One of the processes we've found to work successfully isn't much of a process at all. Robb Waters, our concept artist, will begin with a sketch (sometimes several sketches) of a new character model. He'll draw him in some dynamic pose. At some point, he'll call me or a designer or an artist (any team member to be honest) and ask for our two cents. All it can take is the right phrase and you've got an entire backstory. The same can be said when it comes to creating a concept for a new character.