How Baidu App Revamped Avatar Design Using Jungian Personality Theory
This case study details Baidu App's redesign of default avatars by applying Jungian personality types, creating 12 animal‑based personas, enhancing user identity, boosting community interaction, and ultimately increasing user stickiness and product engagement.
Background
Account avatars serve as a user's identity in internet products, influencing recognition, interaction, and overall stickiness. Baidu App's existing default avatars were outdated, leading to low real‑avatar adoption (only ~30% of users) and a weak community atmosphere.
Demand Insight
The goal was to raise the proportion of real user avatars and improve the community vibe by providing personalized, recognizable avatar options that align with Baidu App’s design positioning.
Design Approach
After defining the goal, the team explored three dimensions—business, user groups, and personality. Simple demographic segmentation proved insufficient, so they adopted Jungian personality theory, which defines 12 core personality types. Each type was matched with a widely recognized animal symbol reflecting its traits.
Image Design
Animal concepts were sketched, refined, and modeled in 3D. For example, the "Innocent" persona uses a playful rabbit with folded ears, round shape, cheek blush, large eyes, and a smiling mouth to convey its character.
The finalized 12 animal avatars were integrated into the app, with optimized UI layout allowing more avatars to be displayed on limited screens and categorised for easy selection. New "Take Photo" and "Choose from Album" entry points were highlighted.
Application & Benefits
Beyond the 12 animal avatars, a series of real‑photo themes (scenery, art, lifestyle, Chinese‑style) were added to cater to diverse user preferences. The avatar selection page was redesigned for better visual impact and usability.
42 new avatars were deployed across Baidu App and PC registration flows, ensuring user exposure to the updated options.
Innovation Value
Increasing User Stickiness : Personalized avatars enhance user identity, foster interaction, and enable future precise content recommendation based on user profiles.
Continuous Asset Supply : Ongoing expansion of IP assets will extend beyond avatar settings to homepage skins, profile backgrounds, and avatar accessories, further boosting attraction and retention.
Post‑launch feedback showed over 90% user satisfaction, a significant rise in real‑avatar adoption, and sustained growth in engagement metrics.
Baidu MEUX
MEUX, Baidu Mobile Ecosystem UX Design Center, handling end-to-end experience design for user and commercial products in Baidu's mobile ecosystem. Send resumes to [email protected]
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