Vowland — Narrative IP
Role: Founder, Author, Illustrator, Creative Director, Producer
Company: PlayMade Studio
Timeline: Multi-year, shipped 2 titles
Scope: Original IP development, narrative design, visual direction, production, launch
Tools: AI tools (ChatGPT, AI Studio, Bing Image Creator), Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Notion, Unreal Engine (early prototyping)
Overview
Vowland is an original fantasy IP I developed as a full end-to-end production exercise. It spans narrative design, visual worldbuilding, publishing, and early interactive prototyping.
The project demonstrates my approach to creative leadership, scope management, and delivering polished work independently, leveraging modern production workflows and AI-assisted pipelines.
Vowland & The Lost Colors
Vowland & The Lost Colors is the second story set in the world of Vowland, expanding the universe through color, emotion, and collaborative problem-solving. Like the first book, it blends gentle fantasy with playful learning, designed to feel calm, imaginative, and storybook-soft.
Inspired by my daughters and my background in games and visual storytelling, Vowland & The Lost Colors turns creativity into a quest:
“One day, Vowland begins to fade. Its bright colors slowly disappear, leaving the world dull and quiet. Shae returns to Vowland to discover what’s gone wrong — and learns that restoring color means understanding feelings, teamwork, and expression. As she journeys through familiar and new places, each lost color reveals a small lesson about imagination and emotional awareness.
Can Shae help bring Vowland’s colors back before they’re gone forever?”
Availability
Published on Amazon: Amazon
Process & Ideation: The images below show my iterative workflow for Vowland & The Lost Colors / ABC ZZZ Quest — from AI references to thumbnail sketches, leading to the final illustrations including using AI for narrative feedback. Each step informed the next, demonstrating how I combine ideation, visual experimentation, and final polish.
Vowland: ABC ZZZ Quest
My first book in the series, ABC ZZZ Quest, was inspired by my daughters and a lifelong love of video games, cartoons, and visual storytelling. It turns learning into an imaginative journey:
“One night, Shae finds herself wide awake, unable to fall asleep.
To create a bedtime story, she sets off to find the letters of the alphabet — one by one — across the magical land of Vowland. Along the way, she encounters whimsical landscapes and friendly characters, each tied to a different letter.
Will she find the words she needs to drift off to sleep?”
Availability Published on Amazon: Amazon
