Character Design: Why Are Tech Brands Relying on Characters?
Buck Studio, a global leader in design and animation, confirmed this earlier this year in its 2026 predictions: “Companies are now placing characters at the heart of their brand identity, making them the emotional anchor of modern systems: flexible, expressive, and memorable.”
Brands have always sold emotion. Apple sells a lifestyle—a form of minimalist, design-driven relaxation—before selling computers. Nike promotes pushing one’s limits… through a shoe. What’s changing today is the difficulty of standing out.
With the proliferation of digital services (apps, SaaS platforms, AI assistants, online tools), the tech world has become an ocean of solutions that are barely distinguishable from one another and are perceived as cold, complex, and impersonal. How do you create a sense of connection when the product is intangible? How do you stand out when all competitors use the same sterile visual language?
This is where character design becomes strategic. For over 10 years, I’ve been creating visual worlds for brands like Google, Adobe, Airbnb, and Zoho. And I’ve noticed that tech brands that succeed in connecting with their audience embody their services, make them accessible, and tell relatable stories rather than just listing features.
And the trend is gaining momentum: Apple, Mozilla, and the return of brand characters
In March 2026, two tech giants illustrated this trend in spectacular fashion.
Mozilla officially launched “Kit,” the new Firefox mascot. Created with the agency JKR and illustrator Marco Palmieri, Kit embodies “a new companion for a private and open internet” . With no mouth (to avoid the “chatty mascot” effect), expression comes through the eyes, posture, and tail. Kit now appears in the browser, campaigns, and potentially on merchandise. It’s a long-term brand mascot: designed to last, integrated into the system, and deployed wherever Firefox is present.
Apple, for its part, took a different approach. For the launch of the MacBook Neo (the most affordable MacBook, aimed at Gen Z), Apple incorporated an animated 3D version of the Finder icon into its TikTok campaign. The character never received an official name; it was internet users who dubbed him “Lil’ Finder Guy.” Within days, he was everywhere: fan art, 3D models, memes. Apple didn’t create a mascot. It created an opening, and the community did the rest. It’s a viral campaign mascot: a character designed to grab attention, fast and hard.
What do they have in common? In both cases, the characters generated engagement. Massive engagement. And that’s exactly what matters most in communication: in an endless stream of generic content, what stands out is what’s relatable, memorable, and endearing. Characters create what no sleek logo or pastel gradient can offer: empathy, immediate recognition, and the desire to share.
Why the tech world has a particular need for humanization
Tech companies face a paradox: their products are everywhere in our lives, yet remain abstract and intangible. A project management app, a collaboration platform, an AI assistant… How do you build connection and trust with something you can’t see or touch?
Added to this is another problem: visual uniformity. How many tech logos use the same clean sans-serif typeface, the same neon gradients, the same minimalist interfaces? In this context, standing out is no longer an option.
This is precisely where character design comes in as an emotional bridge between the brand and its users. As Gosha Kuznetsov, Creative Director at Buck, points out: “Mascots convey a brand’s energy and values, while allowing everyone to make them their own in their own way.”
Un personnage bien conçu est un moyen d’incarner un service, de le rendre accessible, mémorable, différenciant. Il crée l’identification, la réassurance, l’engagement que l’abstraction ne peut pas offrir.
Character Design in Action: Client Case Studies
Google Pixel – Made You Look
For this Google Pixel campaign, I created some characters: a cat in an aquarium, a starfish, and other funny, memorable creatures that bring technology to life with humor and a fresh twist. The goal: to make the technology behind the latest Google Pixel smartphone fun and accessible.
Zoho – France Campaign
Characters are front and center in their professional settings, using Zoho tools. A diverse cast of characters in action, representing the platform’s real-world users. Minimalist, lighthearted narrative illustrations bring a complex B2B solution to life.
Yohana – The Art of Balance
A diverse cast of characters, a wide range of activities, and a warm visual style that brings a premium concierge service to life. Each illustration tells a story: everyday life, challenges, and the balance we all seek.
Access42 – Ally, Cosmic Guide
A mascot dedicated to digital accessibility. Ally embodies kindness, education, and support in a technical field. A unique character who serves as an ambassador for a vital mission.
My Methodology: From Brief to Characters
1. Understanding the Brand’s DNA
Before I start drawing, I ask questions: What values does the brand stand for? Who is your audience? What emotion do you want to evoke? The answers to these questions help lay the foundation for the character design.
2. Embodying movement and dynamism
My creative approach: seeking fun, movement, dynamism, a sense of ease, relaxation, and joy. My style thrives on action and energy—exactly what tech brands need to counterbalance their static image.
3. Creating Inclusive and Authentic Characters
Inclusivity is a creative responsibility. Diverse body types, a range of skin tones, different abilities, and multiple genders. A successful character system reflects the real diversity of the world we live in and allows everyone to see themselves represented.
4. Think in terms of an evolving system
I design libraries of poses, expressions, and emotions. I consider multiple contexts: social media, UI interfaces, advertising campaigns, and animations. Characters must be flexible enough to work across various platforms while remaining recognizable.
Character Design vs. Mascot: What’s the Difference?
A mascot is generally a single character that serves as a brand ambassador (such as Ally for Access42 or Kit for Firefox).
Character design is broader: it involves creating a universe of characters and a personified visual language. These characters may appear regularly or only occasionally, but they all serve to humanize the brand’s messages (such as the Yohana or Zoho illustrations).
In my projects for tech companies, I rarely create a single mascot. Instead, I design character systems that allow for telling varied stories depending on the needs.
Standing out, creating a sense of connection, and embodying their service: this is why tech brands are banking on characters in 2026.
But a character doesn’t just live in ad campaigns. It must be present throughout the entire brand experience, particularly in interfaces and user journeys.
That’s what I’ll be exploring next month with UI illustration in the service of user experience.
In the meantime, feel free to share this post with your network!