kuvailijaasion

Kuvailijaasion is a term used in Finnish-language discourse to describe a workflow for visualizing narrative concepts through imagery. The word combines kuvailija, meaning "imaginer" or "illustrator," with a suffix that marks an action or process, producing a neologism that refers to the act of envisioning visual possibilities for stories, games, or media projects. The term emerged in the 2010s within discussions of speculative fiction, animation, and game development and is primarily found in online glossaries, design blogs, and academic writing rather than in standard dictionaries.

In practice, kuvailijaasion encompasses activities such as creating concept art, storyboards, mood boards, and rapid visual explorations. It foregrounds the imaginative act and the collaborative process, often involving writers, designers, and illustrators who iterate on scenes, settings, characters, and technologies before committing to full production.

Relation to other concepts: It overlaps with pre-visualization, concept art, and worldbuilding, but proponents argue that it centers on the imaginative generation of possible scenarios rather than the later refinement of a finished product. Critics note that the term is still informal and may be used inconsistently across projects.

Examples of usage include discussions in indie game development, animation concept pipelines, and transmedia storytelling debates, where kuvailijaasion is described as a stage for exploring visual possibilities before formal production begins.

See also: concept art, pre-visualization, worldbuilding, visualization.