{"id":708,"date":"2025-12-04T01:34:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T01:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/?p=708"},"modified":"2025-12-08T08:09:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T08:09:59","slug":"reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/2025\/12\/04\/reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional Contexts – Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Word count:<\/strong> 3,146 without headings and in-text citations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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START OF ESSAY<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overview <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Professional Contexts bridges the world of academic studies to the industry, a constantly changing landscape. Positioned in the final year of study, this module encourages students to reflect critically, from thinking like an undergraduate to preparing to become a professional in their sector. During this module, a myriad of guest speakers specialising in different aspects of the games industry have provided their experiences in the industry, offered detailed advice on workflows, touch upon the recruitment process, workplace culture, and the bigger opportunities that shape an individual’s career. Attending these lessons and taking notes from these speakers have provided the essential foundation of how a student can prepare to step into employment and the world of professionalism within games design and related sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This essay aims to analyse the advice that will affect the trajectory of my own career, development, and goals. Our guest speakers: Jamie, Olivia, Bea, Rhys, Megan, and Jade, each offered their experiences across all disciplines. Utilising their knowledge based in their respective sectors, have helped me gain a clearer understanding of my own strengths in my desired path, areas that could be improved on, and most importantly, where I fit in the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By implementing what I have learnt from the guest speakers to my current practice, I aim to demonstrate my next steps of my career. Furthermore, this module has given me the opportunity to try different methods of research, grasp a deeper understanding of the industry, as well as utilise digital literacies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Games Industry and Me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To gain a greater understanding of the industry, I relied on different types of research methods. One of them being primary research, which came through as experiences from our guest speakers, receiving critique from an industry professional, exposure to their varied perspectives on workflows, including employment. Another was secondary research, which involved analysing job listings, observing the waves of layoffs and exploring a few academic sources. These methods combined, provided the full picture needed see the opportunities that can be obtained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In more recent years, the UK and the global games industry in general, have been experiencing instability with numerous studios suffering mass layoffs. Due to the layoffs, multiple companies have been either downsized, reconstructed, or in more unfortunate cases, completely shut down. This unfortunate circumstance has made junior roles becoming increasingly harder to obtain for graduates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 1 (Oldenburg, 2024), depicts the amount of workers that have been laid off over the recent years by big companies. It is evident that the games industry started to suffer with layoffs toward the end of 2023 and the start of 2024 but is now slowing down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our last guest speaker, Jade<\/strong>, shared that she had recently experienced redundancy, despite having a senior role. On the bright side, this experience has left a gate wide open for remote work, this offers her much more freedom in the comfort of her home. This is an example of how layoffs, although unfortunate, can also be positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A research paper called, Precarity and Work in the UK cultural and Creative Sector <\/em>(Hancock and Tyler, 2024), <\/em>makes an argument that roles like creative ones, are distinguished by unstable contracts. As a result of this condition, workers are forced to build an adaptable, self centred career path opposed to relying on more traditional forms of job security. Their findings have helped me realise that in order to succeed in this industry, I need to be flexible and should be prepared if something were to go array.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an emerging concept artist, this awareness has changed the way I view my own practice. The information I have found made me realise the severity of instability within the industry I\u2019m involved with. As a result, the importance of possessing foundational skills and a well built portfolio is greatly emphasised. It has encouraged me to frequently use new tools, refining technical ability, and further improving on my fundamental design principles. This has shown the importance of networking as it can be a gateway to better opportunities, rather than solely relying on job listings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Networking and Social Media<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Prior to this module, networking was something I thought was optional, disregarding the fact that it could be essential to my path. The immense fear of saying something wrong to an individual who may be higher up in the industry, exude more confidence, and flaunt experience. The feeling is all consuming and overwhelming, especially for someone that will have to participate soon. This being said, the majority of the guest speakers have given me no choice but to re-evaluate my fear entirely. Soon, it became very apparent that networking is essential for the games industry, it\u2019s a soft skill that allows an individual to gain some recognition that may not be available through basic job applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first speaker, Jamie, had emphasised the importance of networking and helped us realise that it is a skillset that everyone needs. Emphasising that being an active, physically present member of the industry that participates in things such as game jams, events, and speaking to fresh faces in the industry, can play a vital role to visibility within the community. He also made a point of how genuine passion creates long term connections and how these connections can be seen as opportunities. He also advises us to learn prominent figures in the games industry as well as artists I personally look up to, which made me understand how purposeful networking requires in order to become successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia expands on these ideals by reminding us that maintaining an online presence is just as important as appearing physically. By appearing on platforms such as ArtStation, Bluesky, and LinkedIn can grant graduates visibility through the online world. Currently, the games industry is going through a shift with more employers going from working in studios to working remote. Communicating through social media can be seen as a supplement to speaking to other professionals face-to-face. Her experiences show that opportunities are sparked mainly online, as that is where most recognition occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Megan shares insight about networking from a more interpersonal point of view. She encouraged us to find peers with the same interests, emphasising forming organic connections, and how they can open gateways to new opportunities. This has shifted my mindset. I was under the assumption that building relationships within the games space was purely transactional. However, I was quick to learn that networking should be taken as something that is seen as supportive, collaborative and fun. This also brings the subject of Megan warning us that the UK games industry is relatively small, due to this size of the industry, negative or positive reputations can circulate fast. Stressing that one poor experience can have long term effects, once again, bringing up the importance of professional civility. Her comment \u201cWhat comes around, goes around\u201d expresses that networking is much more about character and is something I will remember when I continue to network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on all of their advice, I recognise that my discomfort with talking to strangers in my field and others, has hindered my own professional growth. Studies reinforce the ideology that soft skills such as communication and interpersonal skills are influencing a graduate\u2019s employability.  Graduate Skills and Game-Based Learning<\/em>. Digital education and learning<\/em> (Barr, 2019), <\/em>distinguishes networking, collaboration, and communication are increasingly becoming more valued by employers. Similarly, A conceptual soft skills competency framework for enhancing graduate intern employability<\/em> (Bisschoff and Massyn, 2024) brings forward that confidence and professional communication influences career readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding this, I have begun to set myself a small scale goal to build my networking confidence and skill. This goal is to start sharing iterative work with my classmates with more intention. Although a minor step, it symbolises the shift towards a more confident version of my \u201cwork\u201d self and aligns with the expectations in the professional concept art space. With my peers, I plan to apply these strategies with the aim to be more deliberate. I will start asking peers about the goals in their games and what they plan to accomplish, especially with creative goals in mind. It also mirrors the culture in a studio environment, where criticism is frequent and also constructive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I advance as a concept artist, I need to improve on expanding and introducing myself to others. The steps I\u2019ll take to develop my professionalism involve: reaching out to a variety of concept artists, participating in game jams, and creating a sustainable work ethic. By involving myself in the community, I aim to reinforce my confidence in collaborative spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portfolio Advice<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

As Olivia is an environment concept artist, paying close attention was vital as someone trying to break into the field. The section that I paid close attention to was her guidance on the portfolio roadmap, emphasising the need for attributes such as simplicity, intention, and communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For character portfolios, Olivia stresses on the basic fundamentals of art which details that a portfolio must contain an understanding of the human anatomy, facial expressions, and varied poses. These may seem like optional extras, however it\u2019s to show that an artist has a basic understanding of character proportions and communicating emotion. One piece of advice that stuck out was to avoid presenting colour palette mock ups on the same static pose. While this approach may work in student projects, studios don\u2019t see the range in technicality. Instead, she encourages that showing characters in different positions makes the exploration feel more dynamic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Megan\u2019s<\/strong> angle provided some valuable intel, despite coming from a level design background. She emphasised the importance of keeping work clean and simple; presenting 4-6 well developed projects will suffice. She clarified to explain the purpose, methods, and iteration of each project and what each stage of work represents, without including paragraphs of text, as employers have limited time. She also makes a point to not write anything negative about other collaborators and more obviously, to not include any inappropriate work. Professionalism and employability are closely linked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, the talks with Olivia and Megan gave me more guidance on portfolio building and thinking more critically of my current skill set, specifically my technical skill. My professional portfolio should aim to have: clarity, intent, technical understanding, and especially strong communication. I understand that a portfolio is not just a gallery of art work, but a demonstration of how I think, research, and install my creativity. Their simplification of character portfolio expectations gave me a clear roadmap for improving my portfolio for professional industry standards. My work should reflect both my skills as a concept artist and my professionalism. Moving forward, I will ensure that all my projects reflect my growing capability as a concept artist and the level required in a more professional sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My practice in Action<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

After Olivia\u2019s talk, I had the opportunity to receive direct criticism on one of my concept sheets. My strength in games design lay greatly in concepts, more so, my ability to create iterations efficiently and fast. This experience was incredibly helpful and pointed out the areas where I need to improve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immediately, she pointed out that my work had sufficient iterative concepts but lacked colour variation and contained unnecessary detail. She suggested to remove the line sketch as it would improve readability and free up space where there could demonstrations of iterative work. She also recommended that adding my contact information at the bottom to embed my professional identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This direct critique has made me evaluate my own tools and workflows. Although I created the concept sheet on Procreate, I recognise that relying on this app may not get me far in some companies. For my main module, I plan to adopt a professional workflow involving the use of graphics tablets. Photoshop for conceptualising, and ClipStudioPaint for finalising my concepts and assets as it\u2019s an software I\u2019m most familiar with, as a result, it leverages my strongest skill set while still aligning with studio expectations. Moving towards a graphics tablet set up, allows me to refine skills expected from concept artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the design of this character sheet, I consciously applied time management skills effectively to avoid spending unnecessary time on it, as one of my weaknesses is not having enough time consciousness. I produced my own workflow that I was referencing throughout the creation of the concept sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The idea generation and conceptualising phase takes 40 minutes to 1 hour. The iteration and colour exploration took no longer than 10 minutes. For the final rendered concept, taking roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes. The additional details such as the look of the concept sheet took roughly 10 minutes to complete; utilising this structure not only made me aware of my time, but it also prevented me from getting stuck on a single iteration, which is a common challenge most artists go through. Although these durations may seem like a long time for non-artists, this was still a great step towards the direction I wanted to be in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By applying Covey\u2019s priority matrix time management theory, I was able to distinguish tasks that required higher detail, in comparison to those that needed less. I also noticed how efficient I was with drawing, my lines were more confident and showed intention. To maintain a fluid work ethic and visual accuracy, I ensured to take a step back away once in a while from my Ipad to return with \u201cfresher eyes\u201d. Although the time constraint was difficult to work through, it was very much needed as this is something that is essential for working in studio pipelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This experience has made me gain a clarified sense of how planning, pacing, and a good break can create a sustainable work ethic. These slight adjustments to my work support my development as a concept artist and demonstrate my commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interviews<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

As I continue to flourish in my professional development, preparing for interviews is a step that should not be missed. I\u2019ve come to the understanding how to present myself to future employers is just as valuable as the work I create. Interviews aren\u2019t just a \u201ctest\u201d where someone with more professional knowledge evaluates my skills; It\u2019s a chance to show who I am, what I can bring to the table, and my thought processes. The guest speakers shared insight about what interviewers expect and their own personal experiences as the interviewer. I found the advice from Bea, Jamie, <\/strong>and Rhys<\/strong> especially valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bea implored us to be specific when talking about the art we like, to not only say that we \u201clike it\u201d, but to convey why a piece is so visually impressive, rather than relying on vague appreciation. She stressed that it\u2019s imperative to do extensive research on the company\u2019s identity, beliefs, and recent works; knowing these demonstrates a genuine interest. Most importantly to note, she encourages us to ask questions to the interviewer, rather than engaging in passive evaluation. By asking informed questions, it shows engagement and curiosity rather than passivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamie\u2019s perspective offered similar values. He implored us that punctuality is valued, especially during an interview. He states presenting yourself as someone that lacks passion for games, comes off as distasteful and to also not be afraid of going outside of your comfort zone. Utilising his advice, I plan to practice a mock interview with one of my peers that have experienced an industry interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Rhys offered more practical advice and gave us examples of what questions we would be expected to face. He encouraged us to think much deeper into the reasoning behind our game design choices by asking things like, “What\u2019s the most important part about designing a game?\u201d and, “How could we do this differently?\u201d These questions assess critical thinking, problem solving, and evaluative practice, skills that extend past visual ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All together, their advice made me reconsider how I can prepare myself for a future interview. Across their insights, characteristics such as passion, professionalism, willingness to grow, and resilience are what interviewers value. Sharing their views and experiences have given me clear direction for how I can prepare myself for future interviews. It has not only made me more confident, but they have taught me to face it head on and keep the company\u2019s values in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recruitment Process <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

To understand the recruitment process, I reached out to Olivia. Our conversation gave me a thorough grasp of what studios look for when hiring artists. Jobs that involve art require a portfolio that shows an individual\u2019s best work, this applies to concert artists greatly. As previously said, recruiters look for applicants that understand the fundamentals of design, composition, colour, and anatomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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She described the standard hiring pipeline, recruiters begin with a portfolio viewing. This stage is to determine whether an artist meets the studio\u2019s stylistic direction and technical aspects. The next stage is an art test. These are relatively brief and the main goal of this test is to evaluate how well a candidate listens to direction, problem solves, and adaptation. Some art tests prioritise soft skills opposed to the final product. Finally, the last stage is having an interview with either art directors or seniors in the company, in which they will look out for skills that revolve around your cultural fit such as teamwork and communication,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through Olivia\u2019s explanation, I have an idea of what to expect during the recruitment process. Now critically reflecting on this, I have a deeper insight on professional behaviours. By aligning portfolio work, networking, and interviews in preparation for recruitment, I aim to adopt a professional strategy which will increase my employability and adaptability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plan of Action and Goals<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

To effectively plan for the industry, I have developed an action plan which contains my goals: Further improve my confidence in networking, most importantly with people in the concept art space. Make a portfolio site showing my best pieces. Make a brand new CV, making sure to highlight my skills and strengths. Start building a social media presence to show my work to others. Over semester breaks, I will create mini deadlines for portfolio pieces. Intensive interview rehearsing with a peer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By moving forward with these steps, I aim to organise my time effectively and it will align my efforts with the expectations of the industry in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Evaluating the games industry has given me insight on how to break in. It may seem challenging at first These guest speakers have provided me valuable lessons and have pushed me in the right direction. They have given me tips for networking, portfolio building, industry standards, and how to face an interview. By sharing their insight and experiences as industry professionals, it makes it less daunting and more friendly, particularly for those trying to break in. For now, I aim  to continue to develop my skills as a concept artist, especially with the iterative processes and final render in my other module. I hope to become a reliable team mate in a studio environment and learn new things from collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By attending these lessons, this module has transformed the games industry as something more digestible for me. Currently, I\u2019m still trying to refine my art skills and figure out whether character or environment is best suited for me, but with enough practice and mentorship, I know I\u2019ll be heading the right way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

END OF ESSAY<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Special thanks to<\/em>:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jamie, Olivia, Bea, Rhys, Megan, and Jade.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hancock, P., Tyler, M. (2025). Precarity and Work in the UK Cultural and Creative Sector. In: Performing Artists and Precarity. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-031-66119-8_3<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barr, M. (2019). Graduate Skills and Game-Based Learning<\/em>. Digital education and learning<\/em>. Springer International Publishing. doi:https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-030-27786-4<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bisschoff, Z.S. and Massyn, L. (2024). A conceptual soft skills competency framework for enhancing graduate intern employability. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning<\/em>, 15(7). doi:https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/heswbl-08-2023-0239<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Word count: 3,146 without headings and in-text citations. START OF ESSAY Overview  Professional Contexts bridges the world of academic studies to the industry, a constantly changing landscape. Positioned in the final year of study, this module encourages students to reflect critically, from thinking like an undergraduate to preparing to become a professional in their sector. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-professional-contexts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=708"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":777,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708\/revisions\/777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/pv2g23-yr3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}