Gogo the Mascot for the GoCoding school

The task

The school needed a hero that children would remember and parents would recognize: on the website, in advertising and in class. We did not want to use the familiar city animals, like the ones drawn on postcards about New York: many have such symbols. We needed our own, independent hero.

The idea of the hero

We chose a little dragon in a superhero mask. The dragon is imagination. The mask is the “superpowers” children get when they learn to code. The result is a kind and brave hero.

How we did it

1. The sketch and the 3D model

   • Sketch
   • 3D

   We started with a pencil sketch and then made a 3D model in Blender. The grey “clay” model is needed to check the hero’s shape from all sides before coloring.

   • Form. The hero looks kind and looks good from any side.
   • The mask and the cape. Two details by which he is recognized at first glance.

   

2. Color and character

   • Color
   • Character

   We painted the hero blue and white, and the red cape and scarf added a bright accent. The pose is confident: hands on hips. We used neural networks when working on the images of the hero.

   • Soft shapes. A round head, big eyes and rosy cheeks make the hero friendly.
   • One main hero. The face and the character stay the same, only the costumes change.
3. Looks for the courses

   • Costumes
   • Courses

   Gogo easily “changes clothes”. For different courses we drew different looks: glasses and a math textbook, a Minecraft cube, a laptop on a soft armchair, a programmer’s hoodie.

   • One hero, many stories. A child recognizes Gogo on any course.
   • A unified style. The costume is different, but the face and the character are the same.

   

4. The idea of a collection of looks

   • Idea
   • Collection

   To develop the hero we suggested an idea: Gogo in the looks of the universes children love. A new look “unlocks” for success in class, and the goal is to collect the whole set. This is an idea, not a ready-made line: rights to other people’s characters have to be agreed separately.

   

5. Merch for knowledge

   • Idea
   • Merch

   Students collect “Go-dollars” for success in class and exchange them for collectible Gogo figures in their favorite look. This way a child builds their own “Gogo multiverse” right on the desk. We think such merch can become a strong advantage for the school and a reason to come back for the next course.

   • Go-dollars. A reward for success in class.
   • Figures. A collectible Gogo in different looks.

   

   

Where Gogo lives

On the school’s website Gogo greets a child on the first screen and on the course cards. He appears in advertising and on souvenirs: caps, badges, keychains.

The result

• The school has its own hero with a character, not just a picture
• The basic pose, looks for different courses and the idea of a collection for the future
• The hero is already used on the website, in advertising and on souvenirs
• The look fits the school’s new website and brand book

What the work included

• Idea and character
• Sketch
• A 3D model in Blender
• Looks for the courses
• Advertising and souvenirs