This week I have mostly been working on the design of the first map. Which later turned into level 2. This is the end result along with the level design I was given:
My assignment was to hand-draw the map, following the structure of the level design. We chose to do our levels this way because we felt it was important for the feeling of the game to have more detailed maps, instead of regular tiles. I designed the level keeping the concept picture I drew some time back in mind, since there was nothing else specific we had agreed on with the group. Here, below, is the concept:
The only thing that was clear about the design is that it is supposed to be underwater and probably a sunken ship. I saw some difficulities, though, drawing it as a ship considering the level design. It is not very probable that the inside of a ship would be built so inconvenient. We had a discussion with the group and came to the conclusion that we felt that it is more important to have interesting maps rather than a realistic layout of a ship.
To somehow deal with the problem of the ship’s design, I decided to add ladders in the high areas where it would be impossible to walk or even climb. This also helps the diver in the bigger rooms, since generally people tend to keep to walls in the dark: to have something to follow. With the ladders in the middle of the room, it gives the player something other than the walls to follow when feeling lost.
I also chose to add different elements to the ship, other than the regular walls. Some vegetation was added to show that the ship has been there for some time and other decoration, such as the sign, was added to give some more interesting elements to the map. The sign and the warning lights are supposed to be slighlty lit up, which gives the player some extra vision and not just their own light and their flare gun. We thought it would be fun to add different light sources during the levels to show that this was once something functioning. It also provides some security for the player. These will have to be added as seperate objects, since it is far from optimal to animate the whole map. Animation for these items will hopefully be completeted in a later stage during the project.
The whole thing was drawn in Paint Tool Sai.
Emma Fredriksson 
Hello Emma!
I like the map you’ve made; it feels organic with the vegetation/goo that almost looks like it got alien antennae because they take the edges off the rooms. It helps to make the rooms feel less like empty squares that have been put together, which is what I´m guessing you hoped to avoid when you chose to draw the whole map.
Another thing that you´ve done that helps break this map out of the chess board look is the lines that don´t run completely parallel with the walls, the ones in the panels and pipes. The varied thickness of the lines contributes as well.
I can see that you were following the whole map nicely, but I get curious about what the yellow and red areas on the map are supposed to represent and if you have shown any of them in your finished drawing (do the player get any sense of what might be in that area judging their visual surroundings?)
The solution with the ladders was smart and used well here. They give the map a little bit more dimension and I can easily see that they are part of the background and not going to cut me off. Speaking of dimension the faded pipes in the background are really doing the trick and the foreground/walls stick out in front of them very clearly.
Good continued luck with this beautifully spooky game!
GillaGilla