Background
Inspired by the bobblehead pup, as seen on V’s dashboard in Cyberpunk 2077, this 1:1 scale replica is the perfect Night City souvenir. Just like the in-game version, V’s Dashboard Cyberdog is meticulously modeled and comes with a loud punk-attitude and charm. With its spiked collar, metal ear-rings, tattoos — and not to mention its cybernetic eyepiece — it’s clear this dog’s bark is every bit as badass as its bite!
Challenge
One of the biggest challenges was determining the right size for the product. It needed to work across different settings: at home, it could easily feel too small, while inside a car, it could quickly become too large. We also had to make sure the size would not interfere with the driver’s visibility, which made real-world testing especially important.
Another challenge was getting the dog’s expression right. The character needed to feel both loyal and intimidating, but as a dog, its facial expression alone was not enough to communicate a strong sense of aggression. We had to explore how other visual elements, such as its muscles, teeth, and mouth details, could strengthen that feeling without losing the character’s identity.
What I did
I arranged 3D-printed prototypes and tested them in different types of vehicles, including SUVs and sedans. By placing the model inside actual cars, I could compare its proportions in real-world environments and adjust the size accordingly. The goal was to make sure it looked substantial without becoming distracting or blocking the driver’s line of sight.
For the character expression, I used AI-generated variations to test different facial treatments and compare which ones worked best. In the end, we found that emphasizing the teeth and the color inside the mouth created the strongest sense of aggression while still keeping the dog’s overall character intact.
Outcome
After launch, many players shared unboxing videos of the product online. The amount of user-generated content showed that the product was not only being purchased, but genuinely enjoyed and appreciated by the fans.
