What We Do

At Design Force, Inc., we specialize in package design and brand licensing design for the toy and entertainment industries. For more than 35 years, we’ve worked alongside global brands to create packaging and licensing programs that resonate with consumers and succeed at retail. Our history in the industry has given us unique insight into what drives engagement and builds long-term brand equity.

Our Approach

We combine research-driven strategy with design innovation to create solutions that not only connect with consumers on an emotional level but also motivate their decision to buy. Every project engagement reflects our passion for design and our commitment to helping our clients achieve measurable success.

Our Services

Our services are designed to support every aspect of our dual-discipline focus. From research and creative strategy development to the creation of flexible, functional package design systems to building comprehensive licensing program style guides, we provide the tools and expertise to help toy and entertainment brands resonate with their target audiences and succeed at retail. You can learn more about our various disciplines below:

RESEARCH & CREATIVE STRATEGY

Every project begins with tailored research and a clear creative strategy. We analyze the brand, and its competitors, and uncover category trends to establish a strong foundation for design.

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CHARACTER ART & ILLUSTRATION

From pose creation to the execution of 2D and 3D digital illustrations, we create character art that supports licensing programs and packaging initiatives while staying true to brand style.

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DESIGN ELEMENTS DEVELOPMENT

We design the core visual assets – badges, patterns, icons, type treatments, and more – that define a licensing program’s visual aesthetic and empower licensees to create great products.

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PRODUCT DESIGN

We develop product concepts that showcase a brand’s visual aesthetic in its key consumer product categories, transforming style guides into powerful sales tools.

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STYLE GUIDE DESIGN

Our style guides are immersive brand portals that inspire licensees with clarity, creativity and a consistent visual language.

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BRAND DESIGN

From logos to trade dress, we craft the brand’s visual identity, building recognition, conveying brand values, and strengthening consumer connections.

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PACKAGE DESIGN

We create package design systems for non-licensed brands with clear verbal and visual communication and easy-to-navigate product segmentation to generate excitement among consumers.

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LICENSED PRODUCT PACKAGE DESIGN

Our proprietary approach to package design for licensed brands allows us to create standardized packaging programs that resonate with consumers in every retail category.

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STRUCTURAL DESIGN

We design innovative package structure concepts that enhance brand differentiation and improve shelf presence in the chaotic toy and entertainment retail environment.

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RETAIL DESIGN

We create a broad range of point-of-sale materials and merchandising solutions that establish visually-cohesive, memorable in-store experiences for consumers.

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The Package Design System Evaluation

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’s a customizable framework that addresses every aspect of package design for both non-licensed and licensed brands, offering objective insights that lead to improvement in retail performance.

  • Are you unsure if your packaging still drives purchase decisions?

  • Are retail buyers questioning its effectiveness and shelf impact?

  • Has rapid growth or product line extensions caused your packaging to become visually-disjointed?

How an Evaluation Helps

“Design Force has been one of our “go-to” design resources for the better part of the last two decades. Whether they’re helping us refresh the package design for our evergreen brands, or establishing a design system for a completely new brand, they never disappoint! Their expertise in developing a cohesive packaging look that works seamlessly across product segments and their innovative approach to structure design make them a valuable asset to the Spin Master creative team.”

Kris Jackson

It was an absolute pleasure working with Ted and the Design Force team on the launch of Concacaf’s first-ever mascot, Volar. This was not an easy assignment given we needed a mascot and story that would resonate with our diverse membership of 41 countries across North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The Design Force team blew us away with how they immersed themselves into the culture of our sport and our nations and delivered a recommendation beyond our imagination. Design Force was more than agency; they acted like an extension of our team going above and beyond the requirements of the project.”

Heidi Pellerano

“For years, we tried to create a style guide for the Super Simple brand ourselves with no success. Despite the name, the brand is quite complex. With a broad variety of shows, character groups and sub-brands all under a single brand umbrella, there's no "main character" to lean on. That's when we decided to engage Design Force. There was much thought and discussion with Ted and his team during the project's Pre-Design Research phase. And, it was time well spent, because what they came back with was nothing short of delightful. Now, when people see our style guide, they don’t see a brand that’s super complicated, they see one that’s Super Simple.

Brett Jubinville

“The Design Force team truly established a powerful and consistent retail presence for the Thunderbirds Are Go brand. They created a great look for our animated series’ packaging program, with guidelines that are intuitive and easy for our licensee partners to follow. We love how perfectly the design extends across the packaging for Vivid Toys’ entire line of products.”

Sarah Baines

“We’re excited about what Design Force created for the WAL! We were blown away by how well the new logo captures the essence of our league. The design is classic and bold, with just enough attitude to stand apart from every other league out there. Their hard work gave us a solid visual base to build upon as the WAL continues to grow and dominate the sport of arm-wrestling!”

Steve Kaplan

“Look at their work, read the testimonials, follow Ted's thinking. Try to find someone better. I dare you. Having spent more than 30 years in the design field, including 24 years at Hasbro in creative roles ranging from package designer to Vice President of Global Creative in Licensing, I've worked with countless designers and design agencies. To say that Design Force “gets it” is an understatement. Your design budget simply cannot be better or more wisely spent.”

Michael Provost

“While at Toys 'R' Us, I worked with Ted and the Design Force team on the brand repositioning, brand identity and package design refresh, and style guide development for one of our biggest private label brands. Many demographic and cultural factors were taken into account during the pre-design process. Under Ted’s direction, his team employed the perfect balance of design and marketing savvy to execute effectively against our global brand strategy.”

Arline Wall

“I’ve known Ted for as long as I’ve been with Marvel, and have relied on Design Force as a valued design partner on countless high-profile packaging and style guide design initiatives over the years. Their understanding of the Marvel Universe combined with their industry expertise, research and design approach, and passion for what they do make every project a success. And, they’re an absolute pleasure to work with!”

Chris Fondacaro

“It was amazing to work with the Design Force team on our most recent licensing style guide project. They provided us with great design solutions while accommodating our aggressive timelines. They were extremely patient with all of our feedback and the project was a success for the brand and for our company. We’re glad to have partnered with Design Force.”

Sandra Jo

“We decided to work with the Design Force team on the consumer product style guide and packaging program for The Nut Job 2 because of the world-class work they do for the global brand leaders in the entertainment industry. And they far exceeded our expectations! They perfectly captured the essence and attitude of the film and provided us with a powerful tool for our licensee partners.”

Elena Lee