The Process of a Level Designer

This was originally written on the 14th of November, but for reasons unknown to me, did not appear, so I have posted it here.
In the printed submission, You will find this in its proper place!

I realised today I have not spoken about the actual process that I am using to do my work, and while it is relatively simple, I feel it is something that would be helpful for people looking at my work to know.
I talk about some of my level designs I have finished which have not yet been posted on the blog. Please refer to my work if you’d like to see them!

Step 1) Pick an IP
This is the part of my work I am finding the hardest, with an uncountable number of options to work with, selecting something that I feel would make an interesting level, and also something that I would be happy to work with is quite difficult.
At present, I have a long list of IP’s I COULD use, but I need to believe that I can make something of a high quality from it.

Step 2) Research it, and identify the type of game
Once I have picked something, I spend a while looking at it, reading about it on the internet, and doing my best to see the original source. (For example, I tracked down The Cat in the Hat in the UCLan library, and had a look at a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar that belonged to a friend.)

While watching, reading, and researching this, I will take notes (sometimes mentally) on what goes on and how it might, if at all, work as a game.

Step 3) Boil it down to its core elements that will be used in game play
Once I’ve established what kind of game it will be, I will look back over my research and note the key moments in the narrative, and either turn it into a level itself (For example, tidying up in The Cat in the Hat) or simply translate the entire thing into a level (The Gingerbread Man.)
When I created the Godzilla level, I took a different approach. I set the game within the environment, and tried to make the player feel they were a part of it.

Step 4) Plot these elements out as a level
Next, I will take the elements I have chosen above, and put them in an order for game play, and add more between it.
an example of this would be creating the various sections of level for The Gingerbread Man, including the little old ladies house, the farm and barn where the animals and farm workers chase you, and the river where the meets his unfortunate demise.

Step 5) Present the level coherently and in a relevant style.
To finish up, I do something which I mentioned earlier in the blog. I try to present the level in a neat and understandable way, but also in a style that best suits the IP, to help give some context to the level.
A dark and broody presentation of a Pingu level would just be silly.