Chao Thao · Creative AI / Story-led Prototyping — 💻 Portfolio · 🔗 LinkedIn · 📩 [email protected]

A story-led AI companion concept designed to deliver emotionally resonant support through tone, micro-storytelling, and cultural grounding.

📌 My Role

I led concept, narrative + interaction design, and creative direction, and produced the prototype demos across voice, motion, and edit. I designed dialogue behavior (ChatGPT), tested voice tone (ElevenLabs), directed visual mood (Adobe), and collaborated with an animation artist on final character/visual polish.

Collaboration: character design and final visual polish with Alex Zabolotsky.

At a Glance (60 seconds)

• Thesis: Emotionally intelligent AI will differentiate on voice, context, and cultural grounding—not utility alone.
• What this is: A companion concept that prototypes interactions through tone + micro-storytelling.
• What I built: 3 motion prototype clips (8s, 13s, 38s) + voice tone exploration + interaction rules + visual identity anchors.
• Why it matters: A blueprint for how creative teams can design “presence” before models, UX, or code are finalized.
• Status: Prototype vignettes + interaction spec (concept; not deployed).

https://vimeo.com/1146110485/a7e035a62e?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Hero Demo (38s): Dinner-time check-in using warm, playful accountability + low-friction options.

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Overview

Auntie Tiger Bite is a story-led AI companion prototype exploring how voice, micro-storytelling, and culturally grounded metaphors can deliver support that feels present, not transactional. I prototyped the experience as pre-code vignettes (voice + motion) to pressure-test tone, interaction patterns, and safety boundaries—fast, concrete, repeatable.

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🎯 Project Goal

Design and demonstrate a repeatable framework for character-driven AI experiences—where voice, culture, and interaction design work together to support users in real moments (overwhelm, self-doubt, decision fatigue).

Deliverables

• 3 vignettes (8s / 13s / 38s)
• Voice + tone system
• Interaction rules + safeguards
• Visual identity anchors