INCLUSIVE DESIGN TOOLKIT
Inclusive Design for Female Character Representation in Video Games
To truly reflect the diverse identities within the gaming community, the video game industry must implement strategic initiatives and foster cultural changes that ensure equal gender representation.
This toolkit, developed as part of a capstone project for the Inclusive Design course in USC's MS Integrated Business, Design, and Technology program, aims to encourage video game developers and industry stakeholders to create games featuring empowered female characters. By embracing inclusive design principles, the toolkit supports greater participation and representation of women in the gaming community.
Role
Inclusive Designer
Team
Gamehers
Tools
Design Justice Framework
Timeline
2 months
Project Overview
How might we employ inclusive design initiatives and cultural changes within the video game industry to ensure equal gender representation and create games that feature empowered female characters, thereby fostering greater participation from women in the gaming community?
The video game community is comprised of a multitude of individuals with varying gender identities, sexualities, races, ethnicities, abilities, and more.
Video games can bring people together across physical and digital spaces. However, many of the games that are played today reinforce negative female stereotype and impact the self-image of the women who play them. Often, female characters are hyper-sexualized, further the narrative of a male character, or are non-essential to the story.
To accurately represent the many identities that gamers encompass, the video game industry must develop strategic initiatives and cultural changes that promote equal gender representation in the video game industry at large.
The Problem
Female characters in video games are often depicted through limiting tropes, such as being hyper-sexualized, existing only to further a male character's narrative, or being non-essential to the story.
The Solution
Our toolkit for video game designers embraces inclusive design principles to create diverse, complex, and essential female characters. This approach fosters greater participation and representation of women in the gaming community, leading to more engaging and equitable storytelling.
Target Toolkit Audience
Game Developers
Gaming Industry Leaders
State of Play:
Current Female Character Representation in Video Games & The Industry
5%
Only 5% of video games feature female protagonists
84%
84% of executive positions in the gaming industry are held by men
24%
24% of individuals working in the video game industry are women
Analyzing Current Representation:
Female Character Archetypes & Case Studies in Video Games
Addressing the lack of diverse and authentic female representation in both the gaming industry and video games is crucial, as it perpetuates harmful stereotypes, limits cultural inclusivity, and hinders the potential for meaningful storytelling.
Poor representation not only alienates female gamers but also contributes to a narrow portrayal of women, reinforcing outdated archetypes and diminishing the richness of narrative experiences.
This toolkit dives into three specific archetypes prevalent in video games, highlighting their impact on perceptions and the need for more nuanced portrayals.
Findings & Analysis
Our research aimed to address the prevalent issues surrounding the portrayal of female characters in video games. Through extensive surveys, interviews, and literature reviews, we identified several key insights:
Prevalence of Tropes: A significant number of respondents highlighted the overuse of hyper-sexualized designs and characters that exist solely to advance a male character's storyline. This finding aligns with existing literature on gender representation in gaming.
Desire for Diversity: Players expressed a strong desire for more diverse and complex female characters. They want characters with their own narratives, strengths, and roles that are essential to the story.
Impact on Engagement: Our data suggests that more inclusive and thoughtfully designed characters can enhance player engagement and satisfaction. Female players, in particular, reported feeling more connected and invested in games featuring well-rounded female protagonists.
Based on these findings, we have developed a set of key design parameters that can guide game designers in creating more inclusive and representative female characters. These parameters are detailed in the toolkit attached to this section.
The toolkit includes:
Diverse & Inclusive Hiring Practices: Guidelines for creating diversity in the workforce through implementing inclusive hiring practices.
Engage with Women in Gaming Industries: Best practices for partnering with women in gaming communities to better understand the importance of developing strong, diverse, and powerful female characters.
Incorporating Design Justice Principles: Strategies for using Design justice methodologies to empower community members as a part of the design process and share ownership of design outcomes amongst communities.
By implementing these design parameters, we believe game designers can contribute to a more inclusive and engaging gaming environment. This approach not only enhances the gaming experience for all players but also supports greater representation and participation of women in the gaming community.
Reflection
Through this project, I gained profound insights into the complexities of character design and the importance of inclusivity in video game development. Here are some key takeaways from my journey:
Understanding Player Perspectives: Engaging with players through surveys and interviews provided invaluable firsthand perspectives. I learned that many players, especially women, feel underrepresented and disconnected from the characters they encounter in games. This reinforced the need for diverse and relatable characters.
Importance of Inclusive Design: The research underscored the significance of inclusive design principles. I realized that designing characters goes beyond aesthetics; it involves creating meaningful and impactful roles that contribute to the narrative and resonate with a broader audience.
Collaborative Approach: Developing the toolkit required collaboration with various stakeholders, including game designers, writers, and artists. This experience highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in creating comprehensive solutions that address complex issues.
Impact of Representation: I learned that representation matters deeply in media, including video games. Well-designed female characters not only enhance the gaming experience for women but also promote a more equitable and respectful gaming culture.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation: The process of research and toolkit development taught me the value of continuous learning and adaptation. The gaming industry is dynamic, and staying informed about current trends and player preferences is crucial for creating relevant and impactful designs.
Overall, this project has been a transformative experience, reinforcing my commitment to promoting inclusivity and diversity in the gaming industry. I am excited to see how the toolkit will be utilized by designers to create richer and more diverse gaming experiences, and I look forward to continuing my journey in advocating for better representation in games.