Mini Bake Shop
CHALLENGE
Is it possible to differentiate a new Klutz product from the successful Clay Charms by incorporating an easy play pattern that appeals to a wider audience while capitalizing on the market surge for small cute objects, specifically 'foods with faces'?
INSIGHt
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Explore materials beyond clay
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Research pop culture for an age-appropriate subject matter
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Determine project size and subjects that remain "cute"
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Create projects that cater to a wide skill set
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Manage the challenges of high material costs while adhering to budgetary constraints.
RESULTS
Mini Bake Shop quickly rose to the top of Amazon’s best-seller list, winning national awards and gaining exposure on TV and influencer channels. The success of the initial product line led to the creation of two additional spin-offs, further expanding Klutz's offerings in this market segment.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Product Pitch
Brand Guidelines
Project Management
Art Direction
Product Development
Product Testing
Author of Book
Product Branding
Packaging & Book Design
Photo Styling
Pre & Post Production — Photography
Social Media Visuals and Messaging
Product Development
Concepts: Tried sculpting and painting green floral foam until discovering it could be toxic to breathe in dust.
Explored yarn pom-poms made with
a fork, but air dry clay was the winner.
Cost Anyalist: Compared the amount of clay vs. how many projects.
Invented: Mini foam inserts that allowed the clay to conform and create precise shapes, minimizing wastage of excess clay.
Plus it mimics working with fondant icing.
New Tool: Art directed the manufacturing to combine two clay tools into a customized double-tipped tool for creating smiles and cutting clay.
Paper Crafts: Created two sheets of original illustrations and collaborated with a production artist to develop the final dielines for a mini paper cake stand and a pink bakery box.
Packaging CONCEPTS
Digitally composited stock and in-house photography before shooting the final art on-set.
Approved Concept
FINAL DESIGN
Responsible for the layout of all packaging and book design — initial concept through final production.
FINALIST! Astra’s Best Toys for kids, Creative Play 7+ Category
PHOTOGRAPHY
Art directed multi-day studio photo shoots. Creating shot lists, hand-made photo samples, set construction, prop shopping, and post-production of photos.
Mini Bake Shop Photography: Joseph Quever
BOOK DEVELOPMENT
Wrote the 48-page instructional book, supplied photo references and art directed 225+ technical illustrations, and laid out the book pages.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Created Instagram stories and posts for corporate social media accounts.
NETFLIX:
Dreamworks
Gabby’s Dollhouse
Featured in the storyline of Googly Eyes: Gabby's Dollhouse: S7, Ep. 3. The show is currently seen in 89 countries.
YouTUBE:
MORIAH
ELIZABETH
Moriah is known for her humor and candid reviews of all things cute, squishy, and crafty. With an impressive 8.9M subscribers watching, Mini Bake Shop passed her rigorous assessment.
YouTUBE:
NerdECrafteR
SaltECrafter, with 1.9M subscribers, enjoys sharing craft and toy disappointments. However, she found herself in an identity crisis when she unexpectedly developed a genuine liking for Mini Bake Shop.
MOBILE GAME PITCH
Designed UI/UX for a mobile game pitch, with the goal of translating skills and play patterns from Scholastic/Klutz books into an engaging and challenging mobile experience.
RElated Products
Mini Grocery Store
Mini Grocery Store was a sequel, retaining the familiar play pattern and components. With a new theme, I added adorable projects like a mini grocery store basket and a tiny pizza box, and a deli meat tray enhancing the immersive experience. My roles and responsibilities remained consistent with Mini Bake Shop.
