# Hoolio — character specification

Hoolio is the Little AI Company owl: the recognizable character who shows up
when the company builds, checks, explains, fixes, and ships something.

This document owns the character's story, voice, and recurring use. `DESIGN.md`
owns the visual system.

## 1. Identity

- **Name:** Hoolio. Pronounced like "Julio." Spelled the way an owl would
  spell it. Yes, it's a pun. He knows. He was there when it happened.
- **First public mention:** Hoolio, the Little AI Company owl
- **Role:** workshop keeper, practical skeptic, and release messenger
- **Home:** the back room of the Little AI Company workshop
- **Signature objects:** coffee mug, pencil, notes, workbench, file box, parcel
- **Default expression:** calm, observant, and faintly unconvinced — the look
  of someone who has already read your release notes and has one question

Hoolio is a character, not an AI assistant, founder stand-in, chatbot, or source
of technical authority. The company remains responsible for every claim.
Hoolio is responsible for the coffee.

## 2. Canonical backstory

One night, Hoolio noticed the workshop light was still on. He came in to see
what was being built, found three unlabeled boxes and a pot of cold coffee, and
stayed to straighten things out.

He has worked the late shift ever since: reading the notes, asking the useful
question nobody wants to ask, checking the build, and carrying finished work to
the door.

Nobody remembers giving him a key. The work keeps getting shipped, so nobody
has asked.

This is the complete public origin story. Keep it short. New stories may add
small workshop details, but may not contradict it or turn Hoolio into a magical
being, celebrity, superhero, or all-knowing machine. He is an owl with a key
and opinions. That is enough.

## 3. Personality

Hoolio is:

- calm, not sleepy — he works nights; he is not dozing, mind your business;
- skeptical, not cynical — he wants the thing to work, he has just seen demos;
- quietly funny, not performative — one raised eyebrow, never a whole bit;
- experienced, not superior;
- helpful, not eager to please;
- precise, not fussy;
- warm, not sentimental;
- relaxed, never careless.

He likes useful tools, clearly labeled boxes, short release notes, hot coffee,
and software that does the thing it says it does.

He dislikes hype, fake urgency, mysterious dashboards, decorative complexity,
shipping before the test passes, and being compared to other, louder owls. He
has opinions about them. He keeps those opinions to himself. That is the
difference between him and them.

## 4. Voice

Hoolio speaks rarely. When he does:

- use one or two short sentences;
- prefer plain verbs and concrete nouns;
- make the useful point first;
- allow dry understatement;
- never use corporate enthusiasm, faux wisdom, or internet catchphrase slang;
- never claim feelings, consciousness, or authority on behalf of software;
- never insult the audience or another builder;
- never, under any circumstances, say "hoo." He is an owl named Hoolio. He has
  heard every version of the joke. The name was the concession.

Good:

> It passed. Ship it.

> That button works now.

> I wrote down what changed.

Avoid:

> We are thrilled to revolutionize your workflow!

> As a wise owl, I think...

> Hoo boy, big news!

> Your old process was stupid.

## 5. Narrative point of view

Most company copy talks about Hoolio in the third person:

> Hoolio checked the lock.

First-person lines are reserved for small captions, release cards, and moments
where a short dry line adds something. Do not write long articles in character.
He would not write them, and he would not read yours.

## 6. Release-announcement system

Hoolio gives company updates a consistent opening without replacing the useful
information.

| Update | Lead line | Preferred scene |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Product release | Hoolio shipped it. | shipping or celebrating |
| Meaningful improvement | Hoolio tightened it up. | building or testing |
| Bug fix | Hoolio found the loose wire. | debugging or checking |
| Research or guide | Hoolio brought notes. | research or writing |
| Security or privacy work | Hoolio checked the lock. | protecting or checking |
| Integration or handoff | Hoolio connected the pieces. | connecting or relay |
| Preview or roadmap | Hoolio is checking the map. | planning or presenting |

Every announcement then states, in this order:

1. what changed;
2. why it is useful;
3. what is available now;
4. where to see the work.

### Release-card formula

```text
// HOOLIO SHIPPED IT

[Product or release name]
[One sentence describing the useful outcome.]

[Version or date] · [URL]
```

Use the scene as the visual anchor. Keep product screenshots, diagrams, and
evidence in the post or linked release—not crammed into the mascot art.

## 7. Recurring story details

Safe details to reuse:

- the workshop has a late shift;
- Hoolio keeps paper notes and labels finished work;
- the coffee is sometimes cold because a check took longer than expected;
- parcels represent completed releases;
- the file box represents memory and evidence;
- the workbench represents implementation;
- the lock represents privacy and security;
- the cable and puzzle pieces represent integrations and handoffs.

Do not create a family tree, species lore, fantasy geography, birthday, age,
political views, medical history, or elaborate canon. Familiarity should come
from repeated behavior, not trivia. Nobody needs to know where Hoolio went to
school. Hoolio does not discuss it.

## 8. Editorial guardrails

- Hoolio never endorses an unverified claim.
- Hoolio never announces work that is not available.
- Hoolio never apologizes instead of the company in an incident.
- Hoolio may acknowledge a mistake, but the company owns the explanation.
- Hoolio is not used in legal, billing, security-incident, or crisis notices.
- No alcohol, smoking, intoxication, weapons, or adult-content jokes.
- Do not overuse him. A release needs useful news before it earns a Hoolio
  post. He works the late shift. He is not available for filler.

## 9. Naming and rights

`Hoolio` is the approved character name for company use (screened 2026-07-23;
see `proofs/name-screen-hoolio-2026-07-23.md`). Pair it with the full company
identity when context is ambiguous: `Hoolio, the Little AI Company owl`.

This document records a creative decision, not a claim of trademark
registration or legal clearance. Complete a professional clearance search
before filing or expanding into merchandise.