Frankie Stevens – Designer at Kids Industries – on why brands are embracing ‘traditional-looking’ designs

Frankie, it’s great to connect. To kick us off, what does fandom mean to you – personally and professionally?
Personally, I’ve never been sure if I am a die-hard fan of anything or part of a specific fandom. I don’t wear overly branded clothing, buy into merch or have loads of collectables. I enjoy watching sports, but I don’t support a specific team. I love music, but I’m no Swiftie. However, when exploring these thoughts further, I’ve discovered that fandom doesn’t have to mean all these things. It can come from the way you experience things and who you experience them with.

So, I feel a lot of my fandom comes from TV shows, films or books I enjoyed as a child, and those that I shared experiences I had with my parents and siblings. I will always reach for The Lion King as my comfort film, and I can quote The Parent Trap pretty much word for word. Maybe that is fandom to me.

Good answer! And professionally?
Professionally, I feel it’s about designing something that will fuel children’s current fandoms. Finding those niche elements of a brand that will spark joy as well as fostering new fandoms for the future. At KI we work with fandoms every day, it’s integral to the work we do. We use our KI Fandom Model to pick apart the elements that will make a brand’s fandom stronger. And through all of this, I’ve discovered all sorts of niche fandoms that I’d never heard of before.

How anyone can become an obsessive fan of a mermaid X unicorn that goes on adventures in the ocean – so much so that they want to collect all the toys – beats me. But I guess that’s what makes fandom so special, it’s different for everyone, and we have a part to play in helping to develop them.

With no restriction on country or market sector, can you flag up one design trend you have noticed that you think will have an impact on the UK licensing market over the next 12 months?
Something which has come up a few times recently is the backlash against the use of AI and a digital overload. Polaroid’s latest campaign – The Camera for Analogue – really taps into this with messaging like: ‘No one on their deathbed ever said: I wish I’d spent more time on my phone’, or ‘Real stories. Not stories & reels.’

And it’s not just in their messaging that brands are doing this. With the rise of AI ‘perfection’, I’ve noticed brands are retreating back to more traditional-looking designs, with a hand-drawn feel to their illustrations and messy typography. This is of particular note in both the beauty and food industries, with brands like Dyptyque and Fishwives as stand out examples. As AI and its use continues to progress, I can only see these sorts of designs emerging even more.

Can you share with us one licensed product you have seen this year that you think ‘stands out’ from the crowd?
A licensed product that has really stood out to me over the last few months is the splendiferous Clarks X Roald Dahl collaboration. They have recently launched several sets of children’s shoes, inspired by Roald Dahl’s stories, and featuring Quentin Blake’s beautiful illustrations.

Designed to ‘inspire kids to believe in themselves, unleash their creativity and walk in their own wondrous way!’ This stood out not only because I love the stories – and would love Clarks to make an adult pair! – but because they feel pretty special. In a world full of products that often feel like a repeat of what came before, bringing back the designs to more traditional illustration felt refreshing. I loved those shoes where you could get a little plastic toy in the heel when I was little, but maybe now I can appreciate why my mum kind of hated them.

The collaboration also taps into that nostalgic feeling. Parents would have enjoyed Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, growing up, and this is their chance to introduce them to their children – maybe for the first time – in a new and exciting way.

Speaking of books, I have observed recently that there is a lot of concern that children are reading less. Can you give us one suggestion for how we can encourage children to read more and get them more engaged with the ‘written word’?
Something which struck me when looking at the latest reports on children’s reading was the figures on the lack of confidence parents and teachers have in actually reading aloud with their children. We have seen how the power of shared reading experiences can foster emotional connection and boost both the adult’s and child’s wellbeing, and yet they’re often not given the tools on how to do this.

Book Trust’s latest Reading Rights report found that 21% of parents lack confidence in choosing books their child will enjoy. This needs to change. Giving children and the adults in their lives ideas on how to make reading a less daunting experience is crucial. This could be done with tech, gaming, and digital devices. There are plenty of new and fun ways of interacting with audiobooks, or I could suggest advertising reading in Roblox.

But if I’m honest, I think it’s the physical, tangible – more accessible – resources that can really make a difference. It could be as simple as preschools, local libraries or even larger corporations partnering with publishers to provide supplementary materials to engage the reader. McDonald’s now supply books as well as toys in their Happy Meals. Think finger puppets, board games, activity sheets. Something which gamifies the experience, making it enjoyable for all parties, without introducing a screen.

Good suggestions. Huge thanks Frankie.