Recently, I talked with my little brother (19); he wanted to create a story about an alien invasion for a video game he wanted to develop. He asked me to design the alien, so I asked him where the alien was from. He said it didn't matter where the alien was from, only that it needed to look cool. While I understood that, I had to explain to him why it is important to know where the alien is from.
When storytelling, you must think, "Why is it happening?" "How did it happen" and "Where is it happening". In this case, why is the alien invading Earth? Looking back on history, it could be a territorial thing or a desire for goods outside of the creature's environment. Or what I suggested, its planet is dying and the creature is looking for a new home similar to its own. Similar to how the human race thinks we can make Mars a living planet, a similar issue can happen on a different planet.
There is also the design issue; this creature would have evolved and adapted to its environment; if they are from a colder climate, it might have fur or a swamp; perhaps it's more reptilian or aquatic. The environment of this creature's home planet is essential to its story and what it looks like; such examples are used in Star Wars with the creatures of Tatooine, which used to be an ocean planet but has dried up; as such many of the aliens in that planet resemble sea folk that has evolved over time.
It is from the design and the concept of the planet that you can make those connections we see in the real world, and this is not just seen in Science Fiction but in fantasy, horror, or historical fiction. This idea aids the creator and inspires the viewers. That pulls them into this world we create. Our job as designers and entertainers is not just to make something look good but to create a form of escapism for the viewer, one that will be believable, which is why it is so important to consider the lore of each character within a story, no matter how big or small it may be.
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