Yvonne Ottley
Frobelles is an Afro-hair dress-up game.
The Frobelles are a group of three sisters named Krista, Kelli and Coco. They each have unique personalities, interests and styles, and are designed to promote diversity, positive self-image, self-expression and sisterhood.
We realised there was a need for better representation and inclusivity in gaming.
The idea for Frobelles was born in 2018, when my daughter Alyssa told me she couldn’t find any characters with Afro hair in her favourite dress-up games. Sadly, the options I found had either limited hair choices for black characters or culturally appropriated depictions of Afro hairstyles. That inspired me to create the characters my daughter had been longing for.
Alyssa and I began crafting the Frobelles together.
We first sketched out our ideas on paper, before enlisting the help of an illustrator and later an app developer.
I didn’t have any app experience when I decided to make Frobelles a reality.
Being a self-taught graphic designer, I was able to create a mock-up of the user experience. From there, I worked with a freelance app developer to bring the game to life.
Alyssa played a vital role in the development of the game.
She lent her voice to the game and provided voiceovers and expressions. She provided a unique perspective on the game’s design and features.
When you have a workable idea, the Apple Developer Program is a great way to access essential resources.
It provides you with a detailed set of guidelines to keep you on the right track during development – this ensures your finished product will be approved for the App Store.
I strongly advocate intentional representation and the impact it can have on children’s sense of identity and self-esteem.
Kids as young as 3-4 begin to form their racial and ethnic identities, and may develop preferences based on these identities – which is why fostering positive, diverse representation from an early age is crucial for promoting self-esteem, inclusivity and acceptance. To achieve this, game and tech studios should priori
