imagine how they might prioritize what they feel is lacking in these systems, or how they thought these interfaces could better serve and represent minoritized communities.

These diagrams illustrate a voice input option to better represent players in two ways: accounting for various pronoun combinations and sampling the player’s own voice in the game. With this design, players can select specific sets of pronouns or pro

These diagrams illustrate a voice input option to better represent players in two ways: accounting for various pronoun combinations and sampling the player’s own voice in the game. With this design, players can select specific sets of pronouns or provide others that they feel suit them best, and, by using the knobs in the middle paper, change the pronouns’ usage frequency.

The participants also focused on sonic aspects of gameplay by sketching prompts for the players to provide a sample of themselves speaking or selecting default masculine, feminine, or gender-neutral voices to further immerse the player’s identity in

The participants also focused on sonic aspects of gameplay by sketching prompts for the players to provide a sample of themselves speaking or selecting default masculine, feminine, or gender-neutral voices to further immerse the player’s identity in gameplay.

This design focuses on changing specific features of an avatar including eye color, skin color, pronouns, hair growth, and clothing options. This design also includes an overview of the avatar design against a night or day background to give the play

This design focuses on changing specific features of an avatar including eye color, skin color, pronouns, hair growth, and clothing options. This design also includes an overview of the avatar design against a night or day background to give the player an accurate visual representation of their avatar.

This sketch hones in on the avatar overview, skin color, and facial feature adjustment features. Here, the overview shows the avatar against a slider between a light or dark background. The skin color section features a color wheel with a slider betw

This sketch hones in on the avatar overview, skin color, and facial feature adjustment features. Here, the overview shows the avatar against a slider between a light or dark background. The skin color section features a color wheel with a slider between cool and warm-toned colors and a view of the color on a larger screen. The facial feature section depicts a catalouge feature to choose which features the player would like to add to the face and give the player liberty to adjust the features right on the avatar using the mouse.

Here, the participants sketched out another example of their vision for the skin color change alongside options for clothing options and draw-on scars to the avatar’s face and body.

Here, the participants sketched out another example of their vision for the skin color change alongside options for clothing options and draw-on scars to the avatar’s face and body.

The sketch on the left depicts a menu of bodily adjustments for the player’s avatar, ranging from typical selections like clothing choices to options like prosthetic additions and sex-oriented body adjustments not seen as frequently in games. The ske

The sketch on the left depicts a menu of bodily adjustments for the player’s avatar, ranging from typical selections like clothing choices to options like prosthetic additions and sex-oriented body adjustments not seen as frequently in games. The sketch on the right depicts clothing options and physical features. Here, the physical features can be adjusted to be more or less defined (or, in the case of hair, curly) by using a slider to make such adjustments. This group of participants also specifically rejected implementing tags and filters to prevent stereotyping among the options (e.g. assigning skirts to a “female” clothing filter).

In the left sketch, the participants exemplify how to implement underrepresented communities in games without offending communities by involving them in the development process. Here, the participants are not only suggesting using voice actors from p

In the left sketch, the participants exemplify how to implement underrepresented communities in games without offending communities by involving them in the development process. Here, the participants are not only suggesting using voice actors from prominent figures in the community like Jackie Chan, but also suggest a review from community members and actors themselves. The right sketch illustrates educating and researching within a development team and running ideas through a program that detects biases within the ideas that the team imagines.

This group of participants focused on a variety of customizable characteristics found in character design. At the top of this page, the participants imagined that the players could choose their character’s walk from a predetermined catalogue of gaits

This group of participants focused on a variety of customizable characteristics found in character design. At the top of this page, the participants imagined that the players could choose their character’s walk from a predetermined catalogue of gaits. The row below also allows the user to select from an array of preselected, ungendered outfits. Below that, this group also depicted different voice selections from either default selections or a drag-and-drop grid selection to create a specific voice.

These sketches go more in-depth with the different ways developers could implement voice in games, by using sliders that change the different aspects of a voice (speed, pitch, etc.). These participants also suggested a recording feature using AI, mea

These sketches go more in-depth with the different ways developers could implement voice in games, by using sliders that change the different aspects of a voice (speed, pitch, etc.). These participants also suggested a recording feature using AI, meaning that the game can replicate the player's voice in the game by sampling from the user themselves.

This group focused on the various different hairstyles and hair accessories using a catalogue feature. Within the top half of the sketch, we can see that these players specifically used different textures to depict hairstyles—highlighting kinkier cur

This group focused on the various different hairstyles and hair accessories using a catalogue feature. Within the top half of the sketch, we can see that these players specifically used different textures to depict hairstyles—highlighting kinkier curls, braids, sideburns, various bangs/hairlines, and more. The bottom half of the sketch also depicts various accessories to help the players feel more immersed and have fun with their designs!