Most people will know you for your museum at South Kensington, but that’s not your only site?
No, you’re right. South Kensington was founded in 1852, but we have V&A Dundee, the V&A Collection at Wedgwood and Young V&A making us a family of museums. Excitingly, we have two further locations opening in East London in 2025 on the London 2012 Olympic Park site.

I was just looking at that, Jon – we could do an interview on that alone! Maybe we should talk to someone about that when the sites open… They look extraordinary. In the meanwhile, I’ll put a link to info on that here. So now: what makes the V&A so special for you, Jon?
For me, the V&A is so special because the corridors and spaces echo with the footsteps of iconic past creatives who have spent many hours here being inspired by the collections. For example, Beatrix Potter took inspiration for clothing for The Tailor of Gloucester from an 18th century waistcoat we have in the archive. Alexander McQueen summarised it perfectly when he said, “The collections at the V&A never fail to intrigue and inspire me.”

Great answer, thank you! You’ve been in your role there for just over a year: now that you’re settled in, what – broadly speaking – do you do on a day-to-day basis?
Yes, I joined the V&A in April 2023 as Senior Creative Manager. My role is to oversee product development, brand application and marketing creative across the licensing programme of over 85 global licensees with the support of our great team. We can be developing fine jewellery one day and home interiors the next, so the role is extremely varied. It’s also an incredible opportunity to work alongside creatives from diverse categories across global territories in the form of our partners.

Fantastic. And given that the museum has around three million artefacts from over 5,000 years of art and design, I’m really curious… How on earth do you start working out which things have got licensing potential?
That is a great question! Of course, having such a vast amount of inspiration to consider is a blessing but can also potentially be a bit overwhelming.
We have perennial themes that have proven popular and commercially very successful such as William Morris’s Arts and Crafts patterns and Sir John Tenniel’s Alice in Wonderland illustrations…

However, we’re always encouraging licensees to explore the archive further. One way that we make the archive more accessible to licensees is to select assets that complement current and emerging design trends. This enables us to group archived assets into collections based on a theme, confident that they will have commercial, as well as aesthetic, merit.

Tell me about the rest of that process!
It’s a closely guarded secret! But what I can share is that we are proud to offer a truly bespoke service for licensees, which they consider to be a real privilege. We approach every project collaboratively and we encourage licensees to be creative and to sometimes reimagine our archive into something that is attractive and relevant to customers today.

Something I’ve noticed is that the V&A seems to have a ‘class of its own’ quality. I say that because people will often tell me they’re going to a museum in exactly those words: “I’m going to a museum.” But when they’re going to the V&A, they specifically say so: “I’m going to the V&A.” Is that where the museum positions itself? How does it do that?
I’ve noticed the same! I’ve been amazed at how much affection people have for the V&A and I think this is partly down to its founding principle that art is for everyone. It was the first museum to open in the evenings so that ‘working people’ could visit. It was also the first to have an onsite café for refreshments – one designed by William Morris, no less; you can still visit it today!

Also, everyone who works here carries an equal amount of pride and responsibility to preserve and share its artefacts. After all, the collections are owned by all of us. We’re a national institution and our permanent collections are free to access. Anyone in the world can come to South Kensington and make an appointment to view century-old French bookplate designs in our National Art Library, stunning Spitalfields Silks in the British Gallery or have lunch in a café designed by one of the best-known pattern designers in the world.

Amazing. You mention that founding principle there – that art is for everyone. What, then, are the V&A’s values? What’s its mission?
Our mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere. We’ve done this successfully at South Kensington for over 170 years, but we’re particularly excited about diversifying our collections and audiences through the new sites we discussed – Young V&A and V&A East Museum and Storehouse. The licensing programme is an important part of this… We’re able to share the incredible and expansive design archives with audiences not just in London but across the globe.

On that then, Jon, what do you look for in a licensing partner? And in a product offering?
There are many strands that can make a licensee a suitable partner for the museum. Two areas I oversee that are particularly important are the quality of design – so expertise in handling and reimagining surface print and pattern, and excellence in craftsmanship and manufacturing… We’re always looking for something a little unexpected in terms of design or product offering, and we’re exploring ways to ensure our products are less harmful to the planet. As I mentioned earlier, collaboration is critical for us. Each project really is a journey that combines the expertise of our team with the creativity and consumer insight of our licensees.

Great answer. What’s your own background, Jon? How did you come to be doing what you do?
I was a senior graphic designer for many years before joining the V&A – mostly designing products and packaging for high street retailers on both licensed and own-branded projects. I’d really enjoyed mentoring junior designers and so the Senior Creative Manager role in the V&A’s brand licensing team seemed like a great fit for my skillset and interests.

What else makes you a good fit for the V&A?
Like everyone at the museum, I hold a passion for art and design. That has come through really strongly through all the interactions I’ve had at the museum. It’s wonderful to be working alongside talented people, from all over the world, who share that interest. I visited the V&A many times during my education – the first time during my A-Level Art course – and I still feel a real buzz every time I’m in the building amongst all the artefacts.

What’s the one thing I could’ve asked you today but didn’t?
Does the V&A have its own beehives?

Wow. It would’ve been quite awhile before I thought to ask that! Great question! What’s the answer?
Ha! Indeed, it does. They’re on the roof!

Brilliant! Maybe that explains the buzz you get every time you’re in the building… Ha! I can’t believe I’m going to sign off on that pun, Jon; I’ve sullied the whole interview!

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The Graphic Design teacher was so inspiring that I decided to follow that route at Falmouth University rather than Fine Art, which had been my original intention… I thought I was more likely to get a job at the end of it! So, I didn’t become an artist but close enough.

Following graduation I worked for several companies – most notably designing gifts and games for Ginger Fox Games and promotional products for Tomato Source.

You have built up some great experience across some interesting categories. When designing games and toys at Ginger Fox, how do you first approach the category?
Our approach at Ginger Fox was to always put a lot of time into testing game mechanics and making sure that our target audience was front of mind. The design and product development teams would often concept and develop games together, which meant a wide set of skills was utilised really well.

“You need to be respectful of style guides, but maverick enough to push them where possible.”

I couldn’t believe it when I started… I was earning a living by playing games all day! We also had regular games nights in the local pub where we would play existing games and test our own with colleagues and friends. The design team were also always encouraged to attend trade shows such as Spring and Autumn Fair to keep on top of trends and themes that were coming through.

With regards to toys, I was lucky that my time at Ginger Fox coincided with the birth of my two daughters. I was surrounded by toys at home so inspiration was all around and I had a couple of very willing product testers!

Our approach was also always rooted in trend analysis, but I think it’s important to differentiate between trends that will last a few years and those that may last just a few months. Sometimes we would develop an idea that was totally unique and we had the confidence to develop it, despite the current trends!

A second category you have worked in is collectibles and fan merchandise designing the likes of coins and medallions. Fans are of course passionate and knowledgeable about the brands they love. How easy is it to design for fans and to ensure you deliver what they are looking for?
There’s definitely some pressure to deliver something authentic as fans can tell straight away if you haven’t immersed yourself in the franchise. It helps that I’m a big fan of pop culture and I really appreciate the small details and easter eggs that may be hidden under a flap of some packaging or reflect an in-joke in a film.

The challenge is often to include these hidden gems without inflating the cost of manufacturing, so being creative with packaging – or how cards tessellate to create a secondary image – can be great solutions.

Often patience is a critical ingredient. At Tomato Source we developed a Beskar steel paperweight based on prop photographs for The Mandalorian. The texture was painstakingly recreated to make it as true to the original as possible.

Licensing of course involves the IP owner and an additional layer of approvals. How do you approach a design project in the licensing category. Thinking about approvals and using style guides, but also delivering freshness through your designs?
It’s important to wear two hats when designing licensed products… You need to be respectful of style guides, but maverick enough to push them where possible.

Communication with the IP owner is critical. In my experience many owners are fairly flexible if there is a rationale behind small changes that will ultimately make a better product for the fans.

Everyone seems to be aware of the economic challenges we’re all facing at the moment. How has this impacted your approach to design and products?
I graduated in 2008, just before the financial crash, so it feels like I have always been working against a backdrop of tightening budgets! Buyers, consumers, manufacturers and agencies are all being squeezed, so the landscape is definitely tough at the moment.

In terms of my approach, I have always encouraged designers to ignore those constraints – at least at the conceptual phase – and to have big ideas. When an idea is strong enough and everyone is on board, it’s then a case of finding creative solutions to make it work. It’s often far easier to find creative ways to deliver an idea than to have the idea in the first place!

Also, in an age when the consumer is far more alert to looking after the planet, there has been an opportunity to strip back unnecessary components to say, a board game, that may have just existed in the past to make the consumer feel like they are getting more for their money.

Yes, on that, how do you try to be more environmentally friendly in your designs?
This has been a big conversation in the studios I have worked in – especially over the last five years. It’s fantastic that we are shifting towards a more sustainable approach and that demand is coming from both customers and IP holders.

Most projects I start have some discussion around how we can have less environmental impact. For games companies, there are quick wins, like using FSC paper and card, using vegetable or waterbased inks and working with manufacturers who meet internationally recognised ethical standards.

For promotional merch we look at creating items that are manufactured much closer to home to reduce travel miles and consider if paper finishes – like a laminate or foil blocking – are really necessary for the final use.

One of my favourite recent projects at Tomato Source was an H&M Club Members box which included a bee hotel and flower press. The items were laser cut locally from sustainably grown wood. I developed the bee hotel so that it was connected with pegs rather than glue and the box had many secondary uses such as games, colouring in and ‘Hundred Acre Wood’ signs so that children can recreate a scene in their garden.

Let’s talk trends. How do you keep on top of them!?
A lot of window shopping! I love to visit big cities and see what trends are coming through in retail. I also use trend reports like WGSN and reference blogs and social media.

Beyond your own work, can you highlight a couple of recent licensed products you admire from a design perspective?
I’m a keen woodworker in my spare time so I love the wooden collectable toys by Boyhood. They are true heritage pieces – guaranteed to be treasured and handed down through the generations.

Finally, if you could have lunch with a particular designer who would it be and why?
I would love to have lunch with Paula Scher. Her work seems to capture noise and movement in a 2D format which is just incredible. It’s so loud and bold you just have to look at it. There is an element of controlled chaos in her work which really appeals to me.

Jon, this has been great. Thanks again for making time.

The post Tomato Source’s Jon Morse on the two hats you have to wear when designing licensed products appeared first on Brands Untapped.

A challenge for Wordle to enter the licensing market will be design assets and brand identity.

Scrabble is a great example of a word-based game that has had some success in licensing. A particular highpoint for the brand was a gifting range developed by Wild & Wolf that made use of the individual letters and tiles. Wild & Wolf used this iconic design to create items like mugs, coasters and keyrings featuring individual letters. They merchandised the range well with the whole alphabet being available making it a very popular gift range.

Wild & Wolf also used Scrabble’s branding and colourways well, picking up on box art to create point of sale materials which tapped into the brand well. Scrabble has also featured on items such as National Lottery scratch cards, gaming machines and in promotions. It’s a good role model for other word-based games.

One area that might work for Wordle is newspaper syndication. Many papers and magazines have puzzle pages. Content-wise, they often buy in branded content from syndication agencies. Scrabble has been used in this way and with careful curation this could be an opportunity for Wordle as could publishing in general.

Given the creativity in the world of toys and games, it would be no surprise to see Wordle working in board games. A challenge will of course be translating the gameplay into new formats and having content that is enduring… That said, I suspect these challenges would be well met by development teams.

A further opportunity for Wordle could be in the world of TV. Games shows like QI, Countdown and Only Connect have shown that word challenges and ‘thinking’ quiz shows have a market. It’s possible that with new technology and a thoughtful approach to the format, Wordle could work in the world of TV. A successful show could potentially be sold internationally and create a platform for further consumer product development.

With advances in technology there could also be opportunities for Wordle to develop partnerships with companies like train and airline companies, with travellers having the opportunity to play on the go and perhaps compete with other travellers.

Given that leisure operators are looking for new ways of engaging with consumers by leveraging brands, it’s not unrealistic to think of Wordle being used for social gaming in the leisure sector. Companies like Electric Gamebox have created social gaming environment and other operators have found ways to develop experiences featuring sports like golf and clay pigeon shooting. Why not word games?

Promotions and advertising could be another outlet for Wordle. Given the nature of the game and the focus on 5 letter words, it could well translate into advertising campaigns for brands with five letter names or potentially create opportunities for ‘collabs’ with characters. One close to home for me springs to me: Morph and Wordle might be well matched!

I asked Jon Morse, Senior Designer at Tomato Source about Wordle’s brand potential – and the reasons behind its popularity. He said: “Allowing users just one game per day positions Wordle in an almost unique position in the mobile gaming market. It doesn’t try to upsell, cross-sell, or, well, sell anything apart from a brief brain exercise. Wordle is addictive simply because it is good – not because it adopts any of the ethically questionable tactics usually adopted in online gaming to keep us all addicted.”

Jon continued: “While brands are coming under ever-increasing scrutiny, Wordle could position itself as the antithesis to unscrupulous money-grabbing gaming brands. It’s rare for such a popular game app to not require anything in return for its use (payment, data…), which is why Wordle ‘the brand’ could have great synergy with altruistic enterprises. A ‘special edition’ Wordle could be created to support the campaign of a charity such as Great Ormond Street Hospital. It could branch out into physical publishing within the brain puzzles space or be expanded into a larger board game format – all with a charitable profit-share licensing model behind it.”

At the moment, Wordle seems to be on the rise and has attracted a lot of attention. Licensing-wise, this is encouraging and I’m sure it has piqued people’s interest. Of course, to succeed in licensing, any brand has to have a degree of longevity and ongoing consumer engagement.

I am sure creative licensing people will rise to challenge of creating relevant licensed products for Wordle. It will be important that the game remains popular, but given its current success, it’s reasonable to think it will have longevity.

Of course, the owners may not want to get involved in licensing. It isn’t for all brands and brand owners, but Wordle seems well placed to give it a go.

The post The Brand Radar: Everyone seems to be playing Wordle… Does it have licensing potential? appeared first on Brands Untapped.