VALORANT
VALORANT
A 5v5 character-based tactical FPS where precise gunplay meets unique agent abilities
A 5v5 character-based tactical FPS where precise gunplay meets unique agent abilities
The Ones Behind it All
The Ones Behind it All
The Ones Behind it All
I have so much love and respect for Riot Games and everyone on their team. Some of their artists and animators are creators I’ve taken art classes and online lessons from, their work is that good. Every new character, map and in-game cosmetic amazes me, the maps more than anything. I spent a few hours one day going in ‘training’ mode just to walk around the maps. The little details hidden in each are so fun to find and so intricate. You can see the care and dedication put into everything they do, and I strive to follow those same principles.
I have so much love and respect for Riot Games and everyone on their team. Some of their artists and animators are creators I’ve taken art classes and online lessons from, their work is that good. Every new character, map and in-game cosmetic amazes me, the maps more than anything. I spent a few hours one day going in ‘training’ mode just to walk around the maps. The little details hidden in each are so fun to find and so intricate. You can see the care and dedication put into everything they do, and I strive to follow those same principles.
I have so much love and respect for Riot Games and everyone on their team. Some of their artists and animators are creators I’ve taken art classes and online lessons from, their work is that good. Every new character, map and in-game cosmetic amazes me, the maps more than anything. I spent a few hours one day going in ‘training’ mode just to walk around the maps. The little details hidden in each are so fun to find and so intricate. You can see the care and dedication put into everything they do, and I strive to follow those same principles.
Check out some of the fun and intricate details in the maps!
LESS EQUALS MORE
LESS EQUALS MORE
While many games showcase their gameplay with worlds full of colors and everything your eyes can take in at once (and trust me, it’s great), it can be a little overwhelming. Sometimes there is so much to see at once in such a small or short ad that my brain says ‘okay, where is my focal point? All of these characters, sounds and lights, what part is the main event?’ While Valorant contains many more colors in-game of course, this is a style that I would recognize anywhere. I also believe the style is what caught my interest from the beginning. It was something my eyes were drawn to in the visual overload regular scrolling can bring, and the ‘less’ made me want to see more.
While many games showcase their gameplay with worlds full of colors and everything your eyes can take in at once (and trust me, it’s great), it can be a little overwhelming. Sometimes there is so much to see at once in such a small or short ad that my brain says ‘okay, where is my focal point? All of these characters, sounds and lights, what part is the main event?’ While Valorant contains many more colors in-game of course, this is a style that I would recognize anywhere. I also believe the style is what caught my interest from the beginning. It was something my eyes were drawn to in the visual overload regular scrolling can bring, and the ‘less’ made me want to see more.
consistency is key
consistency is key
consistency is key
Upon seeing the original brand design as ‘less is more’, I was really excited to see so much consistency next to the ad that caught my eye. Being able to showcase a brand, a video game at that, with such a strong, bold but not too bright, few set of colors is incredible to me. The placement of the brand design, the look, I find it so attractive. These colors are ones I had never thought about as having so much harmony, it inspired me to explore colors in my own designs.
Upon seeing the original brand design as ‘less is more’, I was really excited to see so much consistency next to the ad that caught my eye. Being able to showcase a brand, a video game at that, with such a strong, bold but not too bright, few set of colors is incredible to me. The placement of the brand design, the look, I find it so attractive. These colors are ones I had never thought about as having so much harmony, it inspired me to explore colors in my own designs.
Upon seeing the original brand design as ‘less is more’, I was really excited to see so much consistency next to the ad that caught my eye. Being able to showcase a brand, a video game at that, with such a strong, bold but not too bright, few set of colors is incredible to me. The placement of the brand design, the look, I find it so attractive. These colors are ones I had never thought about as having so much harmony, it inspired me to explore colors in my own designs.
short and sweet ads
short and sweet ads
Outside of the actual cinematic trailers for Valorant (which are amazing), the short animations to introduce characters, maps and designs are very consistent and attractive. Keeping the same color scheme and layouts, the graphic alone with only a few words or few other visual distractions lets the ad stick to the point while gaining attention. Another point to make is that ads being this short and ‘light’ is great for many, because a lot of ads are too heavy for older phones or slow internet to load. If a load time is too long, we lose interest and leave. This is a nice visual that I stopped to look at, no loading time or frustration necessary.
Outside of the actual cinematic trailers for Valorant (which are amazing), the short animations to introduce characters, maps and designs are very consistent and attractive. Keeping the same color scheme and layouts, the graphic alone with only a few words or few other visual distractions lets the ad stick to the point while gaining attention. Another point to make is that ads being this short and ‘light’ is great for many, because a lot of ads are too heavy for older phones or slow internet to load. If a load time is too long, we lose interest and leave. This is a nice visual that I stopped to look at, no loading time or frustration necessary.
genuine diversity, inclusivity and representation
genuine diversity, inclusivity and representation
Representation, diversity and inclusivity are so important in every aspect of design. It is something people notice and something that could turn people away from a product. If I feel there’s nothing ‘for me’ in a brand while there’s something for everyone else, why would I want to stick around? If I don’t feel like I’m part of the demographic, why not go other places where I feel more included? This is a place where Valorant shines so much. Not only are the characters so diverse in location, culture, etc., but this diversity is put into the lore and the stories. Instead of just seeing an agent’s location, a lot of cinematic trailers have showed us glimpses into their hometowns, their food, the life they had prior to joining the protocol.
For example: Instead of just meeting a character that is from South Korea and knowing her name, we learned about her being a chef and got to see some of the dishes she creates.
Representation, diversity and inclusivity are so important in every aspect of design. It is something people notice and something that could turn people away from a product. If I feel there’s nothing ‘for me’ in a brand while there’s something for everyone else, why would I want to stick around? If I don’t feel like I’m part of the demographic, why not go other places where I feel more included? This is a place where Valorant shines so much. Not only are the characters so diverse in location, culture, etc., but this diversity is put into the lore and the stories. Instead of just seeing an agent’s location, a lot of cinematic trailers have showed us glimpses into their hometowns, their food, the life they had prior to joining the protocol.
For example: Instead of just meeting a character that is from South Korea and knowing her name, we learned about her being a chef and got to see some of the dishes she creates.
Here is a map that showcases all of the agent hometowns, showing off the diverse amount of cultures intertwined in the game’s lore.
Here is a map that showcases all of the agent hometowns, showing off the diverse amount of cultures intertwined in the game’s lore.
The stats don’t lie and the design delviers
The stats don’t lie and the design delviers
Every year at the end of the year, VALORANT does an aesthetically-pleasing recap that showcases each player’s stats, broken down even deeper into map statistics, weapon types and more. What I find so cool about these is that they were able to adapt to a whole new color scheme for these and yet it’s still ‘them.’ It isn’t the base red color design style yet I could still pick out who this is even without the characters. The ability to go back and forth between these design systems and somehow keep the same look and aesthetic going is so admirable. It doesn’t look ‘random’, it looks perfectly designed and placed.
Every year at the end of the year, VALORANT does an aesthetically-pleasing recap that showcases each player’s stats, broken down even deeper into map statistics, weapon types and more. What I find so cool about these is that they were able to adapt to a whole new color scheme for these and yet it’s still ‘them.’ It isn’t the base red color design style yet I could still pick out who this is even without the characters. The ability to go back and forth between these design systems and somehow keep the same look and aesthetic going is so admirable. It doesn’t look ‘random’, it looks perfectly designed and placed.
To sum it up
To sum it up
I’m a huge fan of both Riot Games and VALORANT, and the design and hard work that hides behind the gameplay. Their commitment to details, color, typography and advertising is very evident in the content they share in and out of the game. They have made a look for themselves that is easily recognizable and hard to forget. By utilizing ‘less is more’, they have drawn me and probably many others into their world and kept us here always waiting for more.
I’m a huge fan of both Riot Games and VALORANT, and the design and hard work that hides behind the gameplay. Their commitment to details, color, typography and advertising is very evident in the content they share in and out of the game. They have made a look for themselves that is easily recognizable and hard to forget. By utilizing ‘less is more’, they have drawn me and probably many others into their world and kept us here always waiting for more.