Projects @Madlad Figures
A broader body of work across injection molding support, QA, packaging, MVP product testing, vendor research, and process improvements aimed at making production more reliable and scalable.
Duration
2024 - Now
Client
Madlad Figures
Services
#
Process Development
#
Product Development
#
Design
#
Digital Media
Overview
After the big sofubi research arc, my role at Madlad started shifting toward production systems in a much bigger way: moved closer to the injection molding factory, closer to mass production, and honestly closer to the chaos that happens when a design has to survive real manufacturing.
This phase became less about building one experimental pipeline, and more about helping products move through existing pipelines with fewer technical surprises, better finish quality, tighter coordination, and more realistic decisions across teams.
The Problem
By mid-2024, one thing was becoming very clear: great ideas alone do not carry products through production.
Once Madlad focused more heavily on injection molding for both B2B and B2C work, the challenge shifted from “can we make this?” to “can we make this well, consistently, on time, and without wasting too much labor?”
The real problem was no longer only the object itself — it was the system around the object. That meant workflow bottlenecks, communication gaps between design and workshop teams, quality inconsistency, slow manual steps, and all the little technical issues that pile up fast when multiple projects are running at once.
Research
2024-2025 was basically me getting increasingly invested in the backstage mechanics of production. I started researching things like paint masks, pad print bases, new plastic materials, and small machine or fixture ideas that could reduce repetitive labor inside the workshop.
I also joined industrial expos like Plastics & Rubber Vietnam and Coatings Expo Vietnam, etc. to expand Madlad's vendor networks and get a better feel for what materials and production solutions were available beyond our immediate setup.
Over time, that research also extended into meeting factories, looking into machine options, and exploring better suppliers — including a new paint supplier that significantly improved toy quality and helped solve long-standing issues with older paint.
At the same time, the research wasn’t just theoretical. It was constantly being tested against live projects: KONIZ, Tricky Treat, Faust, CyberO-00, CyberO-01, TỰ LONG, the MVP testing series, and later Helio. So every improvement idea had to prove itself inside actual timelines, real production constraints, and sometimes very budget-conscious decisions.
Discovery
This chapter really locked in one belief for me: products are only as good as the systems holding them together.
You can have a solid concept, a nice model, even strong visual direction — but if paint behavior is unstable, print registration is off, packaging quality slips, the vendor isn’t right, or the handoff between teams is messy, the final result will absolutely snitch on the process.
I also realized I was naturally drawn to the in-between role — not fully just “designer,” not fully just “production person,” but the one helping connect the idea to the factory floor in a way that still made sense. A lot of the value here came from translation: translating design intent into manufacturable decisions, translating workshop constraints back into creative choices, and translating technical issues into something the team could actually act on.
Design Process
A lot of my decisions during this phase were about alignment.
I worked with 3D and factory teams to make sure DFM qualities: designs, dimensions, and part strategies made sense for injection molding and downstream finishing.
I supported planning for painting and pad printing, helped troubleshoot technical roadblocks in the workflow, and got more involved in QA as projects moved through production.
On some projects, that also extended into packaging and print quality — especially on Bánh mì Nom Nom (Sofubi + PVC version), TỰ LONG, where I was involved in toy design, packaging design, and making sure the printed packaging held up properly in final output.
This was also the phase where my work became more hybrid and less neat on paper. Depending on what the team needed, I could be helping with
B2B quoting support
talking to clients with the project manager
coordinating between 2D, 3D, and factory teams
supporting MVP product ideation
helping shape budget-friendly packaging
or stepping in on more hands-on prototype tasks like 3D printing, post-processing, paint work, product photography, and retouching.
Very “my job is whatever the product needs before it becomes somebody else’s emergency.”
Final delivery
This phase didn’t produce one single hero object so much as it produced a stronger production mindset across many projects. Through internal lines, client work, MVP tests, packaging tasks, QA support, and process improvements, I became part of the layer that helped products move more smoothly from design into manufacturing. That included making workflows more coherent, improving finish and print outcomes, supporting more production-aware decision-making, and helping the team respond faster when technical issues showed up.
If the sofubi chapter taught me how to build something from scratch, this chapter taught me how to make things hold together at scale — or at least how to keep them from falling apart in deeply avoidable ways. Which, honestly, feels like its own design skill.
List of contributed projects:
2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scope of work | Injection Production: toy making · metal mold making · pad print troubleshooting · 3D print prep · post-processing · silicone mold making
| Injection Production: ideation · DFM · part splitting · tolerance control · surface/coating direction · packaging ideation · production coordination · workflow troubleshooting · QA · process improvement · paint/pad print R&D Prototype: Toy form and 3D development · 3D printing · post-processing · painting assist Digital Media: product photography · retouching | Injection Production: B2B/B2C quotation · client communication · production coordination · workflow troubleshooting · QA · packaging design · print QA · vendor communication
| Injection Production: production coordination · workflow troubleshooting · QA · DFM · vendor communication · factory liaison Prototype: Toy form and 3D development · 3D team advising · 3D printing · post-processing · color design · primary paint work · QC |
Prototype |
|
|
| |
Injection Molding/ Mass production |
|
|
*Projects with links are public. Those without one are under NDA.
