Menelaos Florides Design Consultancy Ltd. is a One Man Design Consultancy run by me, Mel :). A multi-talented freelance designer, thinker, tinker and creative problem solver, now based in Nicosia, Cyprus, with 15 year experience working full-time, independently, collaboratively and as a consultant to leading industry firms and think tanks, in the conception, development, execution and drive of design briefs across the spectrum. I have over time taken on the positions of Creative director, Creative Leader and Senior Designer in concept design, product design, experience design, game and toy making, branding and art direction, play and creativity workshops, to building futures, design strategies and scenarios for the wonder that is our future.
Parallel to my animated storytelling through forms, colours and functions, I have been engaged with research and development on developing and delivering these innovative ideas and solutions.
In the last 7 years, I have been primarily consulting one of the worlds biggest and most successful Toy and Game companies in the research, development and execution of product ideas that will identify and define the Future of Play.
DISCLAIMER: On this website there are a number of images of concepts and products that where eventually developed into finished working prototypes or consumer products. Due to Non Disclosure and Non Compete contract agreements between Menelaos Florides Design Consultancy and the clients he works for, these images displayed on the website are samples of early iterations of finalised products, in order to protect the intellectual property, time and capital investment of all parties involved.
Work Experience
2014-Director of Menelaos Florides Design Consultancy. Freelance Designer/Creative Consultant/Innovation Consultant/Play Expert (Denmark - United Kingdom - Cyprus)
As a Freelance Design Consultant and Play Expert i help clients, such as (THE LEGO GROUP, CREATIVE PLAY LAB, LEGO PRODUCT GROUP, FUTURE LAB, Circle By Circle … )in all stages of product development, depending on their needs. Besides the hard-core creative skills and idea generation, i also advise companies on innovation, process and maximising creative output. I also help companies in Product Development Management, carrying product ideas from concept on paper, to the hands of the consumer.
idea generation
art direction
creative direction
play design
character design
product design
concept design
product management
product development
product marketing
story
concept sketching
story boarding
illustration
3D modelling
3D sculpting
3D printing in SLA, SLS, FDM (MakerBot, Cubicon, Formlabs, Prusa, Craftbot,)
prototyping
user experience design
user interaction design
LEGO concept building
LEGO model building
physical game design
graphic design
branding
DFM
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2014-2018 Associate Creative Director at BAILAB (Born An Idea Lab). (London-United Kingdom)
As an Associate Creative Director of Bailab i was involved in the following:
futurist
idea generation
process lead
abstract thinking
out of the box ideation
concept design
art direction
research
interaction design
user experience design
concept sketching
prototyping
3D modelling
3D sculpting
3D printing
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2013-2014 - Development Producer and Senior Designer at the LEGO company. (Billund-Denmark)
As a Senior designer I was involved in the following:
Product and Process Owner
Design Lead on all 3D elements.
Design Lead on LEGO Ninjago Spinner Action toy product line .
idea generation
theme development
story development
character design
art direction
LEGO concept building
LEGO model building
physical game design
card game design
concept sketching
3D modelling
3D sculpting
Development Producer for TV Commercials
As a Development Producer for LEGO NINJAGO MASTERS OF SPINJITZU animated series, I was involved in the following:
Story drafts
Character and asset approvals
Product owner and brand ambassador when liaising and working with external partners
Overseeing story boards, animatic, animation, rendering and post production from in-house team and external partners for the LEGO NINJAGO Masters of Spinjitsu Animated TV Series
Coordination team between story writers (Hageman Brothers), Animation Studio (WILFILM) and LEGO NINJAGO Product Design Team.
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2012-2013 -World Traveler (Sabbatical leave)
As an artist and human centred designer, i find it necessary to travel and experience as much as you can, in as many different places you can, with as many different people as you can. Therefore, besides my work, life and holiday related traveling, i decided to invest 12 months of my life to travel/work around the world. From North, Central and South America, to Oceania, South East Asia and back to Europe. The experience was absolutely humbling, eye opening and truly and utterly priceless. More than that, it still fuels my imagination and creative drive today.
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2008-2012 - Designer, promoted to Senior Designer and Creative Lead at the LEGO company. (Billund-Denmark)
As a Designer/Senior Designer i was involved in the following:
Product and Process Owner
Design Lead on 3D elements.
Design Lead on LEGO Ninjago Spinner Action toy product line.
Development Producer for Ninajgo Masters of Spinjitzu, Animated series.
idea generation
theme development
story development
character design
art direction
LEGO concept building
LEGO model building for LEGO ATLANTIS, LEGO SPACE POLICE, LEGO NINJAGO, LEGO NINJAGO SPINNERS
physical game design
card game design
concept sketching
3D modelling
3D sculpting
packaging design
DFM
Branding of products and product lines of the company.
Product Development with manufacturing and procurement in Denmark, Hong Kong and China
As a Creative Leader
I was part of the team responsible for the LEGO company’s most successful home grown I.P (LEGO NINJAGO). Part of my job was to use my design intuition, and creative problem solving skills to drive, lead and manage a team of product, model and graphic designers, work alongside sculptors, engineers, toolmakers, marketing directors, product managers, branding directors, story writers, animation studios, advertising agencies, international market directors, and successfully prepare and present the entire product line to company owners, CEO, CFO, company directors and all major international buyers and retailers
2006 - 2008 - Product Designer at BLUW group. (United Kingdom- Hong Kong - China)
As a designer i was involved in the following:
idea generation
concept sketching
3D modelling
packaging design
DFM
Branding of products and product lines of the company.
Product Development with manufacturing and procurement in Hong Kong and China
These ideas, turned into products that where manufactured and sold to the biggest worldwide online retailers and most UK high street retailers.
2000-2002 - Cypriot Armed Forces.
Lots of walking and running distances, day and night with a full kit on, lots of jumping over or crawling under obstacles you wouldn’t normally do, lots of learning about confidential army stuff, lots of camaraderie and lots of shooting at targets. Not so much sleeping or eating…