Prof. Manu Narain

Prof. Manu Narain is a 3D Environment Artist with over seven years of game industry experience and seven years in academia. He has worked with EX2 Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., World University of Design, RingZero Studios (Thailand), and Bethesda Games, Maryland, USA. His professional portfolio includes contributions to globally recognized titles such as Fallout and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

With expertise spanning environment art, game production pipelines, and immersive worldbuilding, he combines creative excellence with strong technical knowledge. His academic work reflects a commitment to innovative pedagogy, curriculum development, and mentoring future game artists and designers.

By blending international industry exposure with academic leadership, Prof. Manu creates a learning environment where students gain practical insight into contemporary game development and production standards.

Prof. Manu previously served as Associate Professor at the World University of Design, where he contributed significantly to academic leadership, curriculum design, and student mentorship. With over six years of academic experience, he has taught courses in Game Design, Game Programming, and Game Art.

Before transitioning fully into academia, he worked in the gaming industry in India and internationally. At EX2 Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., he developed immersive VR experiences across multiple platforms. He also interned at Bethesda Game Studios and contributed to Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, gaining valuable insight into AAA game production pipelines.

3D Environment Design | Texturing | Modular Asset Creation | Environment Art Pipelines | Unreal Engine Integration | PBR Texturing | Lighting Fundamentals | Worldbuilding | Visual Storytelling | Optimization for Mobile, Console and PC Platforms | Procedural Generation | Real-Time Rendering | Photogrammetry | VR Worldbuilding | Player Psychology in Spatial Design

Prof. Manu believes that strong artistic foundations — shape, silhouette, composition, and material definition — are essential for compelling game art. His teaching emphasizes translating real-world observations into stylized or realistic game assets that communicate clearly and function efficiently within technical constraints.

He strongly advocates hands-on learning through studio-style workflows. Students engage in concept development, sculpting, retopology, UV mapping, baking, texturing, and engine integration. Through regular critiques and guided peer feedback, he helps students refine both their technical abilities and artistic voice.

3D Environment Design | Board Game Design | Game Engine: Unreal | Low-Poly Modelling | Texturing & Lighting

Global Goals Jam 2021 Facilitator. Design Hackathon 2021 Student Mentor. Recipient of the Design and Innovation Capacity Building Programme certification issued by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Prof. Manu is actively engaged in advancing game art education through industry-aligned pedagogy, environment design workflows, and immersive media practices. His scholarly interests include real-time rendering systems, scalable world creation, photogrammetry-based asset pipelines, and optimization techniques for next-generation gaming platforms.

He contributes to academic development through curriculum innovation, student mentoring, workshops, and interdisciplinary collaborations that bridge design creativity with technical execution. His continued engagement with contemporary game production tools ensures students are equipped with globally relevant skills for careers in gaming, XR, and digital entertainment.

Email: manu.narain@ddn.upes.ac.in