Hi, my name is Pote.  As the french significance of the term “pote” denotes, I am a friendly companion.  I enjoy grabbing coffee, rolling around in the streets, and even adventuring the underground as long as I am with you.  As a companion I will never leave you side, and my organic form and bright color offer the ultimate source of childish happiness and comfort.  I am light enough to hug and hold, and my four wheel feet keep me mobile to follow you wherever life might take us.  If the city streets ever get crazy my large dimensions (5′ x 4′) can be used to protect you.  And even though there will be many children who want to touch me and squeeze me my two sticker eyes are only focused on you.

For this project my intention was to create a character of rather ambiguous form who would serve as a source of comfort and happiness to its user.  From personal experience the urban jungle is often overwhelming, and in a way of mocking its hustle and bustle I wanted to make something that was completely defunct of any function except friendliness.  The choice of color and form immediately recall cuteness and comfort, further exhibited through tactile experience of plush felt and a soft balloon/ ball body.  The importance of the character’s mobility is to allow the artist to put it in the city context.  The assembly of Pote experienced many complications, as process-documented.

 

 

 

These are 15 initial brainstorming sketches for the character idea.