The brief
A wonderful collaborative project with Access42, a company specializing in digital accessibility audits, consulting, and training.
The goal: create a mascot embodying their cosmic universe while making accessibility concepts more approachable.
The mascot needed to simplify the understanding of training modules while maintaining a professional and reassuring presence.
Creating Ally
From exploration to creation came Ally — a character with rounded contours, a cheerful face, and distinctive oversized glasses.
The name, inspired by the numeronym “a11y” (accessibility), reflects its guiding mission. The sketchy quality of the lines brings spontaneity and authenticity to the brand’s digital universe.
Finding the right balance between geometric simplicity and expressiveness, allowing the character to adapt to different situations while remaining instantly recognizable.
The creative initiative
To optimize Ally’s design, I created interface mockups to test the mascot in real-world scenarios. This initiative helped fine-tune adjustments and validated the character’s effectiveness in its context of use.
The project then expanded to the creation of a cosmic infographic and pictogram design, turning technical concepts into accessible and engaging visuals.
The collaboration
Working with Access42, a cooperative company, gave the project a unique dimension: every team member could contribute to Ally’s evolution.
A stimulating challenge that could have complicated the process, but instead became a real asset thanks to smooth communication and well-structured constructive feedback. This collective intelligence enriched the project while keeping it efficient.
The result
A gender-neutral mascot, both robotic and human, professional yet endearing, that perfectly embodies the values of guidance and accessibility.
Ally moves effortlessly between technical concepts and clear explanation, building a warm connection with learners.
A project that shows how illustration can serve meaningful messages — making complex concepts accessible while creating an emotional connection.
An approach that echoes Access42’s own philosophy, whose name references the number 42 from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” — the ultimate answer to everything.Because in the world of digital accessibility, just as in Douglas Adams’ universe, it’s about providing answers to questions that haven’t been asked yet.
