Craft
Character design that anchors your IP across every channel
May 3, 2026 · 5 min read · Starlights Visuals
From silhouette readability to merch ready turnarounds the checklist we use before a hero goes into production.
A strong character is readable at a glance in an app icon, on a billboard, and on a hoodie. Before we animate or rig anything, we pressure test silhouette, expression range, and costume storytelling so the design survives every downstream format.
Silhouette and expression
We thumbnail dozens of shapes before color. If you cannot identify the character in pure black fill at 48 pixels, the design is not ready for production.
Expression sheets come early. Campaign characters need to sell joy, frustration, and triumph without dialogue. We define brow, eye, and mouth combinations that animators can reuse across scenes.
Merch and turnarounds
Turnarounds are not paperwork they are insurance. Front, three quarter, side, and back views with material callouts prevent expensive surprises when the character moves to 3D, embroidery, or vinyl figures.
We document palette, fabric logic, and accessory hierarchy so brand teams can brief vendors without re explaining the design language every time.