77% of game developers are men, causing the hypersexualization of female video game characters.
To combat this, we created Girls Who Code Girls, a web and mobile experience designed to teach girls how to code by coding their very own video game character.
From concept to execution, I led art direction at every point of the process. I used HUD’s as the main point of inspiration for creating the GWCG visual universe. I wanted to take a traditionally masculine aesthetic and put it in the hands of girls to make them feel like they were hacking the mainframe.
The experience is first introduced
with
a manifesto explaining our cause.
︎︎︎I took inspiration from video games like Need For Speed and Tekken for our logo design.
Girls begin coding with a randomized character.
With this, girls were able to code 27 variations
of realistic body types using python.
And a range of skin tones and skin specifications
like acne, vitilgo, freckles, and dark circles with CSS.
︎︎︎Representative hair styles were especially important for the Girls
Who Code audience.
So we gave them 16 different hair styles to code with javascript.
After coding their armour from 15 different textures and identity using inclusive and nonconforming language, girls generated their share card to add to the gallery.
Where any of the coded characters could be licensed by
gaming companies to be featured in upcoming video games.