Julien Robin - Product Designer
Justine Charoy - Project Management
Agathe Duval - Product Design Intern
As a product designer in research and development at Pandacraft, I had the opportunity to design a wide variety of products for young audiences. This collaborative project with KFC is a prime example: a series of buildable toys themed around spacecraft, included in the children's menu between January and April 2024.
Responsibilities
Product Designer
Graphic Designer
Illustrator
Discover space through 5 iconic objects
To introduce Pandacraft to new children and parents, we chose the theme of space, which resonates with some of our most popular products. I designed five iconic machines, each accompanied by a traveling character: a rocket for space exploration, a Mars rover for the discovery of Mars, a lunar lander evoking the moon landing, the historic satellite Sputnik II for its historical heritage, and a flying saucer for the mystery of extraterrestrial life.
It all started with volume and assembly work in the workshop. The challenge was to design a unique assembly mechanism for each model that was both fun and consistent with the rest of the collection. The first mockups, deliberately simplified, were refined through iterations while respecting the size and material constraints imposed by the fast-food kid's meal format.
Visual Art Direction
I was granted a great deal of freedom regarding the visual art direction. My choice naturally fell on bright and contrasting colors, allowing each craft to be distinguished while maintaining overall harmony. Particular attention was paid to textures and details, with the goal of remaining minimalist yet faithful to reality.
For example, the lunar module and the Sputnik II satellite accurately reproduce the specifics of the historical models, while the other crafts are inspired by the visual codes of science fiction and space exploration.
To accompany each toy, I also created stylized illustrations, used for both marketing and packaging. These visuals were ultimately used for educational cards, where each vehicle is paired with an anecdote related to its universe: the conquest of the Moon, the search for life on Mars, or the beginnings of space technology.
An easy assembly designed for the youngest creators
The constraints of including the toy in children's meals required us to integrate everything into a single foldable sheet. I designed the building steps directly onto this sheet to make assembly as intuitive as possible. To add a satisfying final touch, we included a sticker sheet so children could personalize their creations.
Marketing
This collection of five spacecraft was distributed in kids' meals for two months in early 2024, offering Pandacraft a successful first experience in this type of partnership. This project reached new consumers with a highly crafted and differentiating product, in contrast to the simpler premiums offered by other KFC partners.
*Illustrative image generated by A.I.
Expanding into artist merch
My experience in youth product design, and more specifically in the creation of DIY buildable objects, allows me to envision new merchandising concepts for artists.
One could imagine, for example, DIY buildable objects inspired by music: an iconic instrument, a tribute to an artist or a cult album, or even a miniature stage.
The whole concept would create a collectible appeal, while remaining very low-cost to produce compared to more traditional merchandising products.
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