MoMA x Mattel - Visual Systems Lead
A five-year global partnership bridging museum modernism and the world of play. I led the art direction for the MoMA x Mattel Style Guide, defining the visual system, color architecture, and creative standards across multiple brands including UNO, Barbie, and Hot Wheels.
Role: Visual Systems Lead | Partners: MoMA Brand Team, Mattel Global Packaging, Product Design, and Marketing Teams
The Visual System
From typography to color architecture, the system set the foundation for every franchise.
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
MoMA x Mattel Style Guide
Overview & Direction
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Mattel partnered to celebrate design as both art and play. As Art Director and Visual Systems Lead, I developed the MoMA × Mattel Style Guide, a visual language that unified MoMA’s curatorial precision with Mattel’s expressive storytelling.
My goal was to create a system where modernism meets play, where MoMA’s minimalist design ethos could coexist with Mattel’s color, motion, and joy. Inspired by Bauhaus geometry, gallery typography, and the museum’s restrained palette, I designed a modular framework that balances structure and emotion.
I led the visual development and cross-functional alignment between MoMA and Mattel’s global teams, defining color, grid, typography, and composition standards used across packaging, retail, and marketing. Partnering with MoMA curators ensured authenticity in every adaptation, while directing internal and external designers brought consistency to how the story of art and play came to life.
The five-year partnership resulted in a unified design language adopted across Mattel franchises including UNO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Magic 8 Ball, setting the creative foundation for all future MoMA collaborations.
Early design exploration for Barbie x Vincent van Gogh.
Initial concepts for the MoMA x Mattel capsule line.
The Capsule Collection
Seven masterpieces reimagined through the lens of play.
Collection Highlights:
Barbie x Vincent van Gogh — A collectible doll wearing a gown inspired by The Starry Night.
Hot Wheels x Jaguar E-Type Roadster and Citroën DS 23 Sedan — Die-cast tributes to MoMA’s legendary automotive icons.
UNO Canvas x MoMA — A special edition deck featuring works by Sonia Delaunay, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Claude Monet, Liubov Popova, and Van Gogh, each aligned with UNO’s color story.
Magic 8 Ball x Alma Woodsey Thomas — A reimagined orb inspired by Thomas’s vibrant abstract compositions.
Little People Collector x Salvador Dalí and x Claude Monet — Miniature figures merging each artist’s identity with Mattel’s playful aesthetic.
Each collaboration followed the visual principles of the MoMA x Mattel Style Guide, ensuring color, typography, and storytelling remained consistent across every franchise.
The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh
Barbie x Vincent van Gogh
Objects from a Dyer’s Shop (1914) by Liubov Popova
UNO x MoMA
Untitled (1968) by Alma Woodsey Thomas
Magic 8 Ball x Alma Woodsey Thomas
Water Lilies (1914-1926) by Claude Monet
Little People Collector x Claude Monet
The Persistence of Memory (1931) by Salvador Dalí
Little People Collector x Salvador Dalí
Hot Wheels x Citroën DS 23 Sedan
Citroën DS 23 Sedan
Hot Wheels x Jaguar E-Type Roadster
Jaguar E-Type Roadster
Outcome
The MoMA x Mattel Style Guide became the creative foundation for a five-year global partnership, establishing a visual system that continues to guide Mattel’s museum collaborations worldwide.
Impact Highlights
5-Year Collaboration — Spanning collector, retail, and digital product lines.
30+ SKUs — Applied across packaging, retail, and marketing assets.
5+ Global Franchises — Including UNO, Barbie, and Hot Wheels.
Unified Design System — Streamlined licensor approvals and internal alignment.
Best-in-Class Recognition — Cited internally as the benchmark for cultural partnerships.
“This project challenged me to think like both a designer and a curator — to balance restraint
with emotion and translate two creative worlds into one shared visual language.”
— Alyna Draper
Press & Recognition
The collaboration was featured by leading design and business publications, recognizing its innovation in bridging art and play.
