When designing a social robot, creating a clear backstory, personality, and identity is essential to building an immersive, believable user experience. A character’s design should align closely with the robot’s intended purpose and physical setting.
Key Elements of Robot Character Design
When developing a character for a robot, consider the following elements:
1. Identity & Backstory
Name: A clear name makes it easy for people to refer to and connect with the robot.
Backstory: A convincing backstory helps make the character believable and sets expectations for how the robot behaves.
2. Goals & Traits
Character Goals: What are the character’s internal motives? These should fit the problem the robot was built to solve.
Personality Characteristics: How would you describe the character? Think about traits like:
Expressiveness: How clearly does the character display feelings?
Friendliness: How approachable is the character?
Trustworthiness: Do people feel safe sharing information with it?
Persuasiveness: Can the character guide the user’s action effectively?
3. Relationships & Behaviors
Common Behaviors: Does the character have unique signature behaviors or gestures? Does it have a signature catchphrase?
Relationship Dynamics: Will the robot act as a peer, a tutor, an authority figure or have a different relationship to people around it?
Interactive Resources & Videos
Review the storytelling lessons below to see how professional designers outline characters: