# 01 Reference Gathering

## What We Collect

Reference gathering is for analysis, not imitation. The team collects notes about:

| Category | What to Study | What to Avoid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inspiration | mood, attitude, clarity, energy | direct character copying |
| Materials | reflections, roughness, edge wear | duplicating a costume or prop |
| Architecture | scale, rhythm, era, surface damage | copying landmark layouts |
| Pixel art | cluster control, readability, value use | tracing sprites |
| Lighting | key light, rim light, contrast bands | matching a single source exactly |
| Motion | anticipation, impact, recovery | copying animation poses |
| Silhouettes | broad read, negative space, proportions | recognizable external IP shapes |

## Reference Notes

Each reference note must answer:

- What principle is useful?
- Which Streetline Heroes rule does it support?
- What original direction does it suggest?
- What must not be copied?

## Originality Gate

Any visual idea that depends on another existing design being recognizable is rejected. A useful reference produces a principle; it never produces a finished asset design.