Design Principles

During the research project that led to this site, we developed a series of thematic principles with participant-collaborators. These principles are based on a combination of empirical analysis and the perspectives of participant-collaborators. We hope designers responsible for creating character configuration interfaces may hang these principles up next to more familiar or general design principles that may guide their everyday efforts.

  • Content and Usability is a meta principle describing how the options available in character configuration interfaces and how they they are presented matters generally, critically, and practically. Key performative facets of characters in games must generally be represented in character creation, but how the UI highlights or obscures, or organizes potential details influences the sorts of characters that are likely to be enacted in gameworlds.

  • Consider how choices allow players to present or express themselves, or develop a character, rather than identify which possible demographic category they may occupy. How may players configure the narrative or contextual facets of a character, beyond visible characteristics?

  • Resist urges to require characters be designated with rigid categorical identifiers, often demographics and often gendered. Consider how interfaces may permit or encourage players to enact more nuanced or complex characters that exist beyond rigid structures

  • Reflect on any restrictions that may be placed on body type or shape. Similar to the previous principle, consider how an interface may permit or encourage players to enact embodied expressions that—whether for reasons related to gender, physical ability, or other reasons—go beyond rigidly structured expectations.

  • Presets can be useful jumping off points for players for a wide variety of reasons. However, reconsider how they present a suggested character or default that may reinforce certain exclusionary trends in representation and media. Consider how you may—through visual content or interface design—counter those expectations.