Product Development
Whether it’s a toy, candy or an appliance, together we can create something awesome.
ICEE Products
The challenge here was to create a calling card for potential ICEE licensees where they could see what was possible with the ICEE brand. The only real product is the Funko Pop ICEE Bear on the nightstand. I created the rest with the magic of Photoshop and Illustrator.
Doctor Who Plush Program
A former colleague reached out and asked me to develop a gift shop program for a Doctor Who exhibit in London. I did my research and created a list of all of the products that had NOT been made for the license. I also found that there was not a current plush licensee so I developed a line of exclusive teddy bears (see why below). Sadly, less than a week after I submitted my proposal, Build-A-Bear announced their Doctor Who program but this was still a fun exercise for me because I love the license.
Appliances: Slow Cookers
Developing these items was a matter of finding the right licensed art for the product. Sure, the licensor may have a huge library but sometimes you have to make something different.
Appliances: Toasters
The hard part about developing these concepts was figuring out what was possible. Once we had a template, the fun part could start.
Appliances: Popcorn Makers
These items have the same challenge: What is possible? I created these designs with Photoshop and the Pokemon popcorn maker is on shelves now.
Championship Belt
The challenge here was to create a championship belt that had an original design but evoked the WWE belt. Once we found the right supplier, the next challenge was making my design a reality. It wasn’t easy.
Plush Toys
The biggest challenge product development has is finding a supplier who can execute your vision. These plush had the benefit of a great factory that made designing them much easier.
NASA Program
When the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing was still a year away, I designed and pitched a program of products that would have required a minimum of tooling and licensing.
We ultimately decided to not move forward with the program, but I would have loved to one day walk into the Franklin Institute gift shop and seen these items on the shelf.
Candy
Candy development, like with any other industry, is a matter of finding the right license, product and vendor. I designed all of these with a little help.
Snow Play
Seasonal products are always tricky, especially ones dependent on weather. That said, we realized after reviewing holiday retail that snow play was an underserved category. We were confident that our licenses could break through the traditional product lines to grab consumers.
