7 Proven Strategies to Become a Successful Lead Concept Artist
Mastering the Proven Art of Leading Concept Artists in Game Development
In the whirlwind of game development, lead concept artists are the architects of imagination. The role demands more than artistic skill—it calls for emotional intelligence, stellar communication, and adept conflict resolution. Sounds lofty, right? Let's ground it in reality. What is a Lead supposed to be?
Self-development books have been my compass and refuge for the past years, helping me strategize my workflows efficiently and when the stars aligned, apply them to a lead concept artist role. I've read countless books, articles, and courses on human dynamics and depth psychology. When it all aligned and I stepped into a leadership role working at Wenmoon Studios, these insights became invaluable.
What is all of this then? Let’s find out:
Cultivate Emotional Maturity as a Lead Concept Artist
As a lead concept artist, you'll be working with a team of talented individuals, each with their own unique personality and way of working, they communicate in a specific style that is normal to them, and maybe strange to you. Their upbringing, their parents, and childhood, all shaped the way they see the world.
It's important to be able to strategize these dynamics effectively and manage conflict successfully. This requires emotional maturity and the ability to empathize with others. Most of the time, emotional maturity can be coined in a production environment with the deliberate way to write or speak. For instance:
Instead of dismissing a junior artist’s work with “I don’t like these sketches-start over.” try, “I’m curious about your design choices. What led you to choose element XYZ?” The result? You’ll get fewer iterations and the end result faster.
Listening deeply to their rationale often reveals miscommunications or incomplete briefs, maybe it really isn’t the artist’s fault, it could be an incomplete brief they’re getting, or someone else in the team may be giving them feedback as well, without you being aware of such. This approach fosters trust and improves teamwork. The key is to listen not to argue, but to truly understand.
Two of my favorite philosophers: Plato and Socrates, come to mind on this. Plato often asked questions to trap someone into revealing the wrong in their thinking out in the open. He’d definitely ask about your design choices just to tell you how wrong you are by the end. This isn’t what we want.
Socrates however, my favorite, found wisdom in admitting he knew nothing. He’d question you just to reveal your thinking patterns, and where they are coming from, and address accordingly. The first is a one-on-one confrontation, and the latter is two people working together towards an objective.
Misunderstandings often arise from unclear expectations. Provide clear guidelines and regularly check-in. If an artist strays from the brief, address it privately. Ask them to explain their choices from a place of curiosity, not condemnation.
Resolve Conflict and Build Strong Teams as Lead
Creative spaces are fertile ground for conflicts and passive-aggressive behavior. As a lead, your role is to successfully defuse these situations calmly. This might mean taking a step back, listening, or offering proven constructive feedback.
If faced with aggression, remember: that their behavior reflects their own issues, not your own. Set boundaries respectfully: “I don’t think this tone is productive. Let’s pause and find a more constructive way to address this.” Here, you’ll be respecting their right to be aggressive, just as your own right to not admit such behavior. Both people will be free to choose who they want to be in this interaction, without judgment.
Recognize that everyone has the right to act the way they do in the world, but they don’t have the right to be lawless when it jeopardizes the whole team proven efforts. This is the focus, not your ego, not theirs, your team. It’s no longer about you as a Lead, it’s about the whole project, and it’s a common touchstone that both parties can agree on, if they can’t agree on this—what’s best for the project, then they’re agreeing they don’t want to be a productive team member. It isn’t your problem anymore if it gets to that.
“Wisdom begins in wonder.”
Never Assume—Clarify Expectations
This is the highest of the sins. More often than not, I’ve seen it happening, to me and to others, in all industries, whether it is the games industry, the film industry, the graphic design industry, the yogurt stamps design industry, you name it. By leading, you have to have a clear insight into what you’re leading people to.
Effective communication is proven to be essential in any workplace, especially when addressing performance issues. In many instances, employees may be unjustly blamed for shortcomings in team dynamics or project outcomes. The common misstep in handling these situations is to avoid direct discourse with the employee in question. Instead of initiating a private, respectful conversation to understand the individual's perspective, leaders may opt for a more surface-level interpretation, often leading to a cycle of misunderstanding and scapegoating.
The importance of private discussions cannot be overstated. Publicly confronting an employee not only undermines their dignity but also creates an environment where they feel unsafe and disrespected. An open and private dialog fosters trust and allows for a more honest exchange of thoughts.
When questions are posed without genuine curiosity and are instead aimed at confirming preconceived notions, this only further alienates the employee. This approach ignores the complexities of individual experiences and lends itself to misguided assumptions. Performance evaluations based solely on observation and speculation do not encompass the nuanced realities of personal and professional challenges that an employee might be facing.
In contrast, professional psychologists and therapists understand that effective problem-solving requires time, empathy, and communication. They recognize that it is through a series of constructive conversations that real issues can emerge. Unfortunately, many team leaders overestimate their ability to assess employee motivations and behaviors without engaging in open dialogue. This oversight is not only unproductive but also detrimental to team cohesion and morale.
The takeaway here is clear: to truly support employees and foster a healthy work environment, leaders must prioritize direct, respectful communication. By establishing a safe space for dialogue, they can gain valuable insights and collaboratively address performance concerns, ultimately leading to more effective resolutions.
The takeaway is simple: Listen more and talk less. Specially if you’re not a trained psychologist.
Keep Your Concept Artists on Track
Sometimes, concept artists may make assumptions about what they're supposed to deliver. It's your job as a lead concept artist to clarify these expectations and ensure that everyone is on the same page. This may involve providing clear guidelines, holding regular meetings, or simply reminding the team of the overall goal.
One good and respectful way to do it is to call your teammates aside and have a private conversation with them, this way they won’t feel like they’re being humiliated or put on the spot around an audience.
Proceed to ask the reasoning behind why they did the things they did, ask from a place of curiosity rather than a place of judgment, you’d be surprised at how much quicker the issue will be solved when you ask questions to listen and understand the issue, rather than to try to dig them for points where they contradict themselves and using it as ammo or to dismiss their voice.
Let’s see this example:
Bad example:
"This is way off the mark. Did you even read the brief?"
Good example:
"I can see some effort here, but it’s not quite aligning with the brief. Let’s go over the main points again and make sure we’re on the same page. What was your interpretation of the key aspects?"
Why it matters: The bad example is accusatory and dismissive, which can create defensiveness and shut down communication. A good example opens up dialogue, shows respect for the artist’s process, and makes space for clarification and improvement. It’s not about them anymore, it’s about the information they have, which is a lot less likely to be taken personally or create friction.
Everyone has the right to be wrong, and to be heard, and understood, in a constructive collaborative environment. By calling someone aside and trying to understand where the root cause of the misunderstanding came from, you can not only address the current misunderstanding on the current brief you’re working on, but you’ll address the whole root cause for more creative briefs to come. They will feel they can open up to you much more often as they won’t be running on a constant trial and will ask questions more often as well.
(They will trust you more and will respect you as well. Two things are fundamental for healthy relationships, be it at work or somewhere else. It is imperative you show up to your responsibilities on these two. You cannot control if the rest will, but by being an example, they most likely will, and if not, your job is done.)
The important thing to take away is to separate the artist from the misunderstanding, and that they are not any misunderstanding or lack of training they possess, but that is in fact something to tackle separately from their persona. They’ll feel any failure doesn’t define them and most important, they’ll be happy to give any heads up when something’s a problem.
As a Lead, this is important, you want to be in sync.
Strategize Constructive Criticism and Balance it with Praise
It's important to strike a balance between celebrating the strengths of your concept artists and providing constructive feedback on their work. This will help them stay motivated and engaged in the project.
Don’t just tell them the work they deliver “suck” because they shouldn’t have an ego and be attached to the work they are turning in. Sure, they shouldn’t have it, but they do, everyone does. It’s also not the most effective way to communicate anything, as it’s highly ambiguous.
It’s your job as a Lead Concept Artist to argue why you don’t think something’s a fit for the project, plus it’s extremely lazy and needy, to say something “sucks” and just leave it at that, and let someone else figure it out. Furthermore, it’s like throwing up all your feelings onto the table about the case study at hand and having someone else sort it, by this point, if that’s the dynamics you’re after, they should be the one leading instead!
You’re in a prestigious role for a reason, and you should show you deserve it, every day.
Here’s one practical example of this taking place: A Concept Artist comes at you with the work you’ve assigned him or her, you see room for improvement, but you also see a lot that you wished was there and wasn’t. Perhaps it’s still a work in progress, or perhaps not, it’s a good time to check in on that, here’s the good and bad.
Bad example: “I like elements of Y, and maybe X, can you do YXZ?”
Good example: “Thanks for turning this in, I’ll walk you through the elements I find more critical first and end on a good note. I can see the effort in this element here, but perhaps, given the story, it could also be beneficial to explore ABC, what do you think? I also really like the elements on that piece here, and how they frame the subject matter, good job!”
You will find that the concept artist, in many cases, will exceed expectations when they feel safe, heard, and validated. However, perfection is not expected, and they are encouraged to provide input. Collaboration is key, as they are not working for you, but rather with you. Asking for their thoughts will tap into their creative mind and inspire more ideas and creativity, which is desirable from a concept artist. Ending with praise will always leave a positive impression, and they'll be more eager to share their work. This ensures that both parties are on the same page and know what to expect from each other, leading to better and more frequent communication.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
Lead your Game Artists by Example
Instead of just saying "it sucks, start over" draw on top of their sketches to illustrate your feedback more effectively. This will help the artist understand what you're looking for and how to improve their work.
It’s also showing you’re making effort, and aren’t just waiting for them to figure it out. If something is going wrong, it’s your duty to “lead”.
Note some people are uncomfortable with this, so ask or let them know what you’re about to do before doing it.
Foster Open Dialogue
When something seems off, don't just take it that something is off. Engage in open dialogue and ask for clarification. This will help you understand the artist's reasoning behind their choices.
Don’t assume you know why they’re doing what they’re doing, and project it towards them.
Again: Even highly trained therapists and psychologists need quite a few one on one sessions with their clients to understand their inner issues and struggles in order to mock up a proper diagnosis. Even if they suspect something, especially, if they suspect they know their patient’s problem, they will want to make it absolutely certain before they come up with a conclusion.
It still amazes me at how some people may think that by not talking to their employee, artist they lead, or someone else, they can assume correctly what the issue is without even talking to them directly for at least ten minutes or so, and with the intent of listening to understand, rather than to shift blame.
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Ask your Development team more questions
Once you understand the artist's reasoning, you can then, if needed fix it. Do so by suggesting a Socratic approach. Validate their voice even if you don't agree.
Examples
If a concept artist is making assumptions about what they're supposed to deliver, you can clarify those expectations by providing clear guidelines. For example, if you want them to design a character that's both tough and compassionate, you can provide examples of both types of characters, then show them where is exactly the motif that signals both traits.
If a concept artist is making mistakes, you can provide constructive feedback by drawing on top of their sketches. For example, if they've drawn the character's face too small, you can draw a larger face on top of theirs to show them what you're looking for.
If a concept artist is making a mistake that you think they're going to make again, you can proactively address it by asking them for clarification. For example, if you think they're going to make their character's eyes too big, you can ask them why they chose that size. This will help you understand the artist's reasoning and see if there's anything you can do to help them make a different choice, and also set the stage for them to make the correct choice in the future.
“By training yourself to start uncomfortable conversations, you liberate others to have the conversations they’ve desperately been wanting to have themselves.
You could say this is largely what leadership is, the willingness to risk your own neck in a way that benefits others.”
Final Takeaways on the 7 Proven Strategies for Leading Teams Successfully:
Introducing Emotional Maturity and Social Intelligence:
Recognizing Emotional Triggers: Emotional maturity means understanding that feedback, especially in creative work, can trigger emotional responses. Rather than reacting impulsively, a lead can pause, assess the impact their words might have, and respond with empathy. Encouraging leads to ask themselves, "How will this come across?" is a big part of this. Is it sounding confrontative, dismissive or pinning blame?
Mindful Communication: Social intelligence is about being aware of how one’s tone, body language, and choice of words affect others. This involves avoiding blame or frustration and instead using neutral or positive language. For example, saying “Let’s improve this together” instead of “You need to fix this” instantly shifts the interaction to a more collaborative dynamic.
The Importance of Active Listening: Emotional maturity includes listening deeply to the junior artist’s perspective. Asking questions like, “Can you tell me what you were aiming for here?” signals that the lead values the artist's thought process. This not only builds trust but also opens the door for better understanding.
Daily check-ins at appropriate times of day, say, at end of day, everyday, are useful to stay in sync with what the artists are doing, this way, you’re not constantly overwhelmed by building all of these intricate feedback, and can time block it.
Weely check-ins, I’d do them way back, usually by video-recording myself and shipping it to the artists with their goals and tasks for the week ahead.
By time blocking things out, you’ll have more bandwidth and organize yourself better.
In genesis, it is my belief that people know how to treat each other well in any relationship, I’d advise to think of a work relationship like any other you’d care about.
Suggested reading that helped me to get on point soft skills on this:
Any John Gottman books, these books focus on strategies for successful romantic relationships, but everything there will apply to any sort of relationship. Because romance is about vulnerability and trust, a cornerstone to any relationship with any living being in any situation.
How to Make Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. (Big one! Start with this one!)
Any Alan Watts books.
Ego is The Enemy, by Ryal Holiday.
How to be an Adult in Relationships, by David Richo.
The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz
Anything on Greek Socrates, and the Chinese Daoist philosophy of Lao Tzu.
Bonus material: The Subtle Art School of Mark Manson and his courses on emotional maturity had a major impact on my journey. It addressed an array of blind spots I had about what are my responsibilities and what I should be expecting from others. What to control, and what to let go. It helped me build a compass to what had come after.
Really? Reading… oof, I don’t want to read.
If you prefer audiobooks, don’t have time or the attention span, you can try out Blinkist, it provides short-summaries of the materials above, summarizing the books into audio and going over the key points of the books.
Ideal for commutes or anything requiring a hands-free approach to your self-development journey.
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A note about the links on the books above: The links to the books above have been carefully selected by me. These are books that I have personally owned for some time and have had a significant impact on me and my journey. I have partnered with Thriftbooks.com to provide affiliate links. By using the links above, you will not be charged more. In fact, depending on when you make a purchase and any special promotions we are currently running, you may even be charged less. If you are looking for books in languages other than English, I recommend checking out Abebooks, which complements Thriftbooks nicely. Both are great bookstores, with Thriftbooks offering a wider selection of books and Abebooks having a greater variety of languages and rare used books that are now out of print.
About the Author:
Miguel Nogueira is a freelance concept artist, designer, and storytelling strategist.
He’s been featured at CGSociety Hall of Fame and Behance by Adobe, also on Kotaku and 3DTotal. He’s recently worked with Embark Studios on the upcoming release of Arc Raiders and an upcoming, AAA, unannounced MMORPG as Character Design Lead.
If you’re interested in having Miguel speak at your event, want to sponsor his content, or start a project, please send all business inquiries to the contact below.