That is the goal of Me! Humanity, a project by Silvina Hipogrosso—a graduate of the Bachelor’s program in Industrial Design at Universidad ORT Uruguayand Agustina Roig—a graduate of the Bachelor’s program in Graphic Design at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
It is a collection of more than 250 characters, each of whom can be identified by their mood, personality, or profession. Me! Humanity also has line of plush toys that can be scanned and customized using a free app available on the Apple Store and Google Play.
Hipogrosso explained what the project is about, how it has progressed so far, and what challenges lie ahead.
How did Me! Humanity come about?
Me! Humanity was launched in late 2013. At the time, we were working on a project to sell personalized school labels. For that project, we had created our first characters, which represented different moods and personalities.
The children began to identify with these characters. They pointed out that they weren’t just one character, but a combination of several. In this way, the collection grew, as did the Me! Humanity project, independently.
How many characters are there?
There are more than 250 of them. It is a collection that focuses on values and creating a harmonious society. It strives to combat society's bad habits.
We also developed 12 plush toys in collaboration with Phi Phi Toys. They were selected from the Me! Humanity characters that have been the most popular on the market in recent years. Some represent moods, others personalities, and still others sports.
How do they decide which values to focus on?
The Me! Humanity brand is based on a very clear concept, which is reflected in its name. The “me” represents what makes us unique and different from everyone else. “Humanity” represents what unites us and defines us as human beings.
The values we promote aim to have a positive impact on today's society by helping people identify with the characters. For example, teamwork, inclusion, responsibility, as well as a passion for what one does and respect for family.
How do children identify with stuffed animals?
Children identify with stuffed animals because they associate them with their personality or mood. For example, there are the "Soccer Me!" and "Ballet Me!" stuffed animals. Therefore, anyone who likes or plays these sports will automatically identify with the stuffed animal.
Plus, when you download the 3dme! app, you'll get the same character in 3D. You can take a photo and share it on social media.
What possibilities does augmented reality offer?
It allows users to transform a physical object into a virtual one, increasing its virality and enhancing the user experience. Children can not only play with their stuffed animal but, by scanning it and viewing it in 3D, they can interact with it in various ways: place it in different scenes, add messages to the image, and share it with their friends. They can create other scenarios that expand the game and the experience.
What is it like to work on a multidisciplinary team?
It's the best approach, since you can focus on what you know and delegate the tasks that the other person understands better. At the same time, you learn twice as much because you start to gain insight into the other person's areas of expertise through your interaction.
How did the fields of study you pursued contribute to the creation of this project?
I believe that the course was important for our professional development, since the visual image, composition, and balance of the scene—when creating designs—play a key role in convincing consumers to choose our product over any other on the shelf.
How has the project been received?
It’s been amazing. Me! Humanity developed a concept and started selling licenses. We managed to convince people of its potential, and the products made it onto the shelves of the country’s major supermarket chains. They’ve made notebooks, binders, pencil cases, stuffed animals, general merchandise, bicycles, and roller skates—all with just 600 followers on Facebook.
Today, has 100,000 followers, and that number continues to grow by leaps and bounds. We’re venturing into the world of animation, and doors are opening for us abroad.
We also applied to a program run by the National Development Agency (ANDE), which has provided us with seed capital. It is helping us grow with a stronger strategy.
What are your thoughts after all these years of work?
Me! Humanity has been a fascinating project, though by no means an easy one. We’ve come a long way through a great deal of hard work, but we’re very happy to see the fruits of all our dedication and passion for the project.