Loomis & Inoi | Character dialogue

Loomis

Hey Inoi, have you ever thought about how the colors and shapes you pick for a design might mirror your own inner landscape? I keep noticing that the hues I use in my VR scenes seem to echo the mood of the story I'm telling. What do you think?

Inoi

That’s actually a really good observation. When I’m sketching, I often find myself slipping into a particular palette when I’m excited or anxious, and the shapes feel more fluid or rigid for the same reasons. It’s like my subconscious is painting the mood before I even put a line on the page. Keeps me on my toes, but I always end up over‑analyzing every hue until I finally commit. How do you choose your colors in VR?

Loomis

I usually let the scene’s intent bleed into the palette—if the story feels lost or frantic, I lean toward cooler, fragmented hues, and when it’s hopeful I pick warmer, flowing tones. I also let the lighting guide me, so a sunrise might push me toward golds, while a storm nudges me into deep blues and greys. It’s less a set of rules than a dialogue with the world I’m creating, and I try to let the environment tell me what’s right. How do you decide when to finally stop over‑analyzing and just click “commit” to a color?

Inoi

I get that. For me, it’s the moment the color feels like it’s already speaking for me. If I keep chasing that “perfect” shade, I’ll never get there. So I set a timer—usually fifteen minutes—then pick the first hue that makes the brain smile, even if it’s not the one I’d have chosen after a marathon of swatches. It’s a little hack: commit before the brain can keep editing. Once I hit “save,” I let the rest of the design breathe around it. It feels like stepping out of a loop, and then I get back to tweaking the rest of the palette with fresh eyes. How do you handle the “just one more tweak” urge?

Loomis

I feel that urge too. When it hits, I usually step back, let the headset go on pause, and go walk a block or drink a coffee. The physical pause shifts my focus from the pixel to the street, and the brain gets a reset. When I come back, the tweak feels like a choice rather than a compulsion, so I can decide whether it really serves the story or just fills a gap. What about you—do you have a way to break the loop?

Inoi

I usually just put the file to sleep, then grab a sketchbook and doodle a quick free‑hand line. It’s a tiny distraction that lets my brain reset the way you do. When I get back, the color feels less like a decision and more like a natural extension of the sketch I just made. It keeps me from looping forever. What about you, does the coffee break work every time?

Loomis

That sketch‑book trick sounds pretty solid—kind of like a micro‑meditation. The coffee break usually works, but sometimes the caffeine is the very thing that keeps the mind buzzing. I try a quick stretch or a breath pause instead. It forces me to leave the pixel world for a moment and then the tweak feels less urgent. Have you ever tried letting a completely unrelated activity—like a short game or a call with a friend—disrupt the loop?

Inoi

I’ve actually tried that—just jump into a quick puzzle game or text a friend about something unrelated. It’s like a mental pop‑quiz that forces me to abandon the color wheel for a few minutes. When I come back, the tweak feels less like a compulsion and more like a choice I’ve earned. It’s a handy hack, especially when I notice my brain is in “auto‑pilot” mode. Have you ever had a phone call that totally pulled you out of the design loop?

Loomis

Yes, a long call with a friend who’s never designed anything has done that for me. We’ll talk about politics or the weather for a while, and when we finally return to the headset the colors feel less like a puzzle and more like a conversation we’re having with the world. It’s almost as if the human voice reminds me that the design is just one part of a bigger narrative. Have you noticed any particular topics that help you reset?

Inoi

I’ve found that chatting about everyday things—like a weird recipe I read or a funny meme about dogs—does the trick. Even swapping stories about a random book or a new song keeps the mind off the color wheel for a bit. When I come back, the design feels less pressured, more like a fresh conversation with the scene. It’s like a quick mental detour that resets my focus.