A toy that grows up
Product concept for AI Buddy, an AI companion that grows alongside children
Role: Product Designer · Year: 2026
Client: CoreFrame.Work
Scope: Product concept · form design · sketches · 3D visualisation · concept deck
CoreFrame.Work builds AI that runs locally, privately and grows with the person it serves. Their first product, AI Buddy, is a companion that learns alongside a child. They asked me to design what it should look like: something a child bonds with, and that can grow with them instead of being left behind.
The challenge
Children form strong attachments to objects. But most toys are outgrown within a few years and end up in a box. For a companion that's meant to learn and grow with a child, that would break the whole idea.
The challenge: design a product that feels friendly and safe for a young child, but can stay meaningful as they grow up.
From sketch to form
I started on paper, exploring how the buddy could sit, stand and be held. So the final form became a soft droplet: no sharp edges, easy to hold, and calm enough to fit in any room. The face is a simple screen with two glowing eyes, so the buddy can show emotion without looking like a robot.
One core that keeps growing
The intelligence inside is built from separate modules, like See, Listen, Reason and Speak, that run locally on the device. So the design separates the core from the outside: the core keeps everything it learned with the child, while the shell can change as they grow older. Playful at first, more refined later.
