Bloom
Roles: Art Direction ∙ 3D Art ∙ Tech Art
Bloom is a game about bringing life to desolate planets by planting musical flowers and solving tactile puzzles. As an Art Director at DADIU (The National Academy of Digital, Interactive Entertainment), I established Bloom's visual language and guided a department of 3D artists within a 14-member team.
A Blooming World
Bloom's identity is rooted in themes of growth and renewal. I guided the look and feel of the character, flowers, and planets, working closely with the team to align art with sound and design.
Each artistic decision, from environment art to the character's interface with musical puzzles, was made to reinforce the player's emotional journey, facilitating discovery and rewarding curiosity with beauty.
Blue Zone
Yellow Zone
Red Zone
I chose glowing pastel hues and soft gradients to invite calm exploration, with noise textures gently animating color across petals and stems - giving them a breathing quality that keeps them alive and ever changing.
Flowers Guide the Way
As players traverse the planets, they encounter vibrant flowers with distinct forms and colors, which mark unique locations and aid the player's intuitive navigation.
I designed them to be bold and alluring - inviting the shy character to venture into the unknown. Each planted flower signifies a moment of transformation, with the planet blooming and harmonizing with the player's song.
A visit to Copenhagen's Botanical Gardens inspired a visual library of references that helped ground the flower's designs.
Character Design
In contrast with the daring flowers, the naked, vulnerable character suggests innocence, with an inner glow hinting at a voice that shines within. I exaggerated facial features - expressive eyes, ears, and an absent mouth - to emphasize a heightened awareness and silent, observing nature.
2D Concept Art
Final 3D Character
Blink Animation
Depth Map for Faux Subsurface Scattering
Communicating Vision
I created concept art and visual guides covering environmental assets, animations, and interactions to align our team's artists, maintain stylistic cohesion, and support game design ideation.
Concept art of the character’s interaction with a flower
Design concept sketches
Credits
Game Direction: Anneli Søgård-Høyer
Production: Zedrick Villegas-Evans
Art Direction, 3D Art, Tech Art: Mati Kalter
Lead Programming: Julian Szachowicz
3D Art: Stefany í Túni
3D Art: Bowie Romer Jørgensen
Audio Design: Karl Birk Andersen
Composition: Johan Feierskov
Game Design: Caroline Sofie Hansen
Game Design: Milas Ray Manley Norman
Programming: Bruce Esplago
Programming: Emil Vilandt Rasmussen
Programming: Jingyan Wang
Programming: Nikolaj Meineche
Production: Zedrick Villegas-Evans
Art Direction, 3D Art, Tech Art: Mati Kalter
Lead Programming: Julian Szachowicz
3D Art: Stefany í Túni
3D Art: Bowie Romer Jørgensen
Audio Design: Karl Birk Andersen
Composition: Johan Feierskov
Game Design: Caroline Sofie Hansen
Game Design: Milas Ray Manley Norman
Programming: Bruce Esplago
Programming: Emil Vilandt Rasmussen
Programming: Jingyan Wang
Programming: Nikolaj Meineche
