Designer Insight:
3rd Anniversary Box
What is the idea behind the 3rd Anniversary Box theme?
The 3rd Anniversary Box focuses on the soul and origins of Sky. Therefore inside the box we have this shooting star of light falling onto Home in Sky. This paints an image of every Sky friend arriving at Home, marking the beginning of many friendship stories.
We hope the 3rd Anniversary Box can share the idea of "stay true to that Sky soul," and remind everyone of their first meetings, connections and moments exploring Sky, and how these experiences became beautiful memories over time.
How did we decide on thatskykid's pose?
The pose used in the figurine is one of the most common expressions of Sky's friends when they meet in the game. Many stories and friendships unfold simply because a player extends a hand. This figurine also hopes to convey some of the individual meaning that belongs to each person. We hope every Sky friend can remember that they are not alone.
Also, the grass and flowers on the figurine were adjusted many times over three months to perfect their delicate molds without compromising the layering effect of the plants. Very small adjustments can make a big difference in delicate parts like grass and flowers!
Further, the cape's bottom seam was adjusted four times to make sure each piece fans out in the correct angle, giving it a natural, windblown effect.
The figurine's color was another long process, taking 5 months, and including over 20 test models. Each small adjustment greatly affects the overall color tone. Finally, after all details were confirmed, we still tested three more batches to reduce risks and errors in production.
How did the 3rd Anniversary Dark Dragon Keychain end up like what we see right now?
The 3rd Anniversary Dark Dragon Keychain presented many design challenges. To accommodate its size, we customized an extra-small NFC chip just for this item, experimenting with 4 versions of the plans to combine the chip with the plush. Also, the embroidery was adjusted twice to achieve the "plump" look of the STAR symbol.
Finding the proper shape required much effort, as we would never see the final result of our design until the filling was added. It took us many tries to adjust the angles of each tiny "foot," giving it the proper balance of chubbiness and cuteness. Similarly, the trunk, or tummy area of the plush took many tries to find the right filling ratio. Some samples came out too thin, and others came out too thick... Even if they were cute, they no longer looked like Dark Dragons!
What was it like to make thatskykid?
Were there any special design techniques used in the Rainbow Spell Pin?
How do scenes from the bookmark and postcards relate to the theme of the 3rd Anniversary Box?
We chose the rose garden ruin, because it’s one of the most iconic buildings in the Vault of Knowledge and most representative of the Season of the Little Prince. The blue eel was chosen as the main representation of Season of Abyss because it's one of the most recognizable sea creatures in Diving Season. Both represent two different worlds, the land and the sea, as one. We hope it can represent the same for all Sky players celebrating Sky's 3rd Anniversary, to celebrate as one, no matter our differences.