Concept Design: World Building

A character is only as real as the world they stand in.

About This Course

Design entire worlds from scratch. Learn the principles of world-building for games, films, and stories. Develop environments, cultures, and visual languages that feel cohesive and believable. This course teaches you to think like a concept artist, creating rich, immersive worlds that tell stories through design.

What You'll Create

  • A complete world design document with maps and cultures.
  • A body of environment concept art, five to seven pieces.
  • Character designs that fit your world.
  • A visual style guide for your created world.

Course Details

Age Range
15-18
Term
Term 1
Schedule
Thursdays, 5:00pm
Duration
10 weeks
Price
$480
Spots Available
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What You'll Learn

  • You'll invent a place before you invent a character.
  • You'll build rules for how your world works, and stick to them.
  • You'll use environment to tell a story without a single word of text.
  • You'll learn how mood and colour make a place feel real.
  • You'll present a world you built, and defend the choices behind it.

The Support You'll Get

You won't be handed the answer. You'll be shown how to find it.

Your practitioner has spent years making their own work, and their own mistakes. In the studio they work alongside you: asking the right questions, pointing out options you hadn't seen, helping you push through the moment you get stuck. The ideas stay yours. The decisions stay yours. They're there so you're never finding the way through alone.

Week by Week

Week 1: Introduction to world-building principles and research

Week 2: Developing your world's core concept and rules

Week 3: Geography and environment design

Week 4: Culture and society development

Week 5: Architecture and settlement design

Week 6: Character design within your world

Week 7: Visual language and style guide creation

Week 8: Detailed environment concept art

Week 9: Refining and expanding your world

Week 10: Final presentation and world design document

Every course ends with an exhibition

Celebrate what you created with the people and our community. Every term concludes with a presentation or exhibition of your work: a chance to share your process, your ideas, and what you've made.

Ready to start?