CHARACTER DESIGN
DESIGN OF EMO AND IT'S TOY ECOSYSTEM
Creating a Mascot and Ecosystem for India's leading company in early child education. It has sold 1.5 million copies. Includes an ecosystem of abstract playful environment and
elements were designed to form a cohesive design system to
inculcate unbiased learning for children.
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CHARACTER DESIGN
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this character design project was to create a mascot and its associated ecosystem, including a set of characters and environmental elements, for a series of books and activities targeting children aged 2 to 5. This project was undertaken while I served as the Design Head for Flintobox, an early learning startup. The primary challenge was to develop a simple and universally understood visual language that could be easily grasped by new members of the visual design and product design teams. It was essential to achieve this within the context of the startup's tight deadlines without compromising the quality of the design.
As a toy designer and a mother of a toddler during that time, I understood the needs of young readers and parents. I actively searched for good books for my child and recognized the importance of simple and engaging visuals for effective communication with early readers, who rely more on pictures than text (Intuitive visual communication). Additionally, it aimed to inspire parents to be creative and spontaneous while reading and actively engaging with their children.
FORM DEVELOPMENT
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CHARACTER EMO
Bear like ears
Bead eyes
Wide mouth
Minimal flexible and transformable hands
Minimal elliptical legs
No hair
Invisible nose
Organic circular face
Resembling bread dough ball
Organic body
Resembling egg form apple colour
Disproportionate body
Strong silhouette for high recall
Emo is designed for young children and their carers to enable play-based learning.
SOLUTION
The solution involved the creation of Character Emo, which was subsequently introduced in the monthly subscription theme-based activity boxes and series of storybooks for children aged 2 to 5. Emo not only added substantial value to the boxes but also established a strong connection with children, evident from the exceptional user feedback received by the organization for the character design.
Emo, a simple and non-gendered character, was meticulously designed with a highly minimalistic approach that adhered to the principle of 'less is more.' For example, a fruit was represented as a basic coloured circle without intricate textures or details, leaves took the form of ovals, books, vehicles windows were represented with the use of basic shapes and greenery was depicted as basic patches of solid green. The visual treatment employed solid flat colours represented in 2D without 3D and gradations considering child perception ability and featuring straightforward illustrations with strong silhouettes for high recall intuitively and it also make it easy for children to understand. This approach not only made it easy for children to understand but also encouraged them to doodle as they developed their drawing skills over time.
In regards to one of the most important aspect, environment, emo does activities and work in and around the home environment which is mostly familiar for most of the children to relate and connect intuitively without an effort. It also helps them to relate to the characters by empathizing themselves selves with it. Apart from that Emo also takes up few pretend profession with change of one or two accessories to narrate a whole different story every month to actively engage the user to wait for the monthly subscription activity box.
OUTCOME
The successful introduction of Character Emo into the organization's products resulted in an exceptional level of user satisfaction and engagement. Emo's simple and intuitive design not only resonated with young readers but also fostered creativity and spontaneity among parents as they read and interacted with their children. This case study demonstrates how effective design can bridge the gap between early readers and their parents, creating a memorable and engaging learning experience.
Activities inside one of the home themed Flintobox with Emo and it’s environment.
CONCLUSION
The character design project aimed to create a universally understood visual language for young readers and parents, resulting in the creation of Character Emo. Emo's simple and intuitive design significantly boosted user satisfaction and engagement, encouraging creativity and interaction between parents and children, demonstrating the effectiveness of well-designed educational tools. With 1.5 million units sold and overwhelming positive feedback, sparked my interest in further exploring character design for children. I aspire to research and author a comprehensive guide on designing characters, illustrating stories, creating animations, and developing play spaces and learning environments for children, providing valuable insights for those entering this creative field.