Istation Game Demo

Overview

The Istation Game Demo was designed as a modern, engaging proof-of-concept that reimagined more than 20 years of Istation game content for today’s digital-native students. The goal was to unify legacy educational games into a single, exciting experience—one that felt contemporary, narrative-driven, and visually cohesive.

As Art Director, I led the visual vision of the demo, defining a distinct art style and guiding the concept-to-production pipeline to ensure the final experience was both appealing and accessible for a new generation of learners.

Project Type

Visual Direction
Concept Development
Production Oversight

Role

Art Direction
Visual Strategy
Production Leadership

Tools & Programs

Unity, Perforce
Jira
Gantt charts

Deliverables

Layout Templates
Art Guidelines
Bilingual Book Series
Accessible Print Versions

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the talented artists, Rose Miller and Andy Estrada, who collaborated on this project.

Project Objective

Create a visually compelling game demo that modernizes Istation’s educational content while maintaining clarity, accessibility, and production efficiency. The demo needed to showcase how legacy game mechanics could evolve into a cohesive, story-driven experience with strong visual appeal.

PHASE 1

Defining the Vision

The Project

This demo was built as an engaging and exciting showcase for future game development. Key features included:

  • A narrative-driven structure

  • Customizable characters

  • Reward systems and progression

  • Non-player characters that enhanced immersion

The experience needed to feel modern and game-first, while still supporting educational goals.

PHASE 2

Market & Competitive Research

Understanding the Landscape

The first step was identifying how the demo could stand apart from competitors in the educational game space.

Research Focus

  • Analyzed popular games actively played by children

  • Studied visual styles, reward systems, and narrative hooks

  • Evaluated how entertainment-focused games maintain engagement

These insights informed a visual direction that felt familiar to students while remaining uniquely Istation.

PHASE 3

Pre-Production & Concept Development

Blue-Sky Exploration

A strong emphasis on pre-production allowed the team to explore a wide range of visual ideas early—without slowing down later production phases.

Art Direction Approach

Defined a unique and distinct visual language for the demo

Used metaphor, specificity, and influence research to build depth

Ensured the art style supported narrative and gameplay goals

This phase also served as a mentorship opportunity, helping artists strengthen their concept-driven thinking and design process.

PHASE 4

Production & Pipeline Management

From Concept to Execution

Once production began, maintaining speed and consistency was critical.

Production Systems

Established a clear project management workflow using Jira and Gantt charts

Provided art feedback through detailed notes, red-lining, and conceptual guidance

Defined strict parameters for asset creation to meet deadlines

All assets were built to remain compatible with Perforce version control and the Unity game engine, ensuring smooth integration across teams.

Results & Impact

  • Unified 20 years of Istation game content into a single, modern experience

  • Established a clear visual direction for future game development

  • Created a compelling proof-of-concept for internal stakeholders

  • Balanced creativity with technical constraints and tight timelines