All work

Selected work — Brand design & illustration

Extending a brand
character system.

Exploring how a playful robot character can adapt to new contexts while staying recognizable.

01 — Overview

The 1881 Søke character rendered in 3D — a friendly blue robot waving, standing on a plinth beneath the words 1881 Søke

Familiar,
but never fixed.

Creating a scalable illustration system that is built around this cheerful robot character.

The robot rolls through new poses and expressions; the system supports growth while maintaining visual consistency.

The character — one recognisable face, many possible worlds
Context
In-house Project
Role
Brand design & illustration
Deliverables
Character variations, themed variants, mockups
Status
Ongoing

02 — Preserving the character

Preservation over redesign

The objective is not to redesign Søke, but to preserve the character's recognizable personality while adapting it for new digital and physical touchpoints.

2D Søke 3D Søke
The original 2D Søke — a flat illustration of the character, with a speech-bubble face, orange antenna and wheels The same character rebuilt as a 3D render, standing on a round plinth against a deep blue background
2D Søke beside 3D Søke — same character, new medium

New campaigns, themes, services and situations require new visual assets while still feeling connected to the existing identity. The challenge became:

  • How can a character remain recognisable while adapting to new scenarios?
  • Which visual elements should remain fixed?
  • How can new expressions and themes be introduced without losing consistency?
  • How can the character stay relevant as communication needs change?
  • Screen head
  • Signature antenna
  • Modular body
  • Wheels
  • Core colour palette
The full turn — the character reads the same from every angle

03 — My role

Growing the
cast, carefully.

My contribution focused on exploring and creating new character variations based on the existing visual identity. This included:

  • Creating new themed versions
  • Developing new poses and expressions
  • Exploring seasonal adaptations
  • Extending the character into new visual contexts
  • Maintaining visual consistency across variants

The work was iterative and continues to evolve as new opportunities emerge.

04 — Design exploration

Keep what's known,
add what's new.

A key focus has been preserving recognisable elements while introducing new ideas. Throughout the process I have explored:

New expressions

Using body language, accessories and posture to communicate different situations.

Themed variants

Adapting the character to seasonal events, campaigns and special occasions.

Storytelling

Exploring how the character can support communication through visual narratives.

Consistency

Ensuring that new variants still feel like part of the same family.

Two versions of the character giving each other a high-five, one wearing a winter cap
The character holding up letters spelling DATA
The character juggling letters spelling API
A summer variant of the character with a sun hat and surfboard by a palm tree
The character wearing headphones and holding game controllers, with a receiver companion
The character holding an envelope and a phone
A 404 error variant of the character with crossed-out eyes holding the numbers 4 0 4
An active variant of the character running with a flowing scarf and a wrench
A purple-themed recolour of the character
The character inside a circular Digitale Medier 1881 search badge
The character gaming with a controller beside a small receiver character
Poses, expressions and themed versions, gathered in one place
A collection sheet of the 1881 search character — the circular SØK badge at the top, with themed variants below: the high-five pair, the summer version by a palm tree, DATA, the running scarf variant, 404, gaming with a receiver companion, and API
The character family, collected on one sheet
An isometric City Search illustration for 1881 — a detailed blue-and-orange city of towers, a clock tower, railways, a ferris wheel, vehicles and a harbour, with the search character exploring the streets
City Search — the character at home in a whole world

In use

The same face,
everywhere it's needed.

The character has to hold up far beyond the screen — on printed roll-ups, on apparel, and inside product interfaces. Mockups showing it in context are on the way.

Roll-ups & print
Image coming soon
Apparel & t-shirts
Image coming soon
Interface examples
Image coming soon

05 — A living system

No final
version.

One of the most interesting aspects of this work is that there is no final version.

Each new variation becomes part of a growing collection that can support future communication needs.

Rather than viewing the character as a fixed asset, I see it as a living system that can continue evolving while remaining recognisable.

06 — Reflection

Creativity within
constraints.

This project reinforced the importance of working within established design constraints.

The most interesting challenge was not creating something entirely new, but finding ways to expand an existing visual language while preserving the qualities that made it recognisable in the first place.

The work demonstrates how consistency and creativity can coexist when developing brand assets over time.

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