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Gabriel Valdivia

Dex Camera

Dex turns real-world moments into language lessons for kids 3-8. Instead of passive screen time, Dex invites kids to notice the world around them and talk back to it, transforming routines into learning opportunities. The result is a gentle rhythm of daily speaking, listening, and discovery that feels like play but compounds into real progress.

Services
Product DesignBrandingStrategy
Date

2024 - 2026

Hardware

We collaborated with XIVO Design to create device shaped like a handheld magnifying glass with a camera on one side and a multi-touch screen on the other. Two tactile buttons keep controls simple: one to confirm, one to cancel. The device also includes a microphone, speaker, and accelerometer. Unlike tablets that encourage passive sitting, Dex's form factor invites children to hold it and carry it during active exploration--transforming how they engage with their environment.

Dex Camera - image 1
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Using Google Gemini 3, Daniel from my team was able to create a unified visual language for ads, packaging, and the website. The images kept the device shape, colors, and proportions stable while letting us swap families, moods, and settings so every photo felt real and part of the same world.

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Character Design

Children learn best when they connect with a character. We partnered with The Little Labs to design a friendly elephant who guides each activity and appears across our stories. The character greets kids, models tasks with simple cues, and celebrates progress with animations and audio. Consistent personality, voice, and pacing help build trust, so practice feels like a narrative that kids can follow and enjoy.

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Audio Feedback

Our character responds to every pronunciation attempt by scaling from micro-reactions to full reward moments, while sound design shifts from gentle guidance to triumphant stingers. Together, the motion and audio create a loop that's instantly understandable, playful, and measurably effective.

"Perfect" pronounciation

"Correct" pronounciation

"Incorrect" pronounciation

Prototypes

We developed high-fidelity prototypes to explore an interactive systems that would resonate with children by being both engaging and easy to use. These prototypes featured exposed sliders and customizable settings, giving the team the flexibility to test different configurations in real-time.

Parent copilot

Dex includes a parent app that gives families clear visibility and transparency. I built a design system that extends the characters and visual language from the device into the app so it feels connected to the world children already know. The app needed to echo the playful tone kids recognize without feeling childish for parents. That meant rethinking color, scale, and motion so the character-driven style could guide parents through settings, activity logs, and controls in a way that felt intuitive and trustworthy. The result is an experience that feels like part of the same universe while still being built for the people managing it.

Dex onboarding 1
Dex onboarding 2