Y9 DM.A 2. Define

2. Define, Explore & Plan

Decide who your character is for, what it's for, and how you'll know it works.

Part A: Explore character conventions

Watch the Character Conventions slideshow. Conventions are the tricks designers use so an audience can "read" a character instantly.

• Shape language: circles feel friendly, squares feel strong and reliable, triangles feel energetic or sneaky.

• Silhouette: a good character is recognisable even as a solid black shape.

• Expression: eyes and eyebrows do most of the emotional work.

• Pose: how a character stands tells you how it feels.

• Colour and contrast: a small palette that stands out from the background.

• Simplicity: fewer details means it still works when it's tiny.

Analyse 2 characters you know

Pick two characters from games, film, apps or brands. For each one, answer:

1. What main shape is it built from? What does that shape say about it?

2. Would you recognise its silhouette?

3. What is its distinctive feature?

4. How many main colours does it use?

5. Who is it for, and how can you tell?

Part B: Define your brief

Complete these sentences on slide 2:

• My audience is … (age, interests)

• The purpose of my character is … (mascot, game character, sticker for a club, app helper)

• It will be used as … (sticker, app icon, comic, GIF, keyring)

Part C: Write your requirements

A requirement is something you can test. "It looks cool" can't be tested. "It's recognisable at 2 cm" can.

Write 3–4 requirements. You can adapt these:

• Recognisable when shown at ___ cm / ___ px

• Uses ___ colours or fewer, plus an outline

• ___ out of 4 people from my audience can guess its personality

• Built from editable vector shapes, named and grouped

• Suitable for my audience (nothing scary, rude or copied)