One bear, one angle, endless problems.
TIMELINE
Feb 2026 - May 2026
ROLE
Product Designer
STATUS
Shipped
TEAM
2 Designers
2 Project Managers
1 Technical Manager
5 Developers
1 Marketing Manager
TOOLS
Figma
Canva
Notion
Slack
TIMELINE
Feb 2026 - May 2026
ROLE
Product Designer
STATUS
Shipped
TEAM
2 Designers
2 Project Managers
1 Technical Manager
5 Developers
1 Marketing Manager
TOOLS
Figma
Canva
Notion
Slack
TIMELINE
Feb 2026 - May 2026
STATUS
Shipped
TOOLS
Figma
Canva
Notion
Slack
ROLE
Product Designer
TEAM
2 Designers
2 Project Managers
1 Technical Manager
5 Developers
1 Marketing Manager
OVERVIEW
I rebuilt CornellGO's mascot into a full sprite system, then turned her into a reason to keep exploring campus.
CONTEXT
Nikky was one front-facing image with no guide. Every new pose was a guess, and exported assets drifted off-model with skin tones that didn't match.
KEY INSIGHTS
A mascot you can't play with is a mascot you forget~
Nikky was everywhere in the app and you couldn't touch her. If you could earn her, dress her, and collect her, she stops being decoration and becomes a reason to come back.
PROBLEM
How might we make Nikky something students want to come back to?
SOLUTIONS
Nikky became a companion you earn. Coins from journeys, spent on a bear that's yours.
Built
A full sprite sheet of angles, poses, and expressions in consistent vector art, so the next designer never has to guess.
Build your bear!
Expressions, skin tones, whole different bear species. Spend coins you earn from journeys.
Spin
A daily wheel, prototyped in Figma Make, hands out free assets every 24 hours. Finish a journey and it resets early.
Seasons
Holiday app icons for Valentine's and St. Patrick's keep CornellGO fresh on your home screen.
OUTCOME
Library for future designers! Driving monthly active users from 0 to 40!
This started as a personal frustration with no brief attached, which taught me to take initiative on things I believe in and treat feedback as fuel instead of friction. Building the sprite system reminded me that good design isn't only what users see, it's the foundation you leave for whoever comes next.
Try it out!
Download CornellGO! Build your own Nikky in the app, then tell me which bear you picked. jc3689@cornell.edu
Check out my other works!
One bear, one angle, endless problems.
TIMELINE
Feb 2026 - May 2026
ROLE
Product Designer
STATUS
Shipped
TEAM
2 Designers
2 Project Managers
1 Technical Manager
5 Developers
1 Marketing Manager
TOOLS
Figma
Canva
Notion
Slack
TIMELINE
Feb 2026 - May 2026
ROLE
Product Designer
STATUS
Shipped
TEAM
2 Designers
2 Project Managers
1 Technical Manager
5 Developers
1 Marketing Manager
TOOLS
Figma
Canva
Notion
Slack
TIMELINE
Feb 2026 - May 2026
STATUS
Shipped
TOOLS
Figma
Canva
Notion
Slack
ROLE
Product Designer
TEAM
2 Designers
2 Project Managers
1 Technical Manager
5 Developers
1 Marketing Manager
OVERVIEW
I rebuilt CornellGO's mascot into a full sprite system, then turned her into a reason to keep exploring campus.
CONTEXT
Nikky was one front-facing image with no guide. Every new pose was a guess, and exported assets drifted off-model with skin tones that didn't match.
KEY INSIGHTS
A mascot you can't play with is a mascot you forget~
Nikky was everywhere in the app and you couldn't touch her. If you could earn her, dress her, and collect her, she stops being decoration and becomes a reason to come back.
PROBLEM
How might we make Nikky something students want to come back to?
SOLUTIONS
Nikky became a companion you earn. Coins from journeys, spent on a bear that's yours.
Built
A full sprite sheet of angles, poses, and expressions in consistent vector art, so the next designer never has to guess.
Build your bear!
Expressions, skin tones, whole different bear species. Spend coins you earn from journeys.
Spin
A daily wheel, prototyped in Figma Make, hands out free assets every 24 hours. Finish a journey and it resets early.
Seasons
Holiday app icons for Valentine's and St. Patrick's keep CornellGO fresh on your home screen.
OUTCOME
Library for future designers! Driving monthly active users from 0 to 40!
This started as a personal frustration with no brief attached, which taught me to take initiative on things I believe in and treat feedback as fuel instead of friction. Building the sprite system reminded me that good design isn't only what users see, it's the foundation you leave for whoever comes next.
Try it out!
Download CornellGO! Build your own Nikky in the app, then tell me which bear you picked. jc3689@cornell.edu
Check out my other works!
Doodled with love @ Jerry Chen 2026