After the success of the previous retreat cards, the bar was set incredibly high. How could we top that? We wanted something not only visual, but tangible, unique, and that captured the essence of each person in a new way.
My colleague Joseluis recently got a Bambu Lab, so we had the perfect tool. All we needed was the idea, and in a company where internal emojis are law (and where I'm usually the main culprit of their creation), the answer was clear: a personalized 3D figure for everyone.
The Creative Process: From Meme to Object
How did we go from a profile picture to a high-quality figure for only €9.50 (printing/rights cost)? Here is the workflow:
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The Idea: Find a recurring internal joke or emoji.
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Manipulation with Grok: We take the profile image and ask the AI to create the concept (e.g., "give him a microwave body").
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3D Conversion with Meshy AI: We upload the generated image and in minutes we have the 3D model.
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Printing: Joseluis does his magic with the Bambu Lab.
Why these tools?
- Grok (x.ai): For its total creative freedom and lack of restrictive filters.
- Meshy (meshy.ai): For being, after our testing, the best Image-to-3D tool on the market.
- Bambu Lab (bambulab.com): To be honest, it was the only one we had on hand and time was tight for the retreat, but we couldn't be more delighted with the speed and professional finishes.
1. Alejandro Ramírez (myself): The Boxing Fly
Since I'm in charge of creating the team's memes, for my own figure I wanted something especially fun. Remembering a Halloween where I dressed up as a fly (and loved how it looked), I decided to revisit that concept.
To give it a modern touch, I added a CrossFit video of myself that went viral internally, showing me punching a bag with boxing gloves. Combining both ideas, the boxing fly was born.
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Step 1: I took my profile picture.
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Step 2: In Grok, I asked it to give me a "boxing fly body" punching a bag.
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Step 3: In Meshy, I clicked "Image to 3D" to generate the initial mesh.
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Step 4 (The Great Discovery): I discovered that if you click on "add textures based on photo", the AI projected the original colors onto the model.
If you then download the file in GLB format, the result is this awesome thing:
2. Juan (CTO): The Clevergy Microwave
Juan is the master of optimization. We joke that our SaaS runs so well and consumes so little that we have everything set up in a microwave. Thus, Juan Microwave was born.
3. Josu: The Climbing Panettone
Josu combines two passions: bringing us desserts (especially his famous panettone) and climbing. The result couldn't be anything else but a panettone with a harness and climbing shoes conquering the office summit.
4. Alejandro Graciano: From Jaén and the "Voluptuous" Oil Cruet
Finally, we managed to steer the AI back to the classic oil carafe. Along the way, Grok created a "voluptuous" version that gave us a good laugh, so here are both: the tested version (already on his desk) and the "accidental" version.
5. Beltrán (CEO): The man who didn't believe in threads
Beltrán has a particular war with Slack: after 3 years, he still doesn't reply in threads. As a joke/punishment, we always reactivate his messages with the thread emoji. It has become a symbol of our "order in chaos" culture.
Here you can see the final result of his 3D avatar, one of the conversions we liked the most:
6. Paloma: The Real Pigeon
There's not much mystery here, but a lot of affection. Her name is Paloma (Spanish for pigeon) and, as it couldn't be otherwise, the internal joke of giving her a pigeon body is an office classic. It has stayed as the definitive avatar to represent her in the physical world.
7. Álvaro: The Voice of Product
I considered several ideas for Álvaro, but in the end, I chose the one that best captures his day-to-day life. As a product podcast creator and the voice of the Clevergy podcast (Energéticamente), his figure couldn't have any other body than that of a podcast microphone. A tribute to his passion for communication.
8. Álvaro Merino: The Human Calculator
Álvaro Merino is the man of numbers. Initially, we were going to make him an electric tower due to his passion for the sector, but the 3D printer couldn't generate it; the supports broke because the rods were too thin for the plastic. So we turned him into what best defines him day-to-day: a calculator. He's always calculating and optimizing everything.
9. Ana: The Climbing Lioness
Ana has had her own emoji in Clevergy for a long time, based on a lioness filter that became an internal legend. For her figure, we decided to pay tribute to that meme while adding her great passion: climbing.
Since Ana has a strong personality (hence the lioness) and is also a natural climber —in fact, one of the first times we did something as a team was at a climbing gym— her avatar is a lioness equipped with climbing shoes. She's our star developer and we love her a lot, so her figure had to be as powerful as she is!
10. Bruno: Drag Queen Glamour
For Bruno, we looked for something that radiated personality and showmanship. We chose a Drag Queen theme, with a glamorous outfit full of style that perfectly captures his vibrant spirit. The stage is his!
11. Eder: The Hole-in-One
Eder and his passion for golf made it easy for us. His 3D avatar has literally transformed into a golf club, ready for the next office tournament. A sleek and technical design for the most "golfer" of the team.
12. Gonzalo: Healthy as Broccoli
Gonzalo is our reference for healthy living, so the destiny was inevitable: a giant broccoli body. Green, lush, and full of 3D vitamins to decorate his workspace.
13. Javi: Struggle and Labor
For Javi, we used iconography loaded with symbolism. His body became the living representation of the hammer and sickle, an avatar with great visual strength that leaves no one indifferent. Charge!
14. Jesús: The Soul of Cruzcampo
Jesús is the official Cruzcampo ambassador wherever he goes. Therefore, his transformation was direct: a Cruzcampo bottle body. A 3D figure that makes you want to have a snack as soon as you see it.
15. José Luis Garrido: The Printer that prints itself
José Luis is the reason this is all real. He personally printed every single figure in this article. Therefore, his avatar couldn't be anything other than a 3D printer... that's also printing itself! The ultimate meta-gift for the person in charge of production.
16. Manuel: The Muscle of Clevergy
For Manuel, we wanted to represent his strength and optimism. He appears with a highly-muscular body, in a full gym pose and doing a double "thumbs up". Everything under control!
17. Macarena: Passion for Volleyball
Maca is pure energy and her big passion outside the office is volleyball. That's why her 3D avatar is a personalized volleyball. Always ready to serve the team and smash any challenge that comes her way.
18. Pablo: Scent of Valencia
Pablo, proud of his land, became a giant Valencia orange. A citric, round body full of Vitamin C to represent his Valencian roots in his 3D avatar.
19. Silvia: Born to Run
Silvia is the runner of the group, always adding up kilometers. Her avatar couldn't be anything else than a latest-generation running shoe. Ready to trot over any surface, even the office shelves.
20. Yair: The Rhythm of the Cajón
Yair has a hidden talent (or not so hidden, according to what Juan tells us): he loves playing the flamenco cajón. In fact, he even gave lessons! So, instead of pixels, his 3D figure represents his rhythm and passion for music.
Each one already has their small physical avatar that will soon decorate their desks. Will we beat this in the next retreat? Bets are open.