Design Documentation Samples
A selection ranging from high-level creative docs to production-focused docs ◦ 2020 - Present
Overview
This page includes a series of example design documents to demonstrate how I provide information to teams. All of these documents reflect how I approach design documentation across the studios I've worked in, and each includes a description of the customer and intent.
Combat Design
Enemy Faction Pitch - The Shinobi
Intent: High-level design pitch describing an enemy faction for the Ghost of Tsushima franchise.
Customers: Gameplay leads and directors.
This is a pitch, meaning it does not go into deep detail regarding gameplay systems or content. It begins the discussion of mechanics and enemy designs, which would require significant iteration when taken to the next stage of a fully detailed design document.
Melee Combat Shotlist - Humanoid and Creature
Intent: Shotlist for NPC melee combat actions that includes descriptions and high-level metrics.
Customers: Lead combat designer, lead gameplay animator, and mocap collaborators.
This is an example demonstrating how I format combat-oriented animation lists for enemy design. These examples break down actions into bullet-pointed sequences with high-level metrics defining how multi-hit combos would flow for a single-sword humanoid enemy or a generic creature enemy. I've provided lists similar to the former for collaboration with the stunt artists at Super Alloy, and I've provided lists similar to the latter for keyframe animators at Virtuos.
I have applied this type of thorough formatting to many contexts (such as complex environmental animations, stealth behavior animations, and more). Regardless of context, I always break down the key information needed for stakeholders to review and understand both the design intent and critical nuances of the motion, even if I'm not involved directly in the mocap shoot.
Combat System - AI Aggressor Manager
Intent: Tech design spec outlining the premise of an aggression management system.
Customers: Combat designers and gameplay engineers.
This document describes the high-level systems requirements for an aggressor management system. It uses the example of an Action RPG, but this system ultimately applies to any type of action game with AI combat systems. However, note that many details of how to apply it properly relate to how a given game is meant to play, how the game's AI controllers work, and other deeper nuances of behavior management.
Level and Mission Design
Level Design Doc - Wolfenstein: The New Order
Intent: Comprehensive outline with top-down maps and gameplay flow for a speculative mission.
Customers: Level design leads and stakeholders.
This is more comprehensive than any level or mission design spec I've seen professionally, but I wrote it earlier in my career based on a format taught by the level design faculty at The Guildhall @ SMU. I think it still provides strong insights into how detail-oriented I can be, as well as my general mission design sensibilities.
Quest Design Doc - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Intent: Narrative-oriented quest design document with dialog samples.
Customers: Quest design leads and stakeholders.
This is an example of a quest for an RPG, more focused on narrative structure than gameplay structure (i.e., no top-down maps). It includes dialog samples with branching dialog trees formatted particularly for the title in question.