Cool Dogs: Your Collectible Compainion

Project Context

Role: Product Designer, Art Director, 3D Modeler, and Brand Strategist

Timeline: 2024 - Present

Tools: Womp, Photoshop, Illustrator, Blender, and Procreate

Team: Personal Project

Cool Dogs is a character-driven blind box toy series I created to explore the intersection of play, design, and emotional comfort. Developed as part of my MFA in Products of Design, the project reimagines the collectible experience for young adults seeking connection and nostalgia in everyday life. I led all aspects of the project from concept development and character design to 3D modeling, branding, and storytelling.

The Challenge

In a cultural moment defined by loneliness and overstimulation, young adults are searching for comfort objects that feel personal and emotionally resonant. Many turn to “kidulting”: revisiting toys and collectibles from childhood to find joy and stability.
The challenge was to design a brand and collectible experience that balances playfulness, emotional warmth, and artistic design, something that could live on a toy shelf or a design store display.

The Process

I began by the studying blind box culture and collectible behavior, including Pop Mart, Sonny Angels, and indepedent artist-led designer toys. I conducted informal interviews with my peers about what makes collectibles meaningful. The main insights were that the excitment from the mystery creates anticipation, companionship and connection elevate a collectible from an object to a character, and that a collectible feels more valuable when it is rooted in story rather than aesthetic trend.

Research & Insights

Initial sketches explored animals and mascots that could carry emotion easily. I decided on dogs for their universal appeal, warmth, and expressive body language. Each dog represents a character archetype, a reflection of what we see in our daily lives.

Exploration & Ideation

The visual identity evolved through several iterations, starting with plush-like forms to stylizied 3D characters. The final direction used smooth, pastel versions of the prime colors with simple accessories and comic-inspired packaging.

Design Development

The Solution

Cool Dogs became a three-character blind box line, each embodying a character that you see on the New York City streets!
Each figure comes in a collectible box that includes a mini-comic strip, offering a glimpse into their fun shared world.

Outcome & Impact

Cool Dogs evolved from a plush character concept into a fully branded world that blends emotional storytelling with collectible culture.

Reflection & Learnings

Cool Dogs proved that collectible design can be more than novelty, it can foster connection and comfort. The brand balances design, story, and heart, offering a modern take on companionship in playful form.