Portraying Empathy In Character Design

Abstract: This thesis examines possible improvement in evoking empathy through character design. The method used is research by design, by gathering information about emotions, emotional- and character design, and applying it during the design phase, two new characters were created based on an existing game character. The evaluation was done through a survey which concluded that the re-designed characters ability in evoking empathy was significantly stronger than the original characters. The characters ability in evoking empathy improved because they were more distinct when it came to expressing emotions through facial features and body language.