About Me

Hi there! I’m Savanna, a generalist Art Director that has been working in games since 2007. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked as a graphic designer, UI/UX artist, animator, and tech artist, before my wide range of skills led me to the role of Art Director. I’ve been focused on management and leadership for the past eight years, though I never stop learning about making games.

My jack-of-all-trades background enables me to give varied feedback and support to teams of all kinds of artists, and to work well with designers, engineers, producers, and PMs. I strive for empathy and career growth for my reports, and find no greater success than when a team comes together.

My favorite game is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. When I’m not making and playing games, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two sons, as well as hiking, baking, and writing.

Résumé

Art Direction

I’ve made style guides, mood boards, sketches, prototypes, and design documents to communicate game vision. I take a game-design first approach to art direction, ensuring that the visuals align with the gameplay.

Live games

While I have been on the launch team for six games at Zynga, a lot of my time has been spent managing a live game and maintaining the quality bar for a steady cadence of content releases.

Team Management

I’ve run a team as large as 23, managing both direct reports and art leads. I’ve leveled up employees, written career development docs, and run Performance Improvement Plans.

Tech Art

I often worked on art integration, pipeline improvements, performance optimization, and character rigging. I also wrote extensive documentation for art tools, processes, and VFX flows. I’m experienced with software such as Unity, Photoshop, Illustrator, CocosBuilder, and SpriteBuilder.

UI/UX Design

I’ve developed UX mockups, feature flow prototypes, UI designs, and design specs for game HUDs and features. I’m experienced with software such as Adobe XD and Figma.

Animation

I’ve fully rigged and animated characters in 2D, 2.5D, and full 3D. I’ve also worked extensively on feature animation and VFX. I’m experienced with software such as Maya, 3DSMax, and Live2D.

Awards

  • Employee of the Month Award, Zynga, 2022

  • Employee of the Month Award, Zynga, 2020

  • Hackathon Hero Award, Zynga, 2017

  • People’s Choice Award, Zynga, 2016

  • People’s Choice Award, Zynga, 2015

  • Rockstar Excellence in Tech Art Award, Zynga, 2015