Kimberley Cleland

Target US approached us about creating a new, coherent line of kids' bicycle decorations, obstacles and accessories. I was assigned the entire line, and would act as product manager, brand manager and designer. Through extensive research and collaboration with our sales, marketing and art teams, I established our line's brand definition (name, mission, value statement), competitive positioning / differentiation, and brand styling (look, logo, palette).

Developing an entirely new and coordinated line of 20 bike items from scratch involved substantial trend and market research, as well as in-depth experimentation with competitors' products. As an industrial designer and parent to two sporty young kids, I combined my technical and styling expertise with hands-on observation of my concepts and samples in action in order to determine which types of items would be the best fit for our target demographic and brand mission.

Throughout the design process, I was in constant communication with our overseas suppliers, who helped us source the high-quality, safety-tested components and materials we needed, within our very limited budget. I developed the specifications for any new molds, prints or colorways needed, and handled the approval and production process.