1. Scott Pilgrim Kissing Mug

Have you watched Scott Pilgrim? The modern day epitome of geek oozes out from every part of the movie. These Scott Pilgrim kissing mugs for "him" and "her" would be perfect to pour some of that geekiness into your everyday life.

2. Mans Candle

A candle for the man! Nutmeg & Ginger with a splash of Motor Oil. Lemongrass & Thyme with a dash of Lady Luck …. very creative and geeky fragrance combinations. I wonder what they smell like!

3. I Love My Geek Tees

Spunky looking tees for him and her. Go on! Proclaim your geekiness!

4. 8-Bit Flower Bouquet

Someone recently raised a question about how much those cut flowers in vases cost? The ones that sit on a coffee table during a television chat show or interview. It is a legitimate question. How cool would it be to give your love some gorgeous flowers that didn’t need watering and also told them that you value your money and the environment?

5. i-heart Necklace

So cute and crafty, centimeters on the outside, inches on the inside.

6. Heart Logo Necklace

Modern, cool, this necklace looks like a paper aeroplane. But it also has the geometric shape of a heart, with two halves of a perfectly matched whole. This would most definitely excite the logo designer or origami nerd in your life!

7. The Ladies Of Star Wars Playing Cards

This one actually made me crack up! But you’d win brownie points if you gave this to your Star Wars crazy boyfriend/husband this Valentine’s!

8. I Love You In Binary – 8×10 Geek Print

A fun, bold print that says "I Love You" in Binary. Nothing else says I Love You Better!

9. LeWhif Breathable Chocolate

All the headiness and kick of chocolate without actually eating it? Brilliant!

10. Cute Lego Brick Rings

These are absolutely adorable! And so many vibrant colors to choose from! PRomise your love in true retro geek style.

11. Nerd in ASCII Binary Code Messenger Bag

Very stylish bag for the geek in your life!

12. Pac-Man Candy

Pac-man and the ghosts, full of sweet yummy candy. This Valentine’s Day share some arcade sweetness and also end up with some rare pac-man collector’s tins.

13. USB Mix Tape

You can’t have a lovey-dovey relationship without a mixed tape! So what if cassette players are defunct. Go the USB way!

14. ion Audio iPTUSB Potable USB Turntable

Give your guy or girl this swanky limited edition red turntable and watch them swoon all over you!

15. Pantone Covers For iPhone And iPad

You MUST buy this! How amazing are these Pantone covers to dress up your favorite gadgets?

16. Camera Armor

Lightweight silicone camera skins by Camera Armor would endear you even more to your photography mad other half! These are gorgeous and would make a lovely gift.

17. Lovers Name A Star

Name a star after your loved one and one for yourself and be immortalized in the night skies for the next 10 billion years or more! Romantic, profound and absolutely mad!

18. Skullcandy Hesh Paul Frank Headphones – Black Julius

I have one of these and they are amazing! They are bold, loud, stunning and perfect to accessorize your ipod or laptop.

19. His & Hers Wii-Motes (In US Only)

Nintendo will be releasing special edition remotes for him and her this Valentine’s Day in the US. Get you game face on!

20. I Love You – By Threadless

This tee sums it all up very nicely!

As for me. I am going gift-free this year. So is Nick! We are opting instead for a special lunch and dinner together where we will no doubt remniscise about past Valentine’s days and the surprises we sprung on each other and the juvenile gifts we exchanged. On that note, wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day.

It is the day and age of online readers, electronic books, pdf compendiums and Kindles. At the book store, I might buy a book on an impulse, but 9 out of 10 times, I come back home, get onto the internet and hunt for a bargain on various online bookstores. Such is the lure of online bookstores and the surprise price-busting deals that attracts book lovers worldwide, that  more and more publishers choose to sell exclusively on online book stores.

One of the first things to consider when designing an online bookstore is that there are similar physical entities [actual bookstores] present around us. By providing an online medium to buy the product, we are not only obliged to make it easier for the buyer but we are also expected to provide a very interactive and unique experience which might not beat the feeling of actually holding a book in their hands, but would come pretty close to it. Don’t you just hate it when you are browsing a bookstore online and you click on a book you like and it doesn’t give you any information besides the title and an author?

 

The Structure And Flow Of An Online Bookstore

Design Elements – Visual, Functional, Interactive And Updates

Visual – Creativity can be unleashed and ideas can be set free here. If a store is small and boutique, getting creative with the layout and navigation to stand out would be a great idea. If the store is huge and has scores of products, a minimal design, visually speaking is the best choice. When I say visually minimal design, I don’t mean a stunning artsy design floating amidst white space. I refer to a clean and structured design with repetitive use of similar design elements that create an illusion of minimalism without making the design appear cluttered.

Functional – As easy as picking a book off the shelf and sliding it back in, an online bookstore’s functionality is what will make or break it. The real world "Stacks" can be beautifully translated to the online "Grids". A grid-based design for display and browsing is perfect for the intricacies of an online book store because it maximizes space and creates the illusion of books lined up next to each other, the way we are used to it.

Interactive – Search is the lifeblood on a system like this. The more interactive it is, the better. Ask yourself what you or someone browsing for books in a store looks for. Name [alphabetically arranged], information about editions, types of copies available [large format, hardbound, softcover, Digital versions], whether it is part of a bigger pack etc.

When you are in a bookstore, you can feel the raised detailing on the cover, you can read the inset summary, you can flip it open [and you can smell the pages, which unfortunately just cannot be captured in an online bookstore] and bombard your senses with images, words and textures. How would you maximize that and capture that experience on a website would determine how much of a pleasurable buying experience your online store provides.

Make allowance for structured information display along with the product images. If you plan to have a member section, enhance interactivity by providing means for members to add information that you might not have. Envision lists, wishlists, favorites, bookmarks, ratings, detailed reviews, 10-word reviews, tagging, discussion boards, "ask the author" interfaces, book clubs, reading marathons, literary events and anything else you can think of that will enhance the interactivity and user experience.

Non-Design Elements – Supply/Stock/Movement

As designers, we have to be aware of how our design and the system we create would work to provide a smooth flow between the suppliers and the customers, with the store itself as a go between. So although we don’t have to worry about whether a book is in stock or not, we do have to make allowances for situations like that arising in a transaction from both perspectives [Store Administrators and Customers]. Factor in  notifications and flags with appropriate icons. Allow lists, wishlists and effective forms to input that information as well as display them efficiently.

I have never designed an online book store and thought that it would be a fantastic idea to deconstruct the design of a popular online book store and try to understand what goes into the design and development of one. I have dug into the aesthetics and workings of one such store from the designer as well as the end user’s perspective.

For our case study, I have chosen the Amazon.com book store.

A little bit about the history of the Amazon Online Book Store

Amazon.com was started by a man named Jeff Bezos in 1994 in his basement garage in Bellevue, Washington. Over the years with several of the initial fundings coming from people who believed in what Jeff was doing, Amazon has grown from the original online bookstore to America’s largest online retail giant.
 

What makes it Unique?

The sheer age of it means that when people first started buying books, it was there so it managed to capture a very wide consumer market based simply on its availability and the fact that it was one of the first of its kind.

Despite being part of a bigger network of products, it has a very comprehensive catalog catering to every kind of bookworm possible with books available in multiple formats and a massive community of book lovers who take advantage of the rating and reviewing system to provide an honest and valuable "buying advice" like no other.

Why It Works?

In a way Amazon is not just run by the guys at Amazon, it is heavily influenced by the customers who buy things off their online shelves. One of the very few online stores to provide  the "Look Inside" service where you can actually peek at a couple of pages before buying the book makes the book buying experience very close to the actual one. Ease of ordering, back-ordering, pre-ordering, returns and a wide variety of payment options including gift vouchers and a million other redemption facilities, make Amazon the best in its field.

What It Lacks?

As a customer, although I love the amazing selection on offer and ease of use, I feel it lacks color and jazz. As a designer I can understand their need for maximizing white space and drawing attention to the text on a white background. I also understand their need to keep their operation fast-loading and size optimized with crisp and minimal graphic elements, but with images going bigger on websites with faster connections, I really feel they need to inject a bit of color on their otherwise bland pages. Their "Book" home is every bit as bland as the internal pages with no clear demarcation of "Special Offers" or "New Releases". Because of the sheer amount of books they have tried to cram onto the home page, a subtly visual color coding separation of some kind would have been great.

Right from childhood, our brains are trained to seek out books on overcrowded library shelves and bookstores with books stacked from the floor to the ceiling in a never ending maze of aisles. Any other kind of product browsing online would call for wide open spaces, but book browsing needs a semblance of those tightly packed shelves, at least some of it. Amazon could do with more books displayed on a single page, rather than the sparse designer-wear showroom effect they seem to have in place.

 

DECONSTRUCTING

NAVIGATION

Amazon has a very basic top navigation. It is clean and functional but a bit lost amongst bigger text on the pages. The second-tier navigation on the left is very in depth and serves its purpose. When you click on one of these links and enter the third-tier, things start getting confusing. The second-tier navigation on the left completely disappears and is replaced by the third set of sub-navigation and you don’t realize anything has changed because it follows the same colors, sizes and linkage as the earlier two.

When you eventually click on an item of interest, you land on a very comprehensive item page. This page has no breadcrumbs at the top to follow the trail back to the 2-3 levels of links you have clicked, should you decide that the product you clicked on was not the right one. The breadcrumbs are right at the bottom, cleverly hidden or it may seem after all the product information, reviews and sponsored links.

LISTS AND PAGES

The List Pages of Amazon are again basic which for big online catalogs is a good thing. My grouch with their list display is the space being wasted on each listing as it is a horizontal one  and not a grid-style listing. A grid-style listing would probably enable them to list the same number of books with less vertical scroll or more number of books with the same vertical scroll as the present one. It would also enable them to increase their thumbnail images in size, making the entire design more appealing and colorful without introducing a new color or graphic element. It would also balance the layout with thumbnails now appearing on left and right instead of being banded in a vertical line on the left.

The individual "product" page or book listing is Amazon’s saving grace. It is one of the best ones I have seen on an online bookstore. Starting off with a couple of product images on top, information regarding pricing, discounts, stock availability and shipping, you are for certain products offered an option to actually browse some pages. With easy buying options hovering on your right, you are shown similar products and a plethora of tags and keywords relevant to the current book you are browsing.

 

Summary

PROS

1. It has virtually everything you would ever need to browse a book store online.
2. It is fast and efficient.
3. It has a good ordering and transaction processing system in place.
4. It utilizes interactive pdf readers to give you a limited glimpse at certain books.
5. It is an intelligent system and remembers your browsing history, makes the right product suggestions based on your searches and offers on the spot deals by pulling up two or more related products of interest to you.
6. It offers a wide variety of choices from buying "used" or "new" to saving you bucks by offering different kinds of shipping.
7. Icons and buttons to "buy" and show "discounts" are used effectively throughout the site.
8. Original price strike-throughs with new, discounted prices in bright and bold colors do their job.
9. The community section of the website with "book discussion threads", "ratings and reviews" and "book lists" are well integrated with the actual content, allowing intelligent and informed browsing.

CONS

1. The Home page doesn’t show you a list of "Current Topsellers" or "Newly Released Books" or "Pre-Order these Anticipated Books" straightaway or clearly, like you would see the moment you enter an actual book store.
2. "Recommended Reads" and "Special Deals" are not highlighted enough on any of the pages.
3. Typography is not used effectively. All fonts virtually appear to be of the same weight.
4. Too much information clutters the internal pages. Heavy content could have been broken up with effective use of more modern icons.
5. On bigger screens, the left half of the page bears the burden of the most content whereas the right half of the page is quite bare, leading to a visual imbalance.
6. Halfway down each page, every box seems like the footer and there are too many of those boxes.
7. The product sliders are not very prominent and can be easily missed.

In Parting

Visualizing, designing and building an online bookstore is a massive task and an evolutionary one as well. What we have looked at today in this article barely skims the surface of a project that big. But a voluntary exercise like this, where you deconstruct an existing website, allows you to think and learn about how you would begin to start designing one, what obstacles you would face, the design limitations that would arise due to size, speed and demographics of the  website and how you would go about tackling issues like that. I like to flex my thought process by assigning a random design and development exercise occasionally. You might not become an expert at it, but it is amazing how many new things you will learn. I hope you have enjoyed this little walk-about through the aisles of Amazon’s online bookstore.

Last year when I did What Designers Really Want For Christmas in 2009?, a lot of nice folks from the design community pitched in with their wishlists. This year, everyone seemed to be busier. Hence I have fewer people sharing their wishlists and rare stuff that has caught their fancy. I find that picking another designer’s brain on what he or she thinks might make a fabulous gift for Christmas is a nice way to discover fancier gadgets, classic display pieces fro your studio or that amazing present that will forever mark you as the person who bought that quirky gift to an office party. I wanted a Nano this year and I know for a fact that I am getting a cute little blue iPod Nano that will be perfect for my solo train journeys, my jog around the park, my endless dishwashing escapades and my torture sessions at the gym. Read on to see what some awesome designers out there are craving this Christmas!

David Airey | @davidairey

I’ve been eying-up this two metre wide canvas showing a map of the world. Might get it for my office wall. These light bulbs are also on my office hit-list.

Jacob Cass – Just Creative Design | @jacobcass

I actually just got this new shirt (hasn’t arrived just yet) but I found it cool.

Nick La – Web Designer Wall | @nickla

I would say iPhone or iPad.

Chris Spooner – Spoon Graphics | @chrisspooner

In last year’s ‘What designers really want for Christmas’ list I wrote about wanting to apply for a motorcycle license – I still haven’t got round to do so but it’s still near the top of my list. This year I’d love for Santa to treat me to a gift that would last the whole year, and that’s tickets to a bunch of design conferences. There’s some big events around the world, it would be awesome to make the trips and meet lots of fab people.

Louis Gubitosi – iBlend | @iblend

I’m looking forward to getting Apple TV.

Jeff Finley | @jeff_finley

Of course I want the latest iPod or Macbook or whatever, but here are some more unqiue things:

• At least a 10×10 sheet of linoleum to practicing bboying in my basement
• A surround sound system for my bedroom so I can listen to relaxing nature sounds at bedtime in the most realistic way possible
• I’ve been wanting but never purchased the Mike Leigh box set of films – there are 3 volumes. And the 7up Series box set.
• A wireless shower speaker with iPod dock
• This book Portable Grindhouse – the lost art of the VHS Box
• This Roc N Soc Drum Throne
• A pass to SXSW this year

Duane Kinsey – Logobird | @logobird

I would really like to get into photography more so a Canon EOS 550D DSLR is high on my wishlist. Apart from that a new 17" MacBook Pro will do just fine. I am planning to relocate to London next year and do quite a bit of overseas travel, so I need to upgrade my mobile hardware. And yes, I know I am being greedy!

Jeff Fisher – Logomotives | @logomotives

The Lego Architecture Landmark Series – especially the Space Needle and a book, The Poster Art of David Lance Goines: A 40-Year Retrospective.

Martin LeBlanc – Iconfinder | @iconfinder

On top of my list are these geeky pillows. Also the new book by Kevin Kelly, ‘What technology wants‘. It’s kind of like the movie ‘What women want’ but for technology.

What Do You Want For Christmas?

I hope you enjoyed this little wishlist. Why don’t you tell us what you want for Christmas this year and what are you buying for the designer/geek in  your life?

You might also find these lists very interesting if you are still looking for presents.

• 30 Designer Christmas Gifts To Give The Geek In 2010
• 30 Fun And Affordable Delicious Gifts For The Foodie In 2010

I started Christmas shopping very early in 2010. I have been browsing shops, online stores and catalogs since August. I have bookmarked, scheduled and bought a wide variety of quirky and awesome products for some very lucky people. I also own quite a few things that are on the list I have compiled, so you know that they come highly recommended. I have deliberately left out design books, applications and high end gadgets like the iPad and Mac Airbook because everyone already knows about them and honestly it would blow your budget if you are buying them for a friend or colleague. I have rounded up 30 amazing designer christmas gifts to give the geek in your life, gifts that are budget friendly and very unique. I hope this list helps your own wishlist and also gives you ideas to buy for friends and family. After all, we all have a little bit of geek in us!

1. App Magnets

These quirky little heavy duty magnets are oh so perfect for your whiteboard. Colorful and shaped like the little App buttons on your iPhone, these 18 magnets are as useful as they are fun.These would be perfect for those Secret Santa gifts. I ordered mine last week!

Buy Here

2. Floppy Disk Sticky Notes

Geeks have a thing about retro and floppy disks are to the information age  what cassette tapes are to music. The geek in your life will love these sweet, whimsical sticky floppy disk sticky notes.

Buy Here

3. Pocket Jams Cassette Tape

Speaking of cassette tapes, these stylish little zipper puches for iPhones, money and other knickknacks, make a great gift.

Buy Here

4. Photoshop Magnet Kit

13 magnets for lovers of the image editing software, these photoshop magnets would look so cool on the fridge or whiteboard.

Buy Here

5. Giant Lego Storage Boxes

Lego is a lifelong fanaticism for most of us. I believe its shape and form make it one of the most timeless and classic creation in the history of mankind. Now you can have it sitting in your house almost like a giant work of art.

Buy Here

6. Oye Modern Origami Jewellery

This is absolutely beautiful. Origami jewellery? Who would’ve thought! They have an amazing collection. Perfect for the wife or girlfriend this Christmas.

Buy Here

7. Bin Bin

John Brauer designed this gorgeous waste basket in 2005. It looks like it is made of crumpled paper but is in fact very sturdy plastic. Swedish designers have a very artsy and futuristic take on things and this particular design calls out to the designer in me.

Buy Here

8. Book Rest Lamp

What a brilliant idea! You read by the soft frosted light and then switch it off and create an instant "house" for your book. A piece of art, lamp and bookmark all rolled in one!

Buy Here

9. AC Adapter World Of Alice

Wish all cables were works of art like this one! Then we wouldn’t try so hard to hide them.

Buy Here

10. Vintage Typewriter Set of 10 Thank You Cards

I have recently taken up writing thank you cards and notes instead of a phone call or email. There is a lot of joy and old worldly charm in letting someone know that you took that extra effort to think of them and thank them for whatever they might’ve done for you. Although not a "gift" item, this one would be for you to thank people for the wonderful gifts they will gift you this Christmas.

Buy Here

11. 365 Days Notebook

Know someone who would like to indulge in a little 365 Project? This nifty notebook with boldly numbered pages from 1 to 365 would make a perfect gift. I’ve got one and can’t wait to start my 2nd year of Project 365.

Buy Here

12. Pac-man Moleskine

Limited edition Pac-man Moleskines to celebrate Moleskine’s 30th anniversary. Satisfy the geek in your designer and get sketchy.

Buy Here

13. Enough Social Interaction Doormat

I saw this doormat and wondered if Calvin Lee (@mayhemstudios) had it outside his door. Maybe he does, how else would he be so omnipresent on Twitter? He is also the kind of guy who would appreciate the blatant humor in this doormat, a nice guy and a rockstar. If you know anyone like Calvin, well you know what to get them!

Buy Here

14. Rubik’s Cube Alarm Clock

Back in the day, I was really really addicted to the Rubik’s cube. Wasn’t great at it, but definitely addicted. I find this alarm clock a very quirky gift idea and an excellent conversation starter if you leave it lying on the coffee table.

Buy Here

15. Sewing Kit Wall Sticker

Create quirky wall art in an instant by arranging this sewing seam stickers along windows, doors or everyday objects at your home or office.

Buy Here

16. MT Japanese Masking Tape

I have two rolls of this very clever product. It is a masking tape that comes in solid colors as well as patterns. Use it as a regular adhesive tape or as a masking tape because it comes off easily and doesn’t leave a mark. Write on it, doodle on it, use it as a memo.  Very versatile!

Buy Here

17. Scrabble Tile Cushions

I have an old and very comfy couch next to my desk. At any given time there are 3 or 4 cushions taking up all the available space on the two seater. I like to change the cushion covers and these awesome eco recycled felt covers that look like scrabble tiles might be next on my list of things to buy. I am a huge, huge scrabble fan!

Buy Here

18. F1 & F2 Lamp Shade

Very stylish and modern, these lamp shades bring the right amount of nerdiness into a living area.

Buy Here

19. Geekology Tee from Threadless

Cliches, but often true; this is the essence of a geek! And the geek will appreciate the humor.

Buy Here

20. "Google Before You Tweet is the new Think Before You Speak" Print

A beautiful letterpress A4 print by Joe Newton, very chic, very vintage and yet touches a modern chord.

Buy Here

21. Mini Robo Vacuum

No more excuses for an untidy desk. Fun gift idea!

Buy Here

22. Mad Men : The Illustrated World

You will love this if you are a fan of the show. If you are not, it has some amazing retro illustration inspiration that will have you reaching for your sketchbooks.
 

Buy Here
 

23. Fold & Play Recycled Speakers

These cardboard speakers fold down and fold up into a cube speaker, perfect for the iPhone.
 

Buy Here
 

24. 8-Bit Oven Mitt

Mario is baking in my kitchen! My cookies are in good hands!
 

Buy Here

25. Jessica Hische Poster

2 color letterpress print of the first alphabet of Jessica’s Daily Drop Cap Series. Beautiful work!

Buy Here

26. Oversized Zinc Letters

A must have! Pick one or several for that wow factor!
 

Buy Here
 

27. Cover Story Postcards

100 amazing titles from Penguin’s collection of paperbacks becomes a collector’s dream.
 

Buy Here

28. Space Invaders Cutting Board

A space invader fanatic who loves to cook can’t be very hard to find! This makes a beautiful gift for the seriously nerdy foodie in your life.

Buy Here
 

29. Remote Control Solar System Mobile

This would be so cool to have and such a great gift to give. Almost magical, this gorgeous mobile could double up as a night lamp and become a feature in your study, studio or office.

Buy Here

30. Panton Replica Chair

In 1967 Vernon Panton designed the first ever chair to be molded out of a single piece of plastic. It became quite the sensation with its futuristic wave design. It is a gorgeous work of art and so comfortable, you will not believe it. I am a  big fan and own two white Panton replicas which are a permanent fixture in my office. Own this beautiful piece of furniture or gift it. It looks so perfectly delicious, it won’t even need a red bow.

Buy Here

Earlier this year, I started a self project. I called it Project 365 Vector Characters. Even as a child, I was always doodling wacky creatures and animals in my sketch pad. I would give them names and assign funny attributes to them. After discovering the joy that is Illustrator a couple of years ago, it was but a natural rite of passage to crossover my whimsy character development addiction  to vectors.

When I started the one-vector-character-a-day exercise, I never realised that it would become a journey in learning new techniques of character creation and presentation. Before long I was experimenting with colours, textures, shapes, shadows and perspectives. I have only ever had a tattered copy of Drawing On The Funny Side Of The Brain and the rest has been gut feeling and trial and error. I don’t think I have a particular style like a lot of the illustrators do. I am more of an amateur. The things I have learnt as the days go by in my self-project are things I haven’t read online or in any book or magazine, so I thought I’d share.

Conceptualization – Asking Six Important Questions

1. What is it? – Entity

Before I start designing my daily character, I sit down for a couple of minutes with or without my sketch pad. I ask myself, "What is it going to be?". The answer to that question yo-yos wildly from day to day depending on my mood or the current happenings of my life. The burst of idea that reverberates inside my head after I ask myself that question, is usually the one I go with. My brain could say "Fruit Ninja!" or "Sock Monster!" or "Floating Cloud Cows!" or "Tooth Ghoul That Lives In A Pea Pod!" and I would obey.

Deciding what your character is going to be from a wide spectrum of craziness in this world or outside of it is the first solid step towards building a great character. You may then either sketch it out to save you time later or start the process on your computer right away if you have already visualised the character in your mind’s eye.

2. Where is it from? – Origin

After establishing the character’s species or kind, the next step is to ask yourself about its origins. Where is it from? Where does it live? Is it from outer space, a strange alien planet? Does it live in your pantry and come out at night when you sleep? Is it part of a world within yours that you don’t know exists? The answers to these questions will help you start thinking about the appearance of the character in much more detail. A creature’s geographical location is vital in creating appropriate body shape and facial features or lack of them.

3. What is its story? – Story

Everyone has a story. No matter how big or little. It defines who we are and adds to our character. In a similar fashion, creating a background story for your character will help you flesh out it’s quirks and nuances that can only develop from having a past, an existence. The character’s story helps develop its personality and in quick succession, it’s mood. If your character is a sombre clown’s abandoned hat that got squashed by the elephant, you know not to give it a smiley face. If your character is an innocent looking ragamuffin doll that lives in a Parisian chocolate shop and munches the cookies that come alive at night, you know you have to create a creepy horror with the face of an angel.

Once your core story is in place, it is very easy to build that up using multiple characters living within that storyline. It ends up making each character even more interesting and brings to light the possibility of adding new features to your original character.

4. What are its strengths and flaws? – Quirks

Superman could fly. Bugs bunny could annoy you to death. Tarzan could swing. Homer could guzzle beer. John Wayne had a swagger. The monkey George was curious. Remy rat could cook. Santa Claus is jolly. Ellen Degeneres is funny. Every super hero or character always has a strong point and a weakness. Giving your character a strength, an ability; will help you set the scene for the next question to ask, "What is its prop?"

5. What is its prop? – Props

Based on the character’s personality,it’s story, strengths and flaws; you will be able to easily decide a prop for it. The prop defines the character and becomes one with it. You will rarely ever be able to see or picture Harry Potter without his wand, or Frodo without his ring. The coyote from Roadrunner will always have his Acme gadgets and The Cat In The Hat will never be without his red and white striped headgear.

6. Technicalities – Styles

I usually decide at the very last moment whether my character is going to have outlines or just solid shapes. Deciding things like whether to apply textures, patterns, shadows, depth and specific colours will add to the mood and overall look and feel of your character. Exaggerations are a great way of making your character stick out. Everybody loves a whimsy looking character with an unusually looking big head now, don’t they? Some characters are purely made out of shapes. Some are given depth with the use of textures and shadows. The style you choose is a personal preference. It is the very last decisive factor in the conceptualizing of your character and very often, one that will either make or break a character. Depending on the origin, quirks and storyline, use a style that compliments those factors and your character will flourish.

Summary

There are 6 basic and very essential questions at the root of any character design concept. You can start off from there and make it as simple or as complicated as you wish.

• Entity
• Origin
• Story
• Quirks
• Props
• Styles

Before I go

Have you created a character before? Do you do it on a regular basis? What are some of the steps you follow? Are there more questions besides the ones listed, that you ask yourself? Do you always sketch your character? Please share your advice and experiences with us in the comment section below. Thanks for stopping by and if you have enjoyed this article, please feel free to share the word.