Creating a smart illustration library of Gopher, the Go Mascot
The Go team were planning new social media content featuring their mascot, the Gopher. However, with only a limited number of approved Gopher illustrations, our team suggested a different approach: a versatile Gopher illustration library for effortless future campaigns.
The goal was to design a set of mix-and-match illustrations that could be easily combined to create diverse
social media campaigns.
social media campaigns.
Personal anecdote
A starstruck start
The project kicked off with a meeting I thought would be casual. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the suggestions and encouragement from the engineers present. Little did I know, I was brainstorming with none other than the head of the GO team – Sameer Ajmani, and Russ Cox, a distinguished engineer! Their encouragement fueled my creative fire, and my six-year-old daughter added her own spark with her enthusiasm for the cute Go illustrations.
Challenge
Capturing the essence of an established character
Our initial designs missed the mark. Go Gopher , originally created by Renee French, possesses distinctive characteristics, physicality, style and tone. Grasping this is crucial for ensuring that the assets align authentically with the character's persona.
Gopher characteristics, personality traits, guidelines
Our Secret Weapon? Collaboration!
We conducted a kickoff meeting with the GO team, compiling a list of character traits, guidelines and features. Armed with this knowledge, I formulated a 3-pronged approach:
Solution
Bringing the illustration library to life:
Step 1: Perfecting the Poses: I used the pose sheet provided by the Go team and a Gopher plushie to capture Gopher's iconic movements from every angle.
Step 2: Expressing Gopher's Personality Inspired by the Humaaans library, I categorized Gopher's traits. Then, I brainstormed creative illustrations for each category.
Step 3: Setting the scene: While Go's color scheme is set, we had freedom with the backgrounds. I created a limited yet quirky color palette that complemented Go and popped according to the Go brand guidelines
final deliverable
Gopher illustrations gets greenlit!!
After collaborating with the Go team, we finalized a stellar cast of Go illustrations, ready to star in future
social media campaigns.
social media campaigns.
"Learn with Go" campaign takes flight
With the library stocked with diverse illustrations, crafting social media posts became easy and quick. "Learn with Go" Twitter campaign comprised seven episodes focused on educating developers about the Go learning materials.
Outcomes
The Winning Formula
Speed: From Google I/O to DevFest, any social media asset was ready in just two days!
Happy Stakeholders: The Go team loved the designs and fast delivery.
Campaign Success: "Learn with Go" averaged 50k impressions per post!
Learning
Beyond Design: A Valuable Lesson
Building a character library is rewarding, but designing for an established character with a unique personality was an enriching challenge.
