The thread this was discussed in is at http://www.worldofleveldesign.net/forums/showthread.php?2100-GDC-2012-San-Francisco
This is what DevinSherry had to say
Hey guys,
I just got back last night from the trip to San Francisco and I learned a lot about what studios are looking for in portfolios when it comes to those who are applying for level design positions. I got a portfolio review from one of the designers at Insomniac Games and she helped me out a lot in regards to what they are looking for when looking at the portfolios of applicants. For designers, they don't want to see how pretty the level is, they want to see top-downs of the level, gray box environments with descriptions of the play space and the design process behind the decision making of cover placements, elevation shifts, and many others. I made the mistake in trying to make my portfolio as pretty as possible where I should have focused on the designs themselves.
I also talked with Valve about what they look for in potential employees, and their take on the hiring process was a lot different from the other companies that I spoke with. When it comes to Valve, they don't care how nice your resume is, or how nice your portfolio looks; they want the consumer to persuade them to hire you! What that means is, if your game is really popular within the genre community that you were going for, they will look into you because of that. Having shipped products that caused a stir in the industry, or may not have for that matter, is the biggest factor Valve looks for in employees. One of the writers of Portal and Portal 2 was a writer who posted funny comics on his website, and that site got so popular, Valve looked into him and even hired him!
I also talked to Darkside Studios who said, when I asked about what they look for in level designers, is that there are two types of level designers at their studio; the first being technical designers who focus mainly in Kismet, and then there are the artistic designers who take art assets and dress the level in the editor. Both types take part in the actual level design aspect of the level.
One of the lessons that I took from this years GDC is that when companies look for designers, they usually mean level designers. In most companies, the designers are also the ones who design the levels as well as design the main mechanics of the game. This may vary from studio to studio, but a good majority of industry professionals work this way. I hope this has helped in some way, and everyone should attend GDC at least once!
Game changing stuff I must say, if you are looking to specialize in Level Design take this on board and while your at it, sign up to the World of Level Design forums and get involved!
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