The Skins Factory’s Design Work for The Walt Disney Company
BY JEFF SCHADER
The Walt Disney Company
Celebrates its 100 Year Anniversary!
In honor of Disney's centennial, we would like to reflect on some of the design work that The Skins Factory has had the privilege to create for the renowned "House of Mouse." Our collaborations with Disney have included designing their online music store and revamping all of their icons for Disney.com. Working alongside the talented teams at consumer products and the internet group has been a career-defining experience for us. We are proud to be a part of Disney's legacy as they celebrate 100 years of magic.
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2004 - The First Disney Project: Windows desktop theme
In 2004, just three years after our incorporation, we received a call from Disney's Consumer Product Group. They reached out to our design studio to create a Windows Desktop theme for their Disney Dream Desk PC Set. Armed with images of the hardware components, we used their design language as the foundation for the visually inspiring Windows Desktop Theme.
The Early Windows Theme Comps
During the initial phase of the creative design process, known as the "comp phase," our team engages in discussions with the client, which in this case is Disney's executive and creative teams. This stage involves outlining the direction for the design before delving into more detailed aspects. It is common to go through multiple iterations during this phase, as art is not a precise science. It's worth noting that many of the unused designs showcased here can be considered successful since they reflect the distinctive style and design associated with the Disney brand. However, certain limitations imposed by hardware and software prevented their implementation. Presented below are some early design tests.
Final Version
A much cleaner design that still invokes the magic of Disney. We added the Mickey Mouse shaped close button we had from the early comps and kept the stars to impart the Disney magic to the theme.
2006 - Animated icons for Disney’s portable video player
A very small, embedded UI project Disney Consumer Products brought us in for. We were tasked to create 5 small, animated icons for Disney’s Portable Video Player. These are 20-frame animations.
2006 - Disney.com Website Navigation Icons
The Skins Factory was chosen by The Walt Disney Company to add a touch of magic to the main navigation of the newly revamped Disney.com website. Collaborating closely with WDIG's creative team, our designers at The Skins Factory crafted powerful and iconic symbols for Disney.com's top-level navigation. Our primary objective was to create icons that seamlessly aligned with Disney's renowned brand identity while introducing a fresh look for Disney.com. We incorporated subtle and unmistakable Disney visual elements into the icons, such as Mickey Mouse's ears adorning the gaming controller featured in the Disney Games icon.
The 3D-rendered Icon Maquettes
While you see the final results of projects, it is important to understand the extensive amount of work involved in the design process. Although not all of these digital models were ultimately used for various reasons, we would like to provide a glimpse behind the scenes.
Above:
Disney Music Icon Tests
2006 - Disney Mix Central Website Design
Our web design team designed the store console as a virtual, hardware-based UI, in a style that reflects the high level of polish & visual punch consumers expect of Disney. Our design adopted a stylized 3D aesthetic, creating a captivating and tactile experience that encourages users to engage with the controls and delve deeper into the content.. Over 20 pages were designed for this exciting project for The Walt Disney Company.
2007 - Disney Mix Central Windows Media Player Skin
The Skins Factory was commissioned by Disney to design & develop a Windows Media Player 11 skin branded with Disney Mix Central. Drawing inspiration from Disney's physical media player, the Disney Mix Max, The Skins Factory designed an endearing companion for the Disney Mix Central store. Going beyond traditional 2D skins, we implemented functionality on multiple sides of the player skin. When flipped on its side, it transforms into a micro player, further enhancing user experience.
The Early Hi-Fidelity Wireframes
The 3D Rendered Models
2007 - Disney Max Blue Edition Windows Desktop Hyperdesk Theme
Powered by The Skins Factory's Hyperdesk theme solution, The Skins Factory created these magical Disney themes for The Walt Disney Company's netbook - Magic Blue. Featuring glossy blue & pink themes, Disney-centric desktop icon suite and magical wallpapers. While the theme was meant for Magic Blue, we felt that the MInnie Mouses of the world deserved a theme so we created a Pink Theme as well.
Version for Magic Blue Netbooks
Versions for Windows Powered by The Skins Factory’s Hyperdesk Application
Disney Max: Blue Edition Hyperdesk Windows Theme
Disney Max: Pink Edition Hyperdesk Windows Theme
Above:
Closed Folders + My Document Icons
Above:
Disney Max Icon Samples
2007 - Disney Max UI Design
A small media player project designed as a companion to Disney’s Mix Central. Below is the framework for the application.
2007 - Disney.com Disney Extreme Digital (DXD) Icons
The Walt Disney Internet Group contracted The Skins Factory again to create another intuitive set of website icons for their redesigned, flagship website. Working closely with WDIG's creative team, The Skins Factory designers created strong iconic symbols for Disney.com's website iconograpy. The main goal was to create icons that were consistent with Disney's strong brand & usher in the new look of Disney.com. Here’s a look at a few of the many icons we designed.
2008 - Disney’s It’s a Magical World: Windows Hyperdesk Desktop Theme
The Official Disney Desktop theme was originally contracted by The Walt Disney Company and later expanded under license. This theme, available for Windows 7, Vista & XP, offered users a unique set of features including 5 color themes, an array of enchanting desktop icons, custom wallpapers, a playful Mickey Mouse iTunes audio remote, and a Windows Media Player skin. The design and branding of the theme were expertly crafted by The Skins Factory, who also created the product name. This theme utilized the powerful Hyperdesk technology developed by The Skins Factory to provide users with an advanced Windows desktop theming solution.
Brand Identity + Logo Design
A brand identity we created for our Hyperdesk Windows desktop theme - the official Disney's It's a Magical World. As an official licensee (and long time vendor) of The Walt Disney Company, we brought the same dynamics to the style of the logo as we delivered to the desktop themes. The outcome is a logo that embodies the essence of the Disney brand - vibrant, captivating, and undeniably enchanting.
Disney’s It’s a Magical World Windows Desktop Icon Set
Disney’s It’s a Magical World Audio Remote
As part of the Hyperdesk Disney It's a Magical World Windows desktop theme, the magical Mickey Mouse Audio Remote delighted users of all ages with its high-gloss style, seven vibrant colors and Mickey Mouse's iconic shape. The Mickey Mouse Yahoo! widget controlled Apple's iTunes and Microsoft's Windows Media Player as a remote control with a small desktop footprint.
Rationale:
A concept that enforces Disney’s marketing presence on the desktop with the latest trends and technologies in cutting edge interface design. The strongest brand icon in Disney’s arsenal is Mickey’s Ears - a universally recognized symbol that transcends age, gender or language, as highly-integrated into global culture as the Nike “Swoop” or Apple’s “Apple.”
Below:
High-Fidelity Wireframes for the Audio Remote Widget
Disney’s It’s a Magical World Windows Media Player Skins
The official Disney six color, magical Windows Media Player. Part of the Hyperdesk Windows desktop theme - Disneys It's a Magical World. Our design team captured the magic of Disney, injecting fun, vibrant colors and enchanting graphics into the Windows Media Player skin that delighted children and parents worldwide.
Disney's It's a Magical World Windows Desktop Theme
Initially contracted by The Walt Disney Company and then under license, the Official Disney Desktop theme for Windows 7, Vista & XP, features 5 color themes, an assortment of magical desktop icons, custom wallpapers, a fun Mickey Mouse iTunes audio remote and a Windows Media Player skin. The theme was powered by The Skins Factory's advanced Windows desktop theming solution Hyperdesk.
Click the Previews below to view larger.
2008 - Disney.com 3.0 Icon Design
Multiple icon designs for animated main navigation icons for Disney.com along with sub-navigation icons. The animation sequences were designed using Cinema 4D, Adober After Effects and Adobe Photoshop.
Early Comps
Above:
Comps for the flip book animated icon.
Above:
Character design comps for flip book animated icon.
Some of the Animation Sequences.
Below are some .mov files we presented to the Disney team converted to .gif.
Sub-Navigation Icons
Above:
Some of the Early Icon Comps.
Sub-Navigation Icons
A few of the finalized icons. Click the images to view larger. Two of these (V.I.P. & Create) were brought over from the 2nd Disney icon project.
2008 - Disney Pix & Disney Flix
This was a project for Disney & Digital Blue based on the visual design language we created for Disney Mix Central Online Music Store for Disney. The applications were video and photo editors designed for the younger Disney audience. Here’s a couple of the screens.
2008 - The Official Disney Pixar’s WALL-E Windows Desktop Theme
The official Pixar-approved WALL-E Windows desktop theme. Powered by The Skins Factory's Hyperdesk advanced Windows desktop theming solution, this desktop theme featured 2 themes based on WALL-E's yellow, rusted metallic body and includes over 50 stylized desktop icons, 18 wallpapers from the hit film, and a Windows Media Player skin. The theme was powered by The Skins Factory's advanced Windows desktop theming solution Hyperdesk.
WALL-E Windows Desktop Icon Design
Theme Overview
Hyperdesk Marketing Packaging
2008 - The Official Disney Pixar’s WALL-E’s EVE Windows Desktop Theme
Introducing the official Pixar-approved EVE Windows desktop theme. Included was a variant theme based on Buy N Large. Powered by The Skins Factory's Hyperdesk advanced Windows desktop theming solution, this desktop theme featured 2 themes based on EVE's high-gloss, white body and blue LEDs and includes over 50 stylized desktop icons, 18 wallpapers from the hit film, and a Windows Media Player skin.
EVE Windows Media Player Skin
Designed and created for the Official Disney/Pixar EVE Windows XP desktop theme kit powered by The Skins Factory's Hyperdesk Windows theme application. Styled after EVE's high-gloss white body and blue LEDs. We also included a special Buy n Large variant edition of the skin.
EVE Windows Desktop Icon Design
Like the WALL-E theme, our design team really brought in EVE’s visual design language from the animated Disney Pixar film. A futuristic design style featuring white, high-gloss surfaces, holographic styling and vibrant LEDs.
Theme Overview
2009 - The Official Nightmare Before Christmas Playstation Theme
This Tim Burton-approved PlayStation theme was created by The Skins Factory for Disney based on the cult favorite film - Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The Skins Factory created a spooky set of over 50 ghostly, holographic XrossMediaBar (XMB) navigation icons, super creepy 3D main navigation icons, custom cursors and more. For Sony PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Portable.
So there is a look at most of the projects we designed for The Walt Disney Company. We left out a few small ones. From all of us at The Skins Factory…
Happy Birthday Disney!
About Jeff Schader
Jeff Schader is the CEO and Founder of The Skins Factory, a leading UI/UX, web, and brand creation design studio based in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. With over 28 years of experience (25+ years running The Skins Factory) in the design and technology sectors, Jeff has built a reputation for innovation, excellence, and customer-centric solutions. As the driving force behind The Skins Factory, he oversees every aspect of its operations, ensuring meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to exceeding client expectations.
Under Jeff’s leadership, The Skins Factory has evolved from a modest startup into a renowned name in the industry, known for its cutting-edge design capabilities and unwavering quality. His keen eye for design and passion for technology have fueled the company’s growth, attracting a loyal client base that includes major brands and industry leaders worldwide.
