GDC Festival of Gaming is part of the Informa Festivals Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

March 9-13, 2026
Moscone CenterSan Francisco, CA

Agenda

The Dialogue Design Panel: A Role with a Million Names

Charles Pateman  (Dialogue Designer, Independent)
Kareem Shuman  (Dialogue Lead, Insomniac Games)
Monet Gardiner  (Dialogue Designer, SIE - Playstation - Creative Arts)
Heather Plunkard-Serge  (Dialogue Lead, EA - Respawn)
Location: Room 2018, West Hall
Date: Thursday, March 12
Time: 3:10 pm - 4:10 pm
Pass Type: Festival Pass, Game Changer Pass - Get your pass now!
Audience Level: Intermediate
Track: Audio
Format: Panel
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: Intermediate

Dialogue Design is a growing specialization within Audio Design for games and it is quickly becoming an essential addition to any audio team. Otherwise known as Voice Design or VO Design, it expands far beyond essential casting, recording and post-production work, including the design thinking behind it, the systems which drive it, and the planning and strategic thinking to make it a reality.

Dialogue Designers wield voice as a creative tool to its greatest effect and this panel of experts will explore the many aspects of Dialogue Design for games which are often overlooked and not commonly discussed. Join us to hear how panelists approach their work, harness the psychological power of voice to support a project's creative vision and learn about both the creative and technical approaches our speakers use to bring voice to life in games.

Takeaway

Through this panel, attendees will learn how Dialogue Design fits into audio teams and the game development process, the challenges, and creative opportunities in this growing field of game audio.

Intended Audience

Audio/Sound Designers and students, Audio Directors/Leads/Designers, Voice/Dialogue Designers, Voice Directors and Voice Actors, anyone working closely with VO such as Producers, Narrative Designers, Localization, Game Designers, QA, Cinematics Designers, or anyone interested in what Dialogue Design contributes to game audio development.