Cuddle Monsters | Karen Guerrero Portfolio

Adora

Cuddle Monsters Packaging Design

Overview

Description

Cuddle Monsters is a line of weighted fidget plush designed to support children’s mental wellness by helping them self-soothe, focus, and feel comforted through sensory play. As Art Director, I led the full creative vision—from packaging and motion graphics to launch campaigns and retailer materials—with a clear focus on making these benefits instantly understandable and emotionally appealing.

Role: Art Director & Packaging Designer
Client: Adora
Deliverables: Packaging Design, Hang Tag Innovation, Motion Graphics, Product Launch Creative, Retail Presentation Materials

Mission-Driven Storytelling

At every stage, I ensured the visuals aligned with the heart of the brand’s mission: to support children’s emotional well-being through thoughtful design. From pastel color palettes to interactive packaging moments, each creative decision reinforced the calm, comforting purpose behind these joyful plush toys.

Communicating Complex Features

The biggest challenge was translating the wide variety of tactile features in a way that was accessible and engaging for both consumers and retailers.

Animations

Custom GIF animations were created to visually demonstrate the interactive elements—like squeaking, popping, and squishing—so that each feature could be seen in action across product pages, ads, and social platforms.
These animations provided an intuitive and immediate understanding of the toys' functionality, enhancing both eCommerce and B2B engagement.

Packaging Design

I led the overall graphic direction for the product line with an emphasis on calm, kid-friendly visuals:

Used soft pastel colors and dreamy gradients to reflect the soothing qualities of the product.
Designed the packaging layout to clearly and cleanly highlight the core benefits without overwhelming the consumer.
Selected materials and finishes that balanced playfulness with premium appeal.

Innovative Hang Tag Design

To further enhance storytelling and highlight each plush’s features, I designed interactive, character-inspired hang tags:

Each hang tag mimics the Cuddle Monster’s face with a closed mouth.
Using an accordion fold, the mouth “opens” to reveal a detailed breakdown of all the plush’s sensory features in a playful, space-efficient way.
This not only created a memorable unboxing moment, but also allowed us to creatively maximize real estate without increasing packaging size.

Portfolio

Campaign Launch

I directed the creation of a full suite of launch materials, including:

Email campaigns and homepage banners to introduce the line with a strong emotional and educational hook.
Short-form videos for social media that demonstrated fidget features in a fun, snackable format.
Long-form video content to dive deeper into the mission and benefits behind the toys for use in ads and eComm.
Retail presentation sheets and visual sales tools that emphasized both the product’s rich features and its wellness-focused purpose for kids with anxiety or sensory needs.