Conversations with Melissa Martyn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Martyn.

Hi Melissa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have the job any 5-year-old kid dreams about; I design toys for a living. Ironically enough, I wasn’t a big toy collector as a kid, my career path happened in a roundabout way. My first job out of high school was working as a retail representative for Mattel, maker of classic toys like Barbie and Hot Wheels. This job sent me to stores like Target and Toys ‘R Us to stock shelves, and it paid my bills while I was a young person trying to support myself and put myself through community college. Growing up, I was always creative, and I started taking every evening art class I could fit into my busy schedule, eventually earning an AA in studio art.

At the same time, I had developed a fascination with the toys I was taking out of boxes and placing on shelves every day; who designed them? Who made the creative choices? How would I make this item better? It seemed like the perfect mix of 2D design, 3D design, fashion design, marketing, engineering… I could never settle on one art path to follow, and toy design seemed like it had the perfect amount of variety to keep it fresh and exciting. I lowkey started collecting my favorite toy lines. I was hooked.

After I graduated community college, I decided to take the huge financial plunge that is art school; somewhat serendipitously, the nearest one actually offered a BFA in toy and product design. I transferred in, and the rest is history.

My career currently spans Mattel (retail and design), Disney, Universal/Dreamworks, and Moose Toys. It’s been fun, and I’m constantly learning. I’ve worked a lot with animation studios, and seeing assets I’ve designed in shows is an added perk and never gets less exciting!

I also feel like I was able to take my seven years’ experience of working in retail to help me understand what kinds and adults look for in products.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I was on my own financially from a young age, which meant I worked 5-7 days a week while attending school 4-5 days a week, I definitely did not have much of a social life in my early 20s. But this helped me learn how to prioritize and be responsible in life and my career, and I was able to bring insights and experience to the table that a lot of people didn’t have. Transitioning from school to an office setting, I think is challenging for a lot of creatives, and once I started working in the industry, there was a whole new set of skills to learn; business partnerships, office politics, etc. etc.

I’m an artist at heart, and I think my biggest challenge currently is keeping my creative energy going while working full time in a creative field. It can be hard to feel motivated to work on personal projects after an 8-10 hour work day. It’s all about constantly trying to strike that balance. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by so many amazing designers and creatives who continually inspire me.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Generally, I work in the dolls and preschool toy space. I specialize in concepting (lots of drawing and character design), giving feedback on 3D sculpts, color palettes, and sometimes fashion dolls, which is basically fashion design at a miniature scale. I’m known for having a cute illustration style, attention to detail, and specializing in styling items for a traditionally ‘girly’ market (although industry-wide we’re trying to move away from gendered language, which I wholly support!) Some of the projects I’m most proud of are designs that made it into TV shows – you can spot several of my fashion designs on Disney Channel shows like Descendants and Elena of Avalor, and I helped consult on designs for the more recent Gabby’s Dollhouse on Netflix.

I think it’s important for someone in my position to always try to support diversity and inclusion in the kids’ space. Growing up mixed-race, I didn’t see much representation of what me or my family looked like, and I always try to consider how my designs and input can help impact kids in a positive way.

Finally, I always love when I see my friends’ kids playing with items I designed and getting joy out them! It always brings a smile to my face.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My childhood wasn’t the most serene, and art was an escape for me. If I wasn’t drawing, I was customizing my toys with crayons or paint and scissors, a hint at things to come. I also loved to draw on my siblings with markers, in all seriousness if I hadn’t become a designer, I probably would have become a tattoo artist.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
All artwork copyright Melissa Martyn last photo by Matthew Deere with his permission