Rock Band 4 note highway with diamond note gems, gold-bordered lanes, and green glowing amp housings firing hit VFX
Rock Band 4 — Harmonix logo

Exploratory concept piece, by Lee Williamson

←Selected Work

Visual Design

HUD & VFX — Lead Artist

Designed the on-screen elements and effects players needed to read while performing, refining the franchise's established visual language for Rock Band 4.

  • Led HUD and VFX design across gameplay screens.
  • Partnered with the art director and technical artists to deliver HUD and VFX all the way into the game engine.
  • Created readable timing, hit, and reward feedback without unnecessary visual noise.
Rock Band 4 gameplay scene with three note highways, a live band, crowd, and score UI
Shipped gameplay: HUD and VFX built for readable rhythm play with a music-forward identity.

Freestyle Solo — Lead Artist

Led the visual development of Freestyle Guitar Solos, establishing the track-symbol language used in the shipped feature.

  • Worked with the Solo Team to design symbols for beat lengths, techniques, and feedback states.
  • Explored and validated the visual language through concept development.
  • Carried the approved patterns into the final in-game designs.
Freestyle Solo track-symbol concept sheet with 8-beat and 1-beat wood-grain panels, a feedback state, and the note highway
One of my Freestyle Solo concept pieces — this track-symbol pattern became the design used in the shipped game.
Freestyle Guitar Solo quick-start legend showing sustain, strum 2x/4x, tapping, feedback, and free states with low and high lanes
The Freestyle Solo symbol legend — sustain, strum, tapping, and feedback states built from the track-symbol language whose design I led among my team.
In-game Rock Band 4 freestyle solo screenshot with a curving blue note highway, purple and orange feedback trails, and a band on stage
Freestyle Solo live in-engine — the track symbols and feedback trails in action during gameplay.

Additional Visual Development

Created instruments, hardware, and props that extended the Rock Band visual language beyond the gameplay HUD.

  • Developed concepts from early exploration through finished presentation.
  • Designed selected assets that were produced and shipped in-game.
  • Created additional exploratory work to investigate new forms and gameplay surfaces.
Concept render of a battle-axe-shaped Rock Band 4 guitar with a black body, axe-blade lower bout, and gold strings
Axe guitar concept for eventual use in game.
In-game Rock Band 4 screenshot of a character on stage playing the axe-shaped guitar under purple lighting with Fender amps
The same axe guitar in-engine — the concept realized in gameplay.
Retro Rock Band Arc-Amp hardware concept sheet showing multiple views and a gameplay surface
Retro “Arc-Amp” — hardware I designed and modeled; an exploratory concept piece.
In-game Rock Band 4 render of a guitar effects pedalboard with Highway Metal, British Rock, British Classic, Echo, Chorus, and Vibe pedals on a stage floor
Positive Grid pedalboard — designed and modeled by me, shown in-game.

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Performance Direction

Writing & Talent Direction

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