In this course you will explore concepts and approaches involved in creating successful character designs that can be applied to video games. Following a first week delving into some foundational concepts for successful character design, each of the remaining three weeks are structured as a master class where you will observe three professional character designers at work in the studio: Andy Ristaino (Adventure Time), Jacky Ke Jiang (Journey), and Robertryan Cory (SpongeBob SquarePants). Each designer will take on two different design challenges on the fly and address the various issues in designing characters for games, such as movement, expression, and technical limitations. At the end of each week you will have an opportunity to try out some of the concepts from that week's lesson on characters of your own design.
Character Design for Video Games
This course is part of Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization
Instructor: Fran Krause
52,971 already enrolled
Included with 
(992 reviews)
Details to know
Add to your LinkedIn profile
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
There are 4 modules in this course
In this first week of the course, we will explore some of the major concepts involved in creating compelling, unique, and purposeful characters. These ideas will provide the basis for your assignment this week and lay the groundwork for our visits with professional designers in the coming weeks.
What's included
5 videos6 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt
This week, we visit Andy Ristaino, a character designer who has created many of the ingenious characters for the animated series Adventure Time.
What's included
5 videos2 readings1 peer review
This week, we visit Jacky Ke Jiang, an animator who has worked as a character designer for both Disney Feature Animation and in video games. Jacky will discuss working in both 2D and 3D modes as he completes his challenges.
What's included
4 videos2 readings1 peer review
This week, we see Robertryan Cory in action. Cory is an a character designer known for his work on shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Ren & Stimpy, and Gravity Falls.
What's included
8 videos4 readings1 peer review
Instructor
Offered by
Explore more from Music and Art
California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Learner reviews
992 reviews
- 5 stars
76.41%
- 4 stars
16.93%
- 3 stars
3.93%
- 2 stars
1.41%
- 1 star
1.31%
Showing 3 of 992
Reviewed on Jun 19, 2017
This class was really fun and the assignments were engaging. I think it is a great way to get your mind centered around the idea of character design, not just for games but for anything.
Reviewed on Oct 9, 2022
In this wonderful course, I learned the basics of character design in the best way and understood how to better look at my surroundings to inspire my character designs.
Reviewed on Feb 21, 2016
It is powerful and enlightening for those who want to go into the field of design of video games, design of characters, and simply story telling.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
More questions
Financial aid available,