LTL (Little Things Live) is a concept for a modern creative brand built around customization, storytelling and emotional design.
The project explores how current trends in tactile materials, slower play and community-driven creativity can be translated into a physical product system for makers aged 10 and up.
Inspired by Scandinavian design, designer toys and contemporary craft culture, the goal was to create a product that feels both collectible and deeply personal.
The Challenge
Many products deliver a finished experience. I wanted to explore the opposite.
How can a creative product encourage self-expression through making and storytelling?
The answer became a simple fabric character with a strong silhouette and intentionally neutral design. Rather than arriving with a fixed personality, each character develops through handmade details added by its creator.
By starting with a simple and intentionally unfinished character, the focus shifts from collecting finished products to creating personal stories and emotional connections.
This philosophy became the foundation for the brand:
Little Things Live.
Trend Inspiration
The concept draws inspiration from several emerging trends:
Tactile materials and visible craftsmanship
Slow play and reduced screen time
Repair aesthetics and emotional durability
Personalization and self-expression
Collectible systems and modular products
Community-driven creativity and user-generated content
The visual language combines influences from Japanese stationery, modern designer toys and Nordic children's culture. The packaging was designed to feel calm, premium and collectible rather than loud or disposable.
Rather than encouraging disposable consumption, the concept focuses on emotional attachment, visible craftsmanship and products designed to evolve over time.
Target Audience
LTL was designed for creative children aged 10+, teenagers and adults who enjoy crafting, customization and collectible products.
The concept bridges the gap between traditional toys, DIY culture and modern designer collectibles, encouraging self-expression through handmade details and storytelling.
Core Product
The main product contains one neutral fabric character together with carefully selected materials such as yarn, embroidery thread, fabric pieces, ribbons, buttons and accessories.
The packaging was designed as a book-like box to reinforce the storytelling aspect of the brand. Opening the package should feel less like opening a toy and more like discovering a small world.
The packaging itself was treated as part of the experience rather than simply a container. Inspired by books and keepsakes, the box becomes something worth saving, revisiting and displaying.
Expansion Packs
The system was intentionally designed to grow over time.
The first add-on, Trolls Pack, was inspired by Scandinavian folklore, found treasures and visible repairs. The materials encourage creators to add horns, patches and whimsical details while allowing every troll to become completely unique.
The second add-on, Companion Pack, takes inspiration from pets, friendship and patchwork aesthetics. Softer shapes and accessories allow the character to transform into different animal companions.
A Scalable Product System
Rather than designing a single product, the goal was to create a system with long-term potential.
Future collections could include seasonal packs, limited editions and new themes that expand the universe while encouraging creativity instead of disposable consumption.
LTL World
The physical products are supported by a digital platform called LTL World.
The website extends the experience beyond the box and provides inspiration galleries, tutorials, creative guides and a space where makers can eventually share their own characters and inspire each other.
Over time, the community becomes part of the creative ecosystem, allowing users to inspire each other and contribute to the growing world of LTL.
The goal is to create a calm and welcoming digital environment where creativity and storytelling continue long after the physical product has been opened.
Conclusion
LTL was created as an exploration of how physical products, storytelling and digital communities can work together to create longer-lasting and more meaningful creative experiences.
My Role
Concept Development
Trend Research
Character Design
Packaging Design
Brand Development
Art Direction
Visual Storytelling
Product System Design
