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Why mascots (like Duo) are powerful pieces of UX
There is a reason why every other article here is about Duolingo.
Why is Duolingo the subject of so many UX studies? Why does the Duolingo owl mascot, Duo, go viral so often? Why do people give in to the outright threats of this little green guy?
Mascots have unfathomable power when it comes to user experience. Duo is a prime example of how a charming, memorable mascot can build a brand beyond its initial potential. By marrying an excellent user interface with a well-designed mascot, Duolingo has become the darling of UX designers everywhere.
In order to emulate this perfect marriage in your own UX work, it’s important to understand why mascots can be powerful allies.
Duo (and other mascots’) power
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“Remember — only YOU can prevent forest fires!”
That’s a lot of pressure, Smokey. Smokey the Bear, created in 1944 via a joint effort between the War Advertising Council and the U.S. Forest Service, quickly became one of the most recognizable characters in the United States. He was invented to help spread the…