My role was to:
• Develop the overall vision for the line
• Define the story for each set, including characters, setting, and action
• Art direct character and model designs
• Design new parts
• Ensure consistency between all assets (product, instructions, and packaging)
CityVille was an online game with city themes that didn’t particularly appeal to kids. While it wasn’t my choice to partner with this IP, it was up to me to figure out how to make the toy fun. At the beginning of the design process, I art-directed three concept boards, which we tested with kids. The favorite, shown below, tweaked the concept of CityVille by introducing sci-fi themes that kids loved. This set the direction for the line.
CityVille was an exercise in visual storytelling. I challenged myself and the team to design models with the packaging in mind, to create drama, conflict, and humor on the front of every box.
During my time on Kreo, I designed over 100 parts which were used throughout CityVille and other Kreo lines.
CityVille’s figures were smaller than the standard mini figure, which made the environments bigger, in relation. This meant quick builds, and bigger stories. The small vehicles were particularly fun because they were so quick to build, full of character, and offered limitless possibilities.
Sonic Motion was a feature that made the whole set vibrate, causing certain bricks to move, sort of like Hexbugs. I worked closely with engineers to make sure the models facilitated the functionality.