OVERVIEW:
Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has stood as a global cultural touchstone, constantly evolving to mirror the world around her. From a singular fashion icon to a diverse universe of over 250 careers, the brand has spent over 65 years as the "North Star" of the toy industry. This storied history is defined by a relentless ability to pivot—ensuring that the Barbie brand remains as aspirational and relevant to today’s digital-native generation as it was to the first.
ROLES:
Senior Art Direction
Lead UX/UI Design
Design System Architecture
Cross-Functional Leadership
INSIGHT:
Fragmentation in a Modern Landscape
The primary challenge facing this legacy was Systemic Fragmentation. Despite her global stature, Barbie’s digital presence was siloed from other Mattel powerhouses, resulting in massive design debt and inconsistent user journeys. To maintain her leadership in a "Digital-First" retail market, the brand required a transition from fragmented legacy properties into a high-performance, unified e-commerce ecosystem.
STRATEGY:
The "One-Store" Evolution
Under the Mattel ‘One-Store’ agenda, we engineered a master design system to bridge the gap between heritage storytelling and modern commerce.
The Component Skeleton: We developed a shared library of responsive components that served as the foundational "connective tissue" for the entire Mattel portfolio.
Dynamic Brand Skinning: We defined the UI logic that allowed the platform to pivot—seamlessly adopting Barbie’s signature "Glamour" aesthetic while maintaining the core architectural integrity of the unified store.
Omni-Commerce Integration: By aligning the visual language with Mattel’s "Future State," we created a frictionless path-to-purchase across all devices.
OBJECTIVE:
A Unified Consumer Experience
The goal was to deliver a consumer-centric shopping experience that eliminated the boundaries between "browsing" and "buying," delivering a system capable of scaling for global retail demand.
RESULTS:
Scalable Future
The "One-Store" initiative successfully consolidated Mattel’s digital footprint, accelerating "Speed-to-Market" and ensuring that Barbie’s digital home is as robust and iconic as her 65-year heritage.
