We didn’t plan to have mascots. We planned to have a clean, minimal conversation app. But somewhere between the wireframes and the first build, something felt missing. The app worked. The questions were good. But it didn’t feel alive.
Enter Pip and Pop.
Who are they?
Pipis the coral one. Warm, playful, slightly goofy. The kind of energy that makes you feel safe being silly before being serious. Pip leads with a smile and follows with a hug. If Pip were a person, they’d be the friend who makes you laugh right before you cry.
Popis the purple one. Thoughtful, curious, gently intense. Pop asks the follow-up question you didn’t expect. The kind of presence that makes you feel heard without trying too hard. If Pop were a person, they’d be the friend who remembers what you said three weeks ago and brings it up at exactly the right moment.
They’re best friends, naturally. Two different ways of being present. Two different doorways into the same thing: honest connection.
Why mascots matter
An app about vulnerability needs to feel safe. Not clinical-safe — warm-safe. The kind of safe where you can say something awkward and nobody flinches. Where the environment says “it’s okay to be honest here” before you even start typing.
Pip and Pop do that work. They float around the app, blink, react, and generally make the space feel inhabited. They’re not narrating your experience or gamifying your emotions. They’re just… there. Like a friend sitting across from you, making the silence comfortable instead of awkward.
The best design doesn’t just look good. It makes you feel something. Pip and Pop make Ohh feel like a place you want to be honest in.
The design process
We went through dozens of iterations. Early versions were too cute — they felt like a children’s app. Others were too abstract — they didn’t create emotional connection. The breakthrough was simplicity: blob shapes with expressive eyes, rosy cheeks, and spring-physics animation that makes them feel organic instead of digital.
Each mascot has 7 expressions that change based on context. They smile when you send a Spark. They look thoughtful during deep questions. They celebrate when you complete a Circle reveal. Small details that add up to something that feels alive.
Their colours — coral and purple — aren’t random. They’re the foundation of two of Ohh’s three themes. Pip lives naturally in Sunset (the warm, free theme). Pop feels at home in Mars (the dark, cinematic Pro theme). Both work in Ocean. The colour language ties the mascots to the visual identity without forcing it.
Pip & Pop in ohh Buddy
When we built ohh Buddy — the solo mode where you answer questions with a companion instead of a friend — Pip and Pop became more than decorative. They became conversational partners.
Choose Pip and your Buddy sessions feel warm, encouraging, and gently playful. Choose Pop and they feel more curious, reflective, and thought-provoking. Same questions. Different energy. Both valid. Both designed to meet you wherever you are.
Every response Pip and Pop give in Buddy mode is pre-written and matched to the specific card — all 3,300+ of them. They’re not AI-generated in real time. They’re crafted, considered, and in character. That was non-negotiable for us.
Try them yourself.Open Ohh, tap Buddy, and choose your companion. All 82 decks. Both mascots. Free forever. See which one matches your energy — or switch between them whenever you want.
The soul of the app
Every app has features. Not every app has a soul. Pip and Pop are ours. They’re the reason Ohh feels different from a list of questions in a notes app. They’re the reason people smile when they open it. They’re the reason “answer a question” feels less like a task and more like a conversation.
They’re waiting in there. Go say hi.
