Challenge

Creating personality within an established brand

Fiona needed a distinct personality and a clear visual relationship to ION. The character had to feel at home within the company’s communications while introducing a more playful, approachable tone.

During development, management also asked that the concept reflect a broader range of cultural backgrounds within ION’s global workforce. This expanded the brief from creating one character to considering how a family of characters could share a recognizable identity.

Approach

Finding the character within the brand

I began with sketch explorations drawn from ION’s existing visual language. The circular nucleus at the center of the company’s primary icon became the geometric foundation for Fiona.

That starting point informed her shapes, proportions, and graphic simplicity. It gave the character a direct connection to the brand while leaving room for expression and personality.

Developing one idea into a character family

In response to management’s feedback, I expanded Fiona into a trio of characters representing different cultural backgrounds.

The design challenge was to introduce variation while preserving the qualities that made Fiona recognizable. Shared geometry, proportions, and illustration style held the characters together as a unified family.

This broadened the original concept while maintaining a consistent visual approach across the set.

Creating a recurring presence in communications

I developed Fiona as a character that could accompany different messages over time. The family provided a shared visual thread for introducing internal initiatives and highlighting company culture updates.

The approach brought together illustration and communications: the characters added personality, while their consistent design connected each appearance back to ION.