Design Sobers Buddy character and avatar

[BillChirico]

🎨 Design Sobers Buddy Character and Avatar

Overview

Create a named, relatable AI companion with distinct personality — not an anonymous "assistant."

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Goals

• Warm, direct, never clinical personality
• Adapts tone to user preferences (brief, chatty, encouraging)
• Has memory without being creepy
• Visual avatar that users connect with

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Character Design

Name Options (Vote in comments)

1. Sage — Wise, calm, supportive
2. Rally — Energetic, motivational
3. Steady — Reliable, grounding presence
4. Echo — Reflects back what works for you

Personality Traits

Trait	Description
Warmth	Genuinely caring, not performative
Directness	Says what needs saying, no fluff
Adaptability	Mirrors user's communication style
Non-judgmental	Zero shame, especially on slips

Tone Variations

• Warm (default): Friendly, conversational
• Direct: Brief, to-the-point
• Encouraging: Motivational, celebrates wins
• Gentle: Soft, for users who need delicate support

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Avatar Design

Visual Style

• Friendly, approachable illustration
• Gender-neutral or selectable
• Multiple expressions (happy, concerned, celebrating, calm)
• Consistent with Sobers app aesthetic

Variations Needed

• Default avatar
• Celebrating (milestones)
• Concerned (check-ins after rough days)
• Calm/zen (breathing exercises)
• Night mode variant

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Implementation Tasks

• Finalize character name
• Write character voice guidelines
• Create avatar concepts (3 options)
• Design final avatar with variations
• Document tone adaptation rules
• Create message templates for each tone
• Add avatar selection to user settings

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Acceptance Criteria

• Character name decided and documented
• Voice guidelines written (style guide)
• Avatar assets exported (PNG, SVG)
• All 5 avatar variations complete
• Tone switching works in settings
• Message templates cover common scenarios

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Deliverables

• Character style guide (voice, tone, personality)
• Avatar assets (all variations)
• Message template library
• User testing feedback summary

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Related

• Parent: [Epic] Sobers Buddy Implementation #412
• Blocks: Build message generation and scheduling system #417
• Related: Build user preference settings #415 (user preferences)

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Part of Sobers v2

[Mnehmos]

I vote steady!