Overview:
Working on Littlest Pet Shop was a dynamic and rewarding journey, where I led the branding and art direction for the mainline and its numerous segments over the years. My role encompassed designing, ideating, and overseeing branding across all touchpoints, ensuring every product and visual element resonated with the brand’s playful and collectible essence. From product ideation to creating brand bibles and ensuring consistency across digital, e-commerce, and physical channels, I played a pivotal role in shaping the brand’s identity and success.
I was directly responsible for the brand’s creative design across multiple projects, including packaging, trade merchandising, licensed goods, web, and marketing materials. I managed and directed a team of 1-2 designers, freelance illustrators, external design firms, and photographers, consistently meeting multiple deadlines while creating processes to streamline workflows.
Why I’m Proud:
Littlest Pet Shop wasn’t just about creating collectible toys; it was about crafting a world that consumers loved to engage with. Watching consumers’ excitement during testing sessions and seeing the team’s efforts come to life in the market were immensely rewarding. I’m particularly proud of how we listened to our audience, evolving the brand to be more inclusive and relatable while maintaining its collectible charm. The creative freedom to innovate with packaging and product design made this a truly unforgettable project.
Key Contributions:
Brand Leadership: Directed the branding for the mainline and numerous segments, creating cohesive brand bibles, establishing processes, and ensuring consistency across all channels.
Segment Creation: Concepted and developed standout segments such as LPS Fairies, specialty Chinese New Year Pets, and the first-ever Comic Con Pets featured at NYC Comic Con for four consecutive years.
Inclusive Design: Championed an updated, inclusive color palette and engaging pet illustrations, responding to consumer insights and expanding the brand’s appeal to both girls and boys. This refresh resulted in increased engagement and sales upon release.
Packaging Innovation: Designed playful and functional packaging, including storage-friendly designs and playable inserts that extended storytelling beyond the product itself.
Consumer Engagement: Partnered with cross-functional teams to deliver products that visually narrated quality and experience, leveraging consumer insights to drive decisions and enhance brand connection.
Digital & E-commerce Consulting: Consulted on digital and e-commerce visuals, ensuring the brand’s presence was cohesive and compelling across platforms.
Team Leadership: Managed and mentored a creative team, fostering collaboration with freelance illustrators, external design firms, and photographers to ensure high-quality execution.
