Exploring the Identity of CyDesignation: Designers Edition
Following its establishment as a subsidiary of Cygames in 2012, CyDesignation has been involved in design for many titles, such as Cygames’ “Rage of Bahamut” and “Granblue Fantasy,” as well as Square Enix’s “Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII” and “NieR:Automata.”
In the first part of this interview, four directors with numerous achievements in the game industry talked about CyDesignation’s history and vision, and shared their words of wisdom for young talent. This second part introduces two key designers and their roles within CyDesignation, as well as their own insights into the company.
- Designer Yuya Nagai
- After joining a game company at the age of twenty-six, Mr. Nagai spent four years doing design for an MMO title before switching to freelance illustration for a year. Following that, he joined CyDesignation and has since worked on “Granblue Fantasy,” “NieR:Automata,” and other titles.
- Designer Ryoji Ohara
- Mr. Ohara joined CyDesignation in 2014 as a newly-graduated hire. He has contributed to various titles, with a focus on “Granblue Fantasy” and “War of the Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.”
A Rivalry of Opposites
To start, could you tell us why you joined CyDesignation?
- Nagai
- A friend introduced me so I jumped at the chance. I’m a big fan of the “Final Fantasy” series and thought it’d be a dream come true to work alongside the legends in the industry who created it.
- Ohara
- I always wanted to work for a game company, but despite applying to a few, I hadn’t had much luck. Then one day I saw a posting for jobs at Cygames and decided to shoot my shot.
I managed to get hired part-time as a prospective employee, and I was soon transferred to CyDesignation after they contacted Cygames regarding an open part-time staff position.
After working for half a year, I was offered a position at either Cygames or CyDesignation. I mulled it over and ultimately decided to go to CyDesignation.
Why did you end up choosing CyDesignation?
- Ohara
- Mostly because I got used to working in CyDesignation after being there for half a year. I actually didn’t know much about the “Final Fantasy” series before I started my job. The only one I ever played was “Final Fantasy Tactics,” which Mr. Yoshida did design for. Despite my inexperience, Mr. Minaba and everyone else treated me well, which was what convinced me to stick around.
The two of you certainly have differing personalities and work history. Speaking of history, which Cygames games have you worked on?
- Nagai
- Both Mr. Ohara and I design for “Granblue Fantasy.”
- Ohara
- During my days as a part-time prospective employee, “Granblue” was still under development. I consider it a great honor to have worked on the game since then.
You both do design for Cygames and CyDesignation. Are there any differences between the two companies?
- Nagai
- There are many extremely talented artists at Cygames, so it’s common for them to divide tasks among several people and tackle a single illustration as a team. While teamwork is important at CyDesignation, I’d say we have a stronger focus on working independently.
- Ohara
- Yes, Cygames aims to build a unified style and world concept through a coordinated team effort, while CyDesignation allows for more freedom of expression in design choices.
Does that mean individuality is the most crucial trait for a CyDesignation designer?
- Nagai
- Not necessarily. It’s good to have unique traits, but it’s not everything.
- Ohara
- Being able to adapt to the style and setting of an established series is just as important. Like when I have to work on “Granblue,” I need to be able to design something that fits in with all the other designs of that world. Though that’s just one example, of course.
- Nagai
- In the end, developing games is a team effort.
Is there anything in particular either of you tend to focus on when it comes to team projects?
- Nagai
- Mr. Ohara would know more about that than me. He’s the one who manages a team on a daily basis.
- Ohara
- I’m actually the supervisor of the art team for “War of the Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.” Managing the creative process when it involves multiple people is quite the challenge, and I’m putting to use all my experience working on “Granblue” there.
Do you think you’ve changed since you first started at CyDesignation?
- Ohara
- In terms of strictly artistic ability, I don’t feel like I’ve improved that much, but thanks to Mr. Minaba’s direct feedback, I’ve learned how to discern what makes art “good.” Broadly speaking, there’s a big difference between what’s “good” in an artistic sense and what’s “good” in terms of mass appeal, and I’ve learned a lot about the latter.
I’ve also learned that when making character designs, I have to keep in mind that other people will need to build off what I’ve created, like making 3D models out of it or crafting a story around it. If I don’t create something solid from the start, it’ll really mess with the pipeline.
- Nagai
- As for me, I can say with 100% certainty that my design and drawing abilities have improved. I mean, it’s only natural when you work with legends, right? [Laughs] I’ve developed a lot of skills at a quick rate since joining CyDesignation. At my old job, I was the only one doing design, so you can imagine how it goes when you’ve got no one to compare to or give you guidance. Being surrounded by extremely skilled artists at CyDesignation motivates me to catch up to and even surpass my peers.
Good Design According to Two Talented Designers
Switching gears, I’d like to hear your opinions on design itself. I realize this isn’t an easy question, but what do you think makes for good design?
- Nagai
- I put great stock in designing characters that are recognizable by their silhouette alone. But, of course, that’s not the only aspect that makes a design good. This is a difficult question, for sure.
- Ohara
- To quote a certain manga about ramen, good design is like good food. You need to have familiar flavors that are comforting, while also throwing in the spice of the unknown for some excitement. When I shared this idea with Mr. Minaba, he said that’s only part of the picture. He told me that good design is also considerate of the changing times. That moment was a reminder that I still have a ways to go if I’m going to catch up to Mr. Minaba.
What do you do for inspiration and ideas when working on a design?
- Nagai
- I study all sorts of things, regardless of my own personal tastes. I basically take in everything that I can, from movies to fashion.
- Ohara
- I do the same. I get a lot of inspiration just looking through my X timeline and seeing all sorts of creativity on display.
Interesting. CyDesignation describes itself as “an elite team unsurpassed in world-building.” How do you two approach world-building?
- Nagai
- The world is already established in “Granblue,” so we build upon that. But when I did character design for “NieR:Automata” my illustrations were based on my own personal interpretation of what the developers requested. Sorry, I know this doesn’t amount to much of an answer.
- Ohara
- I did some of the character design for “War of the Visions FFBE” from scratch and that involved a lot of discussions about what kinds of designs the developers wanted as well as researching related titles. That’s how we decided on the style and quality of the designs. I didn’t have much experience then, so I referenced other titles as quality benchmarks and jumping off points for world-building.
What genre of game would you pick if you could create a world from the ground up?
- Nagai
- I’ve done a lot of work in the fantasy genre, so I’d like to branch out and try something sci-fi. I doubt I’ll get the chance to though, since the legends at CyDesignation have built us a reputation for fantastic fantasy design…
- Ohara
- To tell the truth, I don’t particularly have anything I want to draw. I’d rather create designs for a game that already has its direction decided, regardless of the genre. But I guess it would be nice to work on something that would give me the opportunity to draw older men and unconventional characters. We don’t get to do much of that since mobile games require a lot of aesthetically-pleasing men and women in their cast.
- Nagai
- That’s true… The pressure’s always intense when we have to design handsome men and beautiful women. [Laughs]
- Ohara
- How much players want a character is highly dependent on the quality of the illustration, after all. It’s extremely stressful when you’re in charge of designing the next attractive character in the spotlight. [Laughs]
Stepping away from design for a second, what do you do when you need a break or a change of pace?
- Ohara
- I watch videos, play games, read manga… What anyone else would do, mostly.
- Nagai
- Same. Sometimes I’ll also draw things that have nothing to do with my job.
- Ohara
- I’m the opposite. I’m the type that doesn’t want to draw anything outside of work. I have the most fun drawing when I’m doing it for work and as part of a team.
- Nagai
- We’re two completely different personalities, through and through, huh? There’s so much that I want to draw, and I always think about how it could relate back to my work, so I often upload my art to Twitter.
- Nagai
- Mr. Ohara has plenty of skills that I don’t, such as the ability to mentor others in their work. He handles a lot of tasks outside of design, like managing company business. I could see him running CyDesignation in the near future.
Going Beyond Design at CyDesignation
What makes working at CyDesignation special?
- Nagai
- At a regular game company, a designer would normally have a hard time getting a personal project approved. But at CyDesignation, we’re encouraged to share our ideas and explore unique opportunities.
- Ohara
- All the staff are pretty close, physically and emotionally. Take one look around and you’ll always find someone a desk away drawing something or another.
- Nagai
- Everyone’s really friendly. We even refer to Mr. Yoshida by his nickname “Akky.” [Laughs]
- Ohara
- The only person that does that is you. [Laugh]
We had heard about that in the first part of this interview, but none of us knew that was you. [Laughs] He sounds friendly, but is he strict when it comes to work?
- Nagai
- Very. It can be tough to handle sometimes.
- Ohara
- On the other hand, I’m glad that he doesn’t hold back and takes reviewing our work seriously.
One of the goals of this interview is to show the world what it’s like to work at CyDesignation and maybe get a few people interested in applying. What kind of people would you like to see join the team?
- Nagai
- I’d love for people even more skilled than me to come aboard. More rivals means more opportunities for me to improve.
- Ohara
- Sometimes we divide up the work for an illustration, so it’d be nice to have an artist who’s good at coloring join us. I want to be wowed like the way I am when my “Granblue” designs are painted and touched up.
- Nagai
- Oh, I know what you mean. The artists on the “Granblue” illustration team are on another level… But you don’t have to be a genius at art. Anyone with an instinct for design is more than welcome at CyDesignation.
- Ohara
- Being an expert at one thing that makes you stand out is great. But who knows, you could have a knack for design too.
- Nagai
- I wouldn’t think about how hard it could be to get in. Just apply and see what happens. Everyone has learning to do after they join.
To finish, could you tell us about your outlook and goals for the future?
- Nagai
- I want to defeat the legends. [Laughs] I’m only half-kidding. Since working here lets me take on new challenges, I’d like to try my hand at other tasks that don’t involve design.
- Ohara
- I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’d like to collaborate closely with an entire development team and work on a title from the very beginning. We’re currently looking to fill positions for 3D designers, programmers, and other roles, so the opportunity may not be far off as new members continue to join our ranks. I highly encourage anyone interested to apply.
And that’s a wrap on our two-part interview with CyDesignation.
