TikTok Avatar

Build a system where creative ideas, technology, production, and user scenarios could scale together.

Background

A customizable avatar system built to lift TikTok Live watch duration and publish rates, powered by the real-time camera, live streaming, and collaborative creation.

My Role

As 3D Art Director I built the avatar system and pipeline from scratch with the Tool and Interactive Engineering teams, drawing on my game-industry background.

The Approach

Tool feedback that shaped the pipeline

Designers shaped the tools, not just used them. Every production pain point below became a fix in the pipeline.

01
3D Import

Worked through model import issues so assets from DCC software landed in the editor predictably, without hand-fixing.

02
Shader & Lighting

Optimized shader materials and lighting rendering to hit the visual bar within real-time constraints.

03
Animation

Improved animation capability so avatars could perform expressively, not just pose.

04
Prefab Output

Simplified the prefab output process, cutting the steps between finished art and shipped asset.

From 0 to 1

A system, not a stack of assets

SmartSVN brought the first version-control workflow, and the pipeline made asset production repeatable. That foundation shipped 366+ assets across effects, DM stickers, and live.

Stickers

Avatar sticker 1 Avatar sticker 2 Avatar sticker 3 Avatar sticker 4 Avatar sticker 5 Avatar sticker 6 Avatar sticker 7 Avatar sticker 8 Avatar sticker 9 Avatar sticker 10 Avatar sticker 11 Avatar sticker 12 Avatar sticker 13 Avatar sticker 14 Avatar sticker 15 Avatar sticker 16 Avatar sticker 17 Avatar sticker 18 Avatar sticker 19 Avatar sticker 20 Avatar sticker 21 Avatar sticker 22 Avatar sticker 23 Avatar sticker 24 Avatar sticker 25 Avatar sticker 26 Avatar sticker 27 Avatar sticker 28 Avatar sticker 29 Avatar sticker 30 Avatar sticker 31 Avatar sticker 32 Avatar sticker 33 Avatar sticker 34 Avatar sticker 35 Avatar sticker 36

Asset improvement

Basemesh improvement
Blendshape polish
Rendering improvement 1
Rendering improvement 2
Rendering improvement 3
Rendering improvement 4

I don't just design the experience. I think about the system that makes the experience possible.

Live Streaming

TikTok Avatar for Live

Anyone can express themselves on stream. We grew the head system into a full body with shape adjustment, outfits, and an alpha texture system for variety, shipping 100+ full-body assets.

Adoption hit 100% in microphone and multi-person streaming, sessions average about 8 minutes, and 95% of hosts use it again.

Full-body avatar lineup with outfits and accessories

Avatar Creation

Co-host

Virtual host

Multiple users chatting