The reason for the lack of representation of textured hair and protected styles is an issue of prioritization and education. To authentically capture the movement and nuances of Black hairstyles, our lead developer, Isaac Olander, needed to create what previously didn’t exist. And it wasn’t just him. We partnered with various Black 3D artists to create 15 sculpts to enable thousands of possibilities, with 360 degree photo references and step-by-step instructions to optimize adoption. The exceptional form and function was created to offer inclusive and representative gaming experiences, enabling players to see their identities more authentically mirrored in their avatars.

The Code My Crown addresses a longstanding blind spot for the gaming industry. When the programs and algorithms were created for the 3D world, they were made for straight (Caucasian) hair.

With social media conversation raising the question of why Black avatars don’t authentically represent those who play video games, Dove commissioned research to unpack the issue. It found that 85% of Black gamers say they feel underrepresented in video games, specifically when it comes to the depiction of their hair textures. This was confirmed in further qualitative research with game developers, those responsible for character creation, as well as through analysis of four of the most popular games, where only 7% of hairstyles are textured and protective styles.

In an increasingly digital world, this was not a niche problem: 48% of game players identify as female, and 29% of game players are people of colour. Additionally, 87% of Gen-Z say they play games, a critical growth audience for Dove. It meant that in an increasingly digital-native world, in which there were now millions of Black female gamers, Black representation could no longer be considered a niche problem.

At a time when many brands are backtracking on their diversity and inclusion efforts, Dove’s commitment to real and tangible action on behalf of underrepresented women continues to set it apart. It had built deep trust with the Black community by advancing the CROWN Act, which helps protect against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles in America.

Using its hard-won credibility garnered across decades of action, Dove is pushing into new frontiers where representation is still a considerable challenge, and where empowerment and expression are still often suppressed and stifled. 

The gaming industry is one of those frontiers. Unlike other forms of media and advertising, the gaming industry has been surprisingly slow to focus on increasing authentic representation of all women on its platforms – with a real impact on gamers’ ability to see or authentically express themselves in gameplay.

For digital-natives, representation in gaming is as crucial as representation in real life.

But what could Dove could do about the lack of representation in gaming? Afterall, Dove makes hair, skin and beauty products. It doesn’t develop games.

Research showed that 74% of developers would play a role in promoting better representation of textured hair in video games – if they could learn how to code textured Black hair.

IDEA

We collaborated with Open Source Afro Hair Library and a team of Black 3D artists, animators, programmers to create ‘Code my Crown’ - a 200-page downloadable guide training developers in how to code for Black hairstyles. 15 original hair sculpts laid the foundation for hundreds of virtual hair possibilities, offering the coding world the tools and ability to create more inclusive and representative gaming experiences.

Gamers would see their identities more authentically mirrored in their avatars, affirming self-perception and confidence.

What makes the Code My Crown guide so ground-breaking is that it addresses a longstanding blind spot for the gaming industry. Namely, that for all the research, development and back-end that’s been done for 3D programs, it’s all been done excluding Black hair. When the programs and algorithms were created, they were made for straight hair. With Code My Crown, we are addressing a much bigger issue than just how artists create Black hair for games. We are addressing the creation of the 3D programs themselves and finding workarounds for the limitations of the existing software. For instance, the clump modifier tool can make spiral shapes but it wasn’t intended to make spirals twist back on one another. So, one of our artists had to manually manipulate that.

Original workflows were created. We became the first to bring natural locks and twist-outs to the world of 3D. We discovered that all Black hair in the virtual world could be represented by a combination of six base hairstyles. By including this chart in the guide, we made it less daunting for any developer to create any of the desired looks.

As shared by our team of Black 3D artists, one very important aspect of the 200+ page guide is the reference imagery. With Black hair, there’s such a variation of hairstyles and hair types that anyone researching a particular look wouldn’t be able to find all the necessary angles. To address this, we shot 360-degree reference images with real women and men for each and every hairstyle. Working with a team of hairstylists, we made sure we were accurately representing each style, to serve as precise reference for what these looked like in real life and to inform their virtual equivalent.