Drawing Her Way into the Gaming Industry

For most students, video games are simply a hobby. For Sunway University Foundation, Foundation in Arts student, Jaylene, they became the gateway to an unexpected career.

Creative from a young age, Jaylene has always enjoyed expressing herself through different art forms, from drawing and animation to clay modelling. Today, while pursuing her Foundation in Arts, she also works as a character designer for the online game Doodle World, balancing her studies with a role many aspiring artists dream of.

For Jaylene, gaming and drawing have always gone hand in hand. Designing games had been her dream career since childhood, although she never expected the opportunity to arrive so unexpectedly.

"I never expected it. It really came out of nowhere," she shared.

As an active member of the Doodle World community, Jaylene spent her free time designing character concepts and skins purely for fun. The game regularly accepts community submissions, and her creativity quickly caught the attention of the development team.

"One of the staff suddenly DM'ed me asking whether I wanted to join the team, so I decided, why not?" she laughed.

That message marked the beginning of her journey as a character designer. Since joining the team in 2023, Jaylene has created more than 300 sprite skins, many of which have become a recognisable part of the game, with hundreds of players using and enjoying her designs.

Among her proudest achievements was designing the custom skin for the game's first plushie campaign. Unlike the usual three animation frames required for a sprite, this project required nine frames, making it one of her most challenging works to date.

Another milestone was seeing three of her original Fakemon designs officially incorporated into the game, an exciting moment that brought one of her creative aspirations to life.

Despite these accomplishments, Jaylene remains grounded. Her goal is simple: to continue improving her skills, contribute to the game for as long as it continues, and enjoy the creative process. Looking ahead, she hopes that one day she might have the opportunity to develop a game of her own, inspired by the creativity and charm of Rhythm Heaven.

Like many students, balancing multiple responsibilities remains her biggest challenge. Between coursework, design projects, and game development deadlines, she often finds herself racing against the clock to complete sprite designs just before submission. When faced with particularly complex concepts, she works closely with fellow designers, using collaboration to overcome creative challenges while continually refining both her artistic skills and teamwork.

From submitting fan-made concepts as a passionate player to becoming a member of the game's official design team, Jaylene's journey is a testament to where passion, creativity, and the courage to share one's work can lead. Sometimes, pursuing what you love is all it takes for opportunities to come knocking.

Written by ALYNNA LIM JIA YIN