7-ELEVEN HK X MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
This was another project that involved designing premiums for in-store promotionsThe deliverables were 2 distinctly different products, interlinked in their usage. Having such a constraint really drove me to look hard at what the user will want and how to go about achieving that.
Overview
The main theme of this project was the celebration of Disney's 90th anniversary. We were tasked to propose a series of collectible figures and a display system which will serve as a 'collector's kit'
My role
My role in this project was to direct the team in conceptualization and proposal. With the additional requirement of the collector's kit, we had to develop the 2 products in tandem in order to ensure they have a coherent design language and work well together. As it was in the previous project, I handled factory standards and client communications as well.
Initial ideas (figure)
The initial ideas fell across a broad spectrum. Some were whacky and far fetched while others were more simplistic and closer to the original character design.Ultimately, considering the costs involved and also to emphasize and focus on the characters themselves, the decision was made to simplify the design. We took away excessive function and instead chose to play on crossing up different characters.
Initial ideas (Collector's Kit)
The main objective for the Collector's Kit was to enhance the desirability of the figures, and encourage further spending with customers in order to complete the set.
With that in mind we went for a simple modular stacking system. We chose a clean geometric shape to bring out the colorful and exciting designs from the character lineup. The hexagonal structure and modularity allows for visually dynamic, but structurally stable configurations.
Design refinement (figure)
After we secured the initial concept, we started to fine tune our designs.
While most of the functional factors have been removed, we decided to keep a retractible tab, which pops out from the head and allows for the figure to be turned into a keychain. This pushed the budget but we believe ultimately gave the user an alternative to how they would like to enjoy the product.We worked on a base template of Mickey and added on different outfits. We also added in the classic ensemble from Disney to inject more variety.
Design refinement (Collector's Kit)
The main point of development for the Collector's Kit was to go further with its minimal aesthetics and improve on the ease of use. To that end, we simplified the joints into a slide mechanism and streamlined the overall design. The end result was a minimalistic design which helped emphasize the colorful lineup which that it holds.
Project review
The project made waves once again after it’s launch in Hong Kong. After which, it was brought over to the other parts of South East Asia.
This was the first time I designed a modular platform for multiple products and carried it all the way through production. There is a sense of validation seeing the same hexagonal display system used across subsequent projects.