Character design in particular is the most experimental stage of visual storytelling artists are able to work and typical encourages to use mix media to create an outcome that best fits the narrative. An artist in this field has to be confident with traditional media and digital (including photoshop , blender and even basic animation programs if the character will be animated ultimately.) The materials an artist can use to develop ideas is up to the artist but a director might want the final outcome to be completed using a specific material, if a design is going to be 3D the designer will have to consider how their character is viewed from all angles, if a design is to be animated the artist must consider how they will move and express and give the storyboarders references to work from. It is important illustrators working in this area have to have an understanding of colour theory and shape language as both of these will impact how their designs impact the audience and will affect the successfulness of the design as a whole.

A big part of being a good character designer is drawing inspiration from the real world into their outcomes, this as a process is able to add a sense of familiarity within the final characters which if done correctly and with thorough research and thought will make a character that the audience can either relate too or relate to elements of their lives and the world around them, this is a vital role of pre production on the whole is walking the line with creating familiarity and something unique and surprising.

being a character designer means telling a story through your designs it is their role to imbue the character with visual personality and test every available idea to find what is the best for the job, a character designers role is effectively to create an design that not only is an actor playing the role but in fact is living in the world they are making for. Some designers may be given references to look into to inform their creation others will be encouraged to do their own research and find their own inspiration.