BUILD-A-BEAR

Bringing a beloved collectible brand into a new digital experience.

Role: Head of Design at Sweet
Project: Build-A-Bear 25th Anniversary NFT Collection
Year: 2022

During my time as Head of Design at Sweet, I worked with our team on Build-A-Bear’s first NFT collection, helping bring its familiar world of personality, creativity, and collecting into a new digital format.

Created for the brand’s 25th anniversary, the project connected digital collectibles with physical bears and exclusive experiences. The offering featured a one-of-one Swarovski crystal bear and five individually themed Silver Gala bears, giving collectors a connection to the collection both online and in person.

Our challenge was to make an unfamiliar collecting experience feel approachable while preserving the warmth and character of Build-A-Bear. The campaign brought together a branded website, animated collectible presentation, and Sweet’s marketplace, introducing the collection and explaining how participation and ownership worked.

From the campaign’s visual presentation to its digital shopping experience, the work balanced expressive storytelling with clear information. Collectors could explore the bears, understand the benefits attached to each offering, and move into the marketplace to participate.

For me, the project reflects the value of bringing creative direction and product design together: translating an established brand into a new medium while keeping its identity recognizable and its experience understandable.
https://sweet.io/buildabear?utm_source=chatgpt.com