Aiya

Oki (Aleem)  



2025-2026 Oki, formerly Aleem, is a Kazakh AI-powered English-learning app. I initially joined the team to develop its mascot before launch, but my role expanded into building a scalable illustration and visual system for the product. Over the course of the project, I developed the mascot, 100+ graphic assets, UI elements, an app icon, motion assets, and guidelines for maintaining consistency across the product.


1. Research 

I began by researching character systems across educational and digital products, using the founders' initial brief as a starting point. I compared approaches to shape, color, expression, and character personality, then presented several references and proposed a visual direction for Oki's mascot.

2. Exploration & Iteration

I explored the character primarily through sketches and Procreate, testing different proportions, expressions, colors, and stylistic directions. I worked closely with the Founder and Co-Founder throughout the process, using their feedback to refine the character while maintaining a visual language that could later scale across the product.
3. Building the Final Character

Once the character direction was approved, I rebuilt the mascot as a vector system in Adobe Illustrator. This created a consistent foundation that could be adapted across different poses, expressions, UI contexts, and screen sizes.

4. Expanding the system 

As the product developed, the mascot expanded from a single character into a library of 150+ graphic elements. I developed each concept in Procreate and translated approved assets into vector files in Illustrator for compatibility across Figma and development.

To make the library usable by the wider team, I organized the approved assets on a dedicated Figma page, creating a shared resource for designers and developers. The final character library included 60 selected poses from a much larger set of explorations.


5. UI elements

Alongside the illustration library, I developed supporting UI assets using the same visual language. These were organized separately in Figma so designers and developers could quickly locate and reuse approved elements.

I also developed an animated UI element for the daily statistics experience, exploring how the character system could extend beyond static illustration into product interaction.



6. App Icon

I translated the character system into an app icon that remained recognizable at a much smaller scale. This required simplifying the mascot while retaining its defining visual characteristics.



7. Documenting the System

As the illustration library grew, we realized that the character also needed consistent behavior and communication. I developed a character bible documenting how Oki should appear, behave, and communicate across different contexts.

The guide created a shared reference for future designers, content creators, and developers as the product continued to grow.


Aiya Zhumagaliyeva© 2026