Design Force, Inc. was born out of a passion for design more than three decades ago.
After having worked in various creative roles developing brand identity and package design for a few of the world’s leading toy manufacturers, spawning his passion for both the discipline and the industry, Ted Mininni, our company’s President and Creative Director, established Design Force, Inc. in October of 1990.
Under Ted’s leadership, we quickly became one of the premiere design resources servicing the toy industry, and were fortunate to have impacted the visual appeal and consumer perception of countless high-profile toy brands throughout our first decade.
The new millennium brought with it new opportunity for growth. As our clients began to realize their potential as powerful entertainment entities, and it became clear that the future of toys would be deeply rooted in the world of licensing, we were trusted with the development of packaging programs and style guides for their licensed brands. The work was new and exciting and proved to be a natural segue for our design team.
We found a new passion… for all things brand licensing.
Our success with this new work attracted the attention of the global brand leaders in entertainment, who began to solicit our design expertise for all facets of their brands’ licensing programs. As a result of this growth and new-found passion for all things brand licensing, we’ve had the pleasure of touching just about every entertainment genre, capturing the mindset of every target audience and influencing the visual retail presence of innumerable licensed brands over the course of our last two decades… which is why today we’re one of the most sought-after strategic design partners in the world of brand licensing.
Ted Mininni President/Creative Director
As President and Creative Director of Design Force, Inc., Ted sets the standard for all research and design development for the consultancy. Aside from being recognized throughout the toy and entertainment industries for his leadership and vision with regard to design, he is also an accomplished illustrator, leveraging his skills on engagements that benefit from his varying styles.
As an author, Ted regularly contributes thought leadership articles and insights to the top brand licensing and packaging trade publications, both in print and online, including The Toy Book, The Pop Insider (formerly The Licensing Book), and Brand Packaging Magazine. Over the past 19 years, Ted has written pieces for and has been quoted in License! Global Magazine, Package Design Magazine, Packaging Digest, TheDieline, BrandWeek, AdWeek, BrandChannel, USA Today, MarketingProfs, and The CEO Refresher, among many others. Ted’s articles have been picked up by international business publications in Asia, Europe, Africa and throughout the U.S.
When not propagating the Design Force, Inc. brand message, Ted enjoys playing ice hockey for his men’s league team, the Space Monkeys, passionately following his favorite Philadelphia professional sports teams and pursuing his interests in drawing and painting.
Want to have Ted Mininni Speak at Your Event?
What We Do
The work we do at Design Force supports the global brand leaders in toy and entertainment with unparalleled design for their brands. Our overarching focus is in the disciplines of package design and brand licensing design, but we employ a range of capabilities to create the touch points that connect our clients’ brands with their target consumers on an emotional level, and build the tools their partners need to develop and market their licensed consumer products.
Research & Creative Strategy
Character Art & Illustration
Design Elements Development
Product Design
Style Guide Design
Brand Design
Package Design
Licensed Product Package Design
Structural Design
Retail Design
The Package Design System Evaluation is a diagnostic engagement that evaluates the effectiveness of a brand’s current packaging and provides a prescriptive path for its refresh. It is a customizable process that addresses the unique retail circumstances and considerations of non-licensed packaging or licensed product packaging.
- Are you unsure of your brand’s current packaging’s ability to motivate consumer purchase decisions?
- Are retail buyers questioning your brand’s current packaging’s potential for success within your category?
- Has your brand’s current packaging become confusing or visually disjointed as a result of rapid brand growth, poorly strategized product line extensions or too many levels of line segmentation?