"Sitting in class, bored, doodling in the corner of a notebook with no plan beyond passing time is how a lot of throwaway sketches happen. Most stay throwaway. Sometimes, though, one curved line that looks a bit like a wave or a tail slowly becomes something that sticks in your head, and you keep drawing it until it isn't just a line anymore, it's a character with a face."
"That's how Whaley started. A whale character drawn during class kept showing up in sketches, gaining expressions and variations until it felt like a proper mascot. The creator turned it into stickers for friends and WeChat moments, and seeing Whaley on other people's notebooks made the idea feel more real, a small proof that a doodle could be shared and enjoyed beyond the original page."
"Curiosity pushed the project into three dimensions. With help from a parent, online tutorials, and trial and error, the whale became a 3D model, then a series of 3D‑printed shells. Early prints had rough surfaces and cracks, but they were enough to sit on a desk as a reminder that the character could exist off paper, even if it just collected dust and made visitors smile."
A bored classroom doodle transformed into Whaley, a recurring whale character that gained expressions and became a mascot. Stickers for friends and WeChat helped the concept feel tangible. Curiosity and assistance from a parent led to a 3D model and a series of 3D‑printed shells, despite rough early prints. The project incorporated electronics from a cheap wireless mouse—PCB, optical sensor, scroll wheel, switches, and a 14500 Li‑ion cell—dropped into a new 3D‑printed base. Multiple printed shells refined fit, button flex, and curves, culminating in a smooth blue whale body with a white underside that still let the sensor and glides do their job.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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