Licensed Product Design — mercedespadro

Licensed Brands | product design

Project: Licensed Product Design
Client: Scholastic, Abrams, Mattel Press
Industry: Children's Publishing, Entertainment & Consumer Products
Scope: Packaging Graphic Design, Book Cover & Interior Design, Illustration, Typography, Hand-Lettering, Pattern Design, Brand Guidelines Adaptation

How do you create fresh, engaging products for children while staying true to the visual identity of globally recognized brands? Across a range of licensed publishing projects, I translated established characters and brand worlds into thoughtfully designed books and activity products. Working with properties including Star Wars, Disney’s Stitch, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Peppa Pig, Doug the Pug, and Pingu, I combined brand-guideline expertise with original creative solutions to bring each product to life.

My role extended beyond layout and visual design. I worked within established design systems, managed brand assets, and developed covers, interiors, illustrations, and patterns that balanced brand consistency with playful, age-appropriate experiences.

I familiarized myself with the Star Wars brand t0 design the cover and interior of the ‘Star Wars Block.’

Designing the interior included creating and maintaining complex die-lines while remaining legible to the next generation of Star Wars enthusiasts. Art is by Peskimo.

Scholastic | Disney’s Stitch

I became an expert on Stitch branding guidelines and designed the interior of a Stitch activity book. I’m well-versed in Stitch’s brand including illustrations, pattern assets, fonts, typography, logo treatment, and the server Disney uses to store these files. This was a fun experience for me to bring one of my favorite childhood brands, Stitch, to life for kids in an interactive and engaging format.

Sample that follows a "scrapbook" DIY cut paper aesthetic

Interior connect-the-dots activity designed for kids

Scholastic | Gabby’s Doll House

I designed both the cover and interior of a Gabby’s Dollhouse Activity Book for children, a project that allowed me to merge brand assets with fresh, trend-forward design solutions. I enjoy creating for children’s markets, where I can push creative boundaries while still honoring the integrity of the brand. Below are samples of the cover and interior layouts I developed, which showcase a balance of playful engagement and brand consistency. In education design there’s an emphasize on legibility, so ensuring usability for the children was an important aspect of the design process.

Scholastic | Peppa Pig

At Scholastic, I served as the designer for all Peppa Pig titles, gaining an in-depth understanding of the brand’s guidelines as well as the EOne server system used to manage assets. In addition to designing, I contributed original illustrations that seamlessly matched Peppa’s distinct visual style, ensuring consistency across each projects including the covers and interiors.

Scholastic | Doug the Pug

For the I am Doug the Pug book project, I designed custom patterns, hand-painted illustrations, and carefully laid out the artwork to complement Doug’s fun and food-centric brand. My work helped bring a cohesive and playful visual identity to Doug’s brand.

Mattel Press | Pingu Cozy Chill and Color

For the Pingu Cozy Chill and Color book project, I designed the cover and interior utilizing assets from the iconic Pingu brand. This included experimenting with layouts and typography to create a fun and accessible coloring book for adults and children alike.

Abrams | Hello Kitty Fairytale Collection

For Hello Kitty Presents the Fairytale, I developed the cover and interior design for Sanrio, creating a cohesive visual experience that brings the charm of Hello Kitty together with the timeless appeal of classic fairytales. The project involved translating the brand’s playful, recognizable aesthetic into an engaging book design across both the cover and interior pages.

THE OUTCOME

Across these projects, I applied a consistent design philosophy: respect the integrity of the original brand while creating products that feel engaging, purposeful, and tailored to their audiences.

The work demonstrates my ability to adapt to distinct visual identities, translate brand guidelines into cohesive publishing systems, and combine illustration, typography, and layout into a unified product experience.