Our approach is to use what we call the Sock.
The sock is the base model that we know that no mater what comes afterward will always work with the animation design as a point of reference with out the need for completed art as well offers the greatest amount of flexibility as to the need for unique design.
On it’s own it is for the most part a completed player model and any additions as to feature iterations is done to this model first as part of the global functionality and any unique design elements adjusted as needed.