© Mehr Arora
Earn Your Stripes
To make user milestones feel more rewarding and emotionally engaging, we designed a set of collectible 3D characters that users unlock as they progress through the app. Instead of generic badges, these characters act as small moments of delight something users can feel proud of earning and enjoy coming back to.
Each character represents a distinct personality type, allowing users to see a bit of themselves reflected in their reward. The goal was to create avatars that feel charming, memorable, and slightly opinionated characters that could exist beyond the app as a recognizable visual system.
The final set includes a confident tiger, a grounded bear, and a mischievous cat each with their own visual language, attitude, and backstory.
Meet Pixel
This one unlocked the milestone… accidentally. Curious, playful, and slightly unhinged, the cat represents users who explore the app in unexpected ways. They click everything, try everything, and somehow still win.
Meet Ace
Ace doesn’t just hit milestones he he sprints past them. Confident, competitive, and always dressed for the win, he represents users who thrive on momentum and visible progress.
Meet Milo
Milo doesn’t rush milestones he reaches them one steady step at a time. Calm, dependable, and quietly confident, he represents users who believe consistency beats speed and progress is built, not chased.
Behind the scenes
Design Intent
These characters were designed as emotional rewards meant to feel earned, not simply unlocked. Each avatar’s shape, material, and detailing is driven by personality traits, creating clear visual differentiation and strong recall through simple silhouettes and bold color identities. The system is built to scale, allowing for future characters, personalities, and collectible expansions without losing cohesion.
In-app Use
