QikPic
Avatar and profile picture maker
Self-initiated, with Heather Miller and Grant Kerr
Before every social platform had its own built-in avatar tool, getting a decent profile picture meant either having a good photo or knowing someone who could draw. QikPic was a mobile app that closed that gap, letting anyone build a cartoon version of themselves from a library of illustrated heads, eyes, mouths, hair and accessories.
The characters were designed to be instantly recognisable and endlessly combinable. You could make your mum, your boss, a colleague, or someone you spotted on the bus. Once happy with the result, you could set it as your profile picture across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, share it with friends, or assign it as a caller ID.
The project was a proper three-way collaboration. I led the design and product thinking, Heather brought the illustration style that gave the characters their personality, and Grant built the whole thing as a cross-platform app for iOS and Android. All three had to work in lockstep to make the experience feel quick and fun rather than fiddly.