Character/Experiential designs

As far back as I can remember, I was “the kid who could draw”.

But early on in my career I had a profound realization. Drawing was just a tool to get at what I really was interested in: storytelling.

I view almost everything through the lens of storytelling: characters, experiences, websites, etc. Even making a strategic marketing plan is a story. What is a marketing team, after all, if not a a band of plucky heroes, on a quest, who need to overcome obstacles to reign victorious?

The story behind Dora

THE IDEA: Pre-school kids are our least powerful citizens: they can’t reach the light switch. They can’t get down the cereal bowl. They can’t turn on the stove. So what do pre-schoolers desire?

Power. Power to do things on their own.

So we created a show to empower them with problem-solving tools: defining the problem, mapping out a solution, and breaking things down into steps.

We abandoned the woodland creature characters we’d been developing and settled on an effervescent little girl. At first she was a blonde named Tess; briefly she was re-named Nina.

But then the last two threads came together: 1. Nickelodeon’s audience research team pointed out that the LatinX was the fastest-growing demographic, and; 2. we realized this was a great opportunity to introduce kids to computer skills like pointing and clicking.

Put those two together: what’s the Spanish word for computer? Computadora! And Dora the Explorer was born.

THE IMPACT: Dora remains a beloved character. She rose to be one of three mega-brands in the world, and she’s made it into the pantheon of cultural icons. Not bad!

One of the earliest concept sketches for Dora. Watch this video about her origin story!

Finding the through-line

THE IDEA: For the FDNY Firezone—an amazing fire safety experiential learning center—we came up with the concept “Fire is powerful… but so are you!” and managed to weave this concept through every aspect of the experience. Why are firefighting tools so organized and well-maintained? Because fire is powerful… but so are you. Why are these otherwise normal apartment settings so devastated? Because fire is powerful… you get the idea.

THE IMPACT: The experience became an immediate hit with both the general public as well as NYC school groups. What started as a two-year run stretched into over 12 years of solid bookings. After the loss of so many firefighters on 9/11, The FDNY Firezone also became the go-to location where the public could share their thanks with New York’s bravest.

Watch a video of the experience (5 min.) here.

Thinking holistically

THE IDEA: The Switchamacallits—three animal friends who can try on the body parts of any creature they meet. When I first pitched the idea, most people responded, “Oh, that would make a great science show.” But I had another idea: why not use this idea of “walking a mile in someone else’s hooves” as a fun way to teach empathy and valuing the differences in others?

Jax the Leopard, Stella the Crocodile and Raj the Rhinoceros go on adventures all over the world, discovering what it’s like to have the on-high world view of a giraffe, the down-low perspective of an ant or the embarrassing moments suffered by a skunk. It’s going to make for a great animated series… but also a fun line of toys for kids to model “trying things on” in their play. Since the toys had to be modular by necessity, I let that drive the design of the animated characters, leading to the cute, squat, stumpy look that is not unlike the target audience: 4-year olds.

THE IMPACT: This concept is still in development, so stay tuned for how it does. But test audiences of 4-7 year-olds have so far given it rave reviews.

  • Jax the Leopard

    The leader of the pack, Jax is curious about everything and everyone. He’s so curious, in fact, he often leads the Switchamacallits into very sticky situations.

  • Stella the Crocodile

    As BRAINY as she is brave, Stella is the smartest kid on the savanna. Her fascinating facts and pragmatic penchant for planning get the gang out of plenty of jams.

  • Raj the Rhinoceros

    A free spirit, Raj is always experimenting with new and different ways to exercise his magical ability to switch. What’s it like to have wings on your butt? A squid tentacle for a nose? Raj can tell you.

  • Awkward moments abound

    Imagine sprouting a stinky skunk’s butt in the middle of school—and not knowing yet how to control it? It’s moments like these that make Jax wonder if switching is worth it.

  • Learning to switch

    Jax, Stella and Raj are learning the nuances of switching from the ancient grand master Switchamacallit himself: Old Gnu.

  • Toy prototypes

    Whether you’re a second-grader or a CEO, playing around with the switchable toys is irresistible.

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