2025
UI/UX
Our Roots
Designed an interactive styling doll for curly, coily, and kinky hair types, that provides helpful and inner connection to hair.
Timeline
5 Months
Role
Designer
Team
Ashley Yeboah
Stephanie Du
Sara Hall
Tools
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
2025
Our Roots
Designing an interactive styling doll for curly, coily, and kinky hair types, that provides helpful and inner connection to hair.
Timeline
5 Months
Role
Designer
Team
Ashley Yeboah
Scott Lasrow
Tools
Blender
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Indesign
Figma
Overview
Overview
Our Roots is a toy brand and doll centered styling head designed for both women and young girls that have curly, coily, and kinky hair to learn how to do their hair. It’s dedicated in practice so that those with such hair types no longer have to worry of the stress of figuring out what to do with their hair and embrace their roots.
Our Roots is a toy brand and doll centered styling head designed for both women and young girls that have curly, coily, and kinky hair to learn how to do their hair. It’s dedicated in practice so that those with such hair types no longer have to worry of the stress of figuring out what to do with their hair and embrace their roots.
Research
Research
Problem and Solution
Problem and Solution
To create Our Roots, I initially had to define the problem to establish the real purpose behind the brand and that was the process of the hair journey through those with curly, coily, and kinky. As a black woman with very kinky hair, I knew from my own personal hair journey experience, that I had no real idea how to take care of my own hair properly. Most of my life I always had someone doing it for me and I never knew personally what it was like to do my own hair. Until recently, where I’ve been learning to understand it.
Through established research, I realized this was a common problem. That many who had said hair type had to learn from scratch in their formal years of their lives had to often ask for advice on how to take care of it properly. So to establish a solution I wanted to create a doll centered towards those with that hair type, where women and girls are no longer afraid to learn how to manage their hair and live a stress free life with it.
To create Our Roots, I initially had to define the problem to establish the real purpose behind the brand and that was the process of the hair journey through those with curly, coily, and kinky. As a black woman with very kinky hair, I knew from my own personal hair journey experience, that I had no real idea how to take care of my own hair properly. Most of my life I always had someone doing it for me and I never knew personally what it was like to do my own hair. Until recently, where I’ve been learning to understand it.
Through established research, I realized this was a common problem. That many who had said hair type had to learn from scratch in their formal years of their lives had to often ask for advice on how to take care of it properly. So to establish a solution I wanted to create a doll centered towards those with that hair type, where women and girls are no longer afraid to learn how to manage their hair and live a stress free life with it.
Design
Moodboard
Moodboard
For the moodboard most of the conceptual ideas I had for the doll’s design came from looking at slightly existing solutions of styling dolls from doll brands like Barbie and Bratz. However none featured actual curly, kinky hair so other ideas for how the hair was supposed to look came from mannequin heads for cosmetologists.
For the overall brand, I wanted to create a bold and lively brand that could center around both children, but also older women as well.
For the moodboard most of the conceptual ideas I had for the doll’s design came from looking at slightly existing solutions of styling dolls from doll brands like Barbie and Bratz. However none featured actual curly, kinky hair so other ideas for how the hair was supposed to look came from mannequin heads for cosmetologists.
For the overall brand, I wanted to create a bold and lively brand that could center around both children, but also older women as well.
Design
Design
Final Brand Identity
Final Brand Identity
Our Roots became the final name of the brand with the design of logo taking shape with different curly, kinky hairstyles for women of all ages like bantu knots for the O and two strand twists with beads as the T.
Our Roots became the final name of the brand with the design of logo taking shape with different curly, kinky hairstyles for women of all ages like bantu knots for the O and two strand twists with beads as the T.
Design
Design
Sketches
Sketches
Most of my inspiration for the doll design itself came from established looks of styling toy heads from brands like Barbie and Bratz. Curly Kinky haired mannequins were also a focal point for how the curls were designed on the doll overall. In the end, I wanted to create a very playful mood within the dolls design creating angular shapes and a look that anyone with said hairstyle could see themselves as.
Most of my inspiration for the doll design itself came from established looks of styling toy heads from brands like Barbie and Bratz. Curly Kinky haired mannequins were also a focal point for how the curls were designed on the doll overall. In the end, I wanted to create a very playful mood within the dolls design creating angular shapes and a look that anyone with said hairstyle could see themselves as.
Design
Design
Final Design
Final Design
To create the final look, I established my previous sketch as a reference to create the form of the doll head into Blender, modeling the eyes, nose, mouth, and head shape to create the established look of the toy. Amongst other details was the creation of the doll’s stand. Due to the nature of users using the head as a tool to learn how to take care of hair, I wanted to mimic a salon. So as the doll’s stand I created a plastic bowl shape to mimic a salon cape with another stand in the middle to hold the doll in place while users used the doll.
To create the final look, I established my previous sketch as a reference to create the form of the doll head into Blender, modeling the eyes, nose, mouth, and head shape to create the established look of the toy. Amongst other details was the creation of the doll’s stand. Due to the nature of users using the head as a tool to learn how to take care of hair, I wanted to mimic a salon. So as the doll’s stand I created a plastic bowl shape to mimic a salon cape with another stand in the middle to hold the doll in place while users used the doll.
Design
Design
Packaging
Packaging
To create the final look, I established my previous sketch as a reference to create the form of the doll head into Blender, modeling the eyes, nose, mouth, and head shape to create the established look of the toy. Amongst other details was the creation of the doll’s stand. Due to the nature of users using the head as a tool to learn how to take care of hair, I wanted to mimic a salon. So as the doll’s stand I created a plastic bowl shape to mimic a salon cape with another stand in the middle to hold the doll in place while users used the doll.
To create the final look, I established my previous sketch as a reference to create the form of the doll head into Blender, modeling the eyes, nose, mouth, and head shape to create the established look of the toy. Amongst other details was the creation of the doll’s stand. Due to the nature of users using the head as a tool to learn how to take care of hair, I wanted to mimic a salon. So as the doll’s stand I created a plastic bowl shape to mimic a salon cape with another stand in the middle to hold the doll in place while users used the doll.
Design
Design
Product Kit
Product Kit
Our Roots brand also contains a product kit for users to use on their doll’s hair without the need of using at home products that users may or may not have on hand.
Our Roots brand also contains a product kit for users to use on their doll’s hair without the need of using at home products that users may or may not have on hand.
Design
Design
How To Guide Book
How To Guide Book
To entrench the focal point of learning, a How to Guide was needed in order for users to understand how to use the doll. Allowing users to connect to the brand’s website to check additional information on how to take care of the doll’s hair.
To entrench the focal point of learning, a How to Guide was needed in order for users to understand how to use the doll. Allowing users to connect to the brand’s website to check additional information on how to take care of the doll’s hair.
Design
Design
How To Website Page
How To Website Page
To entrench the focal point of learning, a How to Guide was needed in order for users to understand how to use the doll. Allowing users to connect to the brand’s website to check additional information on how to take care of the doll’s hair.
To entrench the focal point of learning, a How to Guide was needed in order for users to understand how to use the doll. Allowing users to connect to the brand’s website to check additional information on how to take care of the doll’s hair.
